Sept. 24 Weekly Insight: Which religion has kept a sacred fire burning for over 1,000 years?

Which religion has kept a sacred fire burning for over 1,000 years?

(the 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U. at Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Hint: this religion’s followers might be (mistakenly) thought to worship a type of Japanese car.

The correct answer is Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion that began in the 6^th Century BCE in what is now Iran. Its followers use fire as a key symbol of ritual purity and they have kept a flame burning at the Fire Temple in the Iranian city of Yazd for 10 centuries. Mazdans are required to feed their eternal flame five times a day, and (in a way similar to Islamic practice) they also pray five times a day.

In respect for their beliefs, we should actually call the followers of this religion “Mazdans,” in recognition that their name for the deity is Ahura Mazda. To call them “Zoroastrians,” is equivalent to calling Muslims, “Mohammadans,” something that the followers of Islam find offensive because it implies that they worship the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims don’t worship the Prophet; and Mazdans don’t worship Zoroaster who was the founding prophet of their religion.

Mazdaism rivals Judaism as the oldest monotheistic religion. Its theology is built around an on-going struggle between good (represented by Ahrua Mazda) and evil (represented by a being called Ahura Mainyu). The good news is that in this struggle it is understood that good will ultimately triumph. This struggle between good and evil results in a strong emphasis on ethical behavior among Mazdans, who believe that the balance between their ethical and unethical behavior will determine whether they go to what people in the West would call heaven or hell. Today, Mazdans are well known and even revered for their highly ethical conduct.

The source of beliefs and practices for Mazdans is a set of scriptures called the “Avesta” that contains hymns, prescriptions for ethical behavior, and descriptions of ritual practices. The symbol used to represent Mazdaism is a male figure emerging from a disk embedded in the spread wings and tail of a bird.

One of the most unusual practices of this religion is its way of dealing with the dead. Soon after an individual expires, that person’s body is taken to a sacred building called The Tower of Silence. In this Tower the body—devoid of clothing—is left in the open air where its flesh is devoured by vultures. The remaining bones are allowed to dry and are later placed in a central well inside the Tower.

Although Mazdaism became the official religion of the Persian Empire soon after its birth, the number of its followers shrank remarkably after the coming of Islam in the 7^th Century CE. Today there are fewer than 200,000 Zoroastrians on the planet, most of them in Iran or India.

For more information about Mazdaism visit: http://www.religionfacts.com/zoroastrianism/index.htm

Sept 17 3-minute Weekly Insight: So, what's the story with the Turbans?

So, What’s the Story with the Turbans?

 (The 3-Minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U. at Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Men in many cultures around the world wear turbans, especially men in parts of the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

But men who practice a religion called Sikhism wear turbans as a distinctive part of their spiritual practice.

Sikhism began in the 16^th Century in the Punjab area of northwestern India. Among the newest of the world’s religions, it was born in the midst of conflict between Hindus and Muslims.  It offered the world a set of distinctive beliefs and practices based upon the teachings of a series of gurus or spiritual teachers. These teachings are enshrined in the Sikh holy book which is called the Guru Granth Sahib.

Key Sikh beliefs include: there is only one God for people of all religions; the soul goes through a series of rebirths; we should earn our living honestly through hard work; we should avoid the practice of “blind” ritual; and people of all races, classes and genders are equal. Each day Sikh houses of worship, or Gurudwaras, offer a free meal called Lunger to anyone and everyone who arrives at their door.

Sikh men are often known for distinctive attire and appearance which together are a reflection of their spiritual values and practices. Observant Sikh men embrace “5 K’s”. These include Kesh (uncut long hair), a Kangha (a small wooden comb), a Kara (a steel or iron bracelet), a Kacchera (a piece of undergarment) and a Kirpan (short dagger). Their long hair is covered with a special type of turban, or cloth wound around the head. This turban, called a Dastar, is made up of four to six meters of cloth and serves as a strong symbol of the religious and ethical commitments that Sikh men make.

The Dastar is a symbol representing spirituality and holiness; honor and self-respect; piety and strong moral values; courage; as well as friendship and relationship.

For more information visit: www.sikhism.org. 

Sept 10 3-minute Weekly Insight: What Makes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur the Jewish “High” Holy Days?

What Makes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur the Jewish “High” Holy Days?

(The 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U. at Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Many of us who are not Jewish have heard of these two Holy Days, but we may not grasp their significance.

Let’s deal first with Rosh Hashanah. It is a two-day celebration marking Jewish New Year. But, more than that, according to the Chabad.org web site, it marks “The anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve…the birthday of humankind, highlighting the special relationship between G!d and humanity.” The primary theme of this holy time is the acceptance by Jews of G!d as King, or ultimate leader; and the reciprocal acceptance by  G!d’ of the Jews as G!d’s people. For Jews around the world, this holiday was celebrated at the end of last week.

According to the Chabad site, many Jews spend Rosh Hashanah in synagogue for a series of religious practices. “The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the Shofar, the ram’s horn.” It is sounded on both days, a total of 100 times. And while it symbolizes the coronation of G!d, it is also a call to repent. For Rosh Hashanah also marks the anniversary of humankind’s first sin and repentance.

Among the other spiritual practices are the eating of apple dipped in honey (to symbolize the desire for a sweet year), and the symbolic floating (and letting go) of sins on a lake or river or sea. Jews thus begin the New Year with a clean slate and joyful expectation.  The Rosh Hashanah observances comprise the first of the “Ten Days of Repentance” that conclude with Yom Kippur which will be observed at the end of this week.

Yom Kippur is a 26-hour period of fasting and reflection, and according to Chabad, is filled with both “solemnity and joy.”  Jews prepare for the day with a number of practices. Many eat a festive meal, some undergo ritual baths, and a good number give extra charity.

In the course of Yom Kippur many Jews hold five religious services. These gatherings include prayers, confessions, memorials for the dead, readings from Leviticus and Psalms, (along with the entire book of Jonah) a ritual releasing of vows and much, much more.  

“The day,” according to Chabad, “is the most solemn of the year, yet an undertone of joy suffuses it: a joy that revels in the spirituality of the day and expresses the confidence that G!d will accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and seal our verdict for a year.” And if G!d forgives their sins, it is expected that Jews will seek the forgiveness of those people they have wronged in the previous year.

When this day of abstinence draws to a close many Jews partake in a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a “yom tov” (or festival) of its own.

For more information about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (and other points of Jewish spirituality visit http://www.chabad.org/

The Sept 2nd 3-minute "Weekly Insight": After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (or "what is spirituality really for?")

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (or "what is spirituality really for?")

(The September 2nd 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

(or What is spirituality reeally for?)

I have been operating under a delusion about my spiritual life for decades. I don’t know where I got the idea, but somehow I always assumed that if I read the right spiritual books, did the right meditations, chanted the right chants, performed the right rituals, and attended the right spiritual conferences, my life would be heaven on earth. I would be happy, wealthy, healthy and partnered with a wonderful and loving spouse.  And I’dnever be depressed. 

But a series of encounters at a recent national festival woke me up to the real purpose of spirituality.

I was at the Sounds True “Wake Up Festival” in Estes Park, Colorado, back in mid-August. One afternoon I was in a breakout session led by Mark Nepo, bestselling author of The Book of Awakening. As people filtered into the room for the session, Mark (who is a cancer survivor) mentioned that the impending death of his father had forced him to deal with his mother from whom he has been estranged for over 17 years.

Several hours later, the great Buddhist thinker Jack Kornfield (author of After the Ecstasy, the Laundry) opened a keynote session by lamenting the fact that his seemingly happy marriage of 30 years had come to an end. And then the super-best-selling spiritual author Anne Lamott shared, well, let’s just say myriad problems from her personal life.

I was stunned. These three people were all seeming well-grounded, highly-successful spiritual masters. Yet, their lives seemed to contain more than their fair share of misery.

Then I got it. I realized that spirituality isn’t supposed to make your life perfect and deliriously happy. Instead spirituality is there to give you the tools you need in order to survive and even thrive when your life feels more like hell on earth than the Garden of Eden.

Spiritual reading can help you discover countless healthy ways to cope with physical, emotional, or social catastrophes. Meditation can help calm you down when your mind is racing through a seemingly endless list of impending disasters. Chanting can help give voice to both your sorrows and your joys. Attending conferences (or local groups) can help you gain strength by walking shoulder to shoulder with other pilgrims who are tip-toeing through a minefield of illness, depression and conflict.

And best of all, spiritual practices can help you get past your own miseries to help ease the suffering of others.

For more information about the real purposes of spirituality, read Jack Kornfield’s After the Ecstasy, the Laundry http://www.jackkornfield.com/2011/03/after-the-ecstacy-the-laundry/

Aug 27 3-minute Weekly Insight: "What is Shamanism? And how can it help us with our spiritual problems?"

"What is Shamanism?  And how can it help us with our spiritual problems?"

(The 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)

What is Shamanism?  And how can it help us with our spiritual problems?

Shamanism has been practiced for as long as 100,000 years by indigenous peoples in places as far flung as Siberia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Greenland, and native North and South America. And though it may be the oldest continuously practiced form of spirituality, it still offers tools that can help us mend our spiritual and psychological wounds.

Shamanism does not focus spirituality on a creator God. Instead, according to longtime shamanism educator Sandra Ingerman, “Shamanism teaches us that everything that exists is alive and has a spirit.  Everything on earth is interconnected and any belief that we are separate from other life forms including the earth, stars, wind, etc is purely an illusion. And it is the shaman’s role in the community to keep harmony and balance between humankind and the forces of nature.”

What is a shaman? Ingerman says that a shaman (male or female) “sees with the heart” and “…interacts directly with the spirits [inherent in all things] to address the spiritual aspect of illness and perform soul retrievals, retrieve lost power, as well as remove spiritual blockages.”

One of shamanism’s core beliefs is that when we fall ill or descend into depression, it is because some portion of our soul has been lost or wandered away, often as a result of trauma. Even though shamans perform a wide variety of functions and rituals, a key practice related to “soul retrieval” is shamanic journeying.

Shamanic journeying involves the use of rhythmic sound (e.g. drumming) to place us in a state in which we can undertake a type of creative visualization in which we connect with a power animal (serving as something like a guardian angel), or with a wise human being, both of whom can give us the advice we need.

Through conversation with these beings and through the posing and answering of questions related to our loss of soul, the power animal or wisdom figure can help us understand why part of our soul fled (usually as a protective measure) and what we need to do to restore our souls to wholeness. For many people this practice seems to be just as effective as month—or even year—of psychological counseling.

For more information about shamanism and shamanic journeying, 

visit http://www.sandraingerman.com/abstractonshamanism.html

Aug 20 Weekly Insight: Om Sweet Om

Om Sweet Om

(The August 20 Spirituality U. Weekly Insight

 from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

The chanting of the word “Om” has become so common in popular culture that we sometimes overlook the deep, spiritual implications of this simple sound.

So, what does Om really mean?

The Mandukya Upanishad (a Hindu sacred text), says, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it".

According to an article by Subhamoy Das, “Om is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable.”

OK, but how does the chanting of Om actually work in spiritual practice?

 According to Das, “Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.”

What is the benefit of chanting this sound? For one thing it helps our rational minds move to a level at which they can encounter the world and the transcendent more directly, without words, without thought.

Das says, “During meditation, when people chant Om, they create within themselves a vibration that attunes sympathy with the cosmic vibration and they then start thinking more universally. The momentary silence between each chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases the sound. In the silence, the single thought—Om—is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the universal. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.”

For more information about Om, visit:

http://hinduism.about.com/od/omaum/a/meaningofom.htm

Aug 13 Weekly Insight: Pope Pius XII pronounced it Dogma; Psychologist Carl Jung embraced it. What was it?

Pope Pius XII pronounced it Dogma; Psychologist Carl Jung embraced it.

(The August 13 Spirituality U. Weekly Insight from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Pope Pius XII proclaimed that all Catholics must believe it; Carl Jung said the Pope’s words were the most momentous spiritual pronouncement of the 20^th Century.

What was it that could bring together such radically different thinkers?

It was “The Assumption of the Virgin Mary” which is celebrated on August 15 each year as a day of “Holy Obligation” in the Catholic Church. On this day all Catholics are required to attend Mass.

In November of 1950, Pope Pius XII made it a matter of official Church dogma that the Virgin Mary (believe by Catholics to be without sin) was “assumed” body and soul into Heaven at the end of her life. The Assumption had long been a popular belief among Catholics. Pius XII made that belief not only official, but mandatory.

But why did Carl Jung think this was the most important spiritual event of the 20^th Century?

Because, in a sense, it restored the Divine Feminine to the Godhead. Much of Western religion for millennia had been almost entirely patriarchal. Until recently theology in the Abrahamic religions generally conceived of God as male. There was no room for a feminine aspect of Divinity. Of course, there were hundreds of female saints in the Catholic and Orthodox religious world; but, God was decidedly male.

And in another way, the official pronouncement of the Assumption as dogma reached even farther. It symbolically brought Heaven and Earth back together. Here’s what Catholic scholar Eugene Kennedy says about Jung and The Assumption.

“As a master of the mythological river that nourished what he termed our ‘collective unconscious,’ Jung grasped the profound and fitting symbolism of such a declaration at mid-century.

The Assumption proclaimed the Mystery of the century, the return of Mother Earth to the Heavens and the end, therefore, of the split between Earth and Heaven and all the divisions, such as between flesh and spirit, that flowed from that. It heralded the unity of the universe and the unity of human personality. That is the richest and perhaps least plumbed aspect of this feast. The wonder is that the Assumption is rich and deep enough a Mystery to accommodate these various levels of understanding all at the same time.”

For more information on The Assumption and Jung’s response to it visit:


http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/theassumption.html