Omer Day 5 - Precious and Small
Today is the fifth day of the Counting of the Omer - a time when many Jews note each day between the Second Day of Passover and the next major holiday, Shavuot, or “weeks”. Each of the seven weeks and each of the seven days of these weeks correspond to a particular “sefirah” or “sphere”, or perhaps better, “a divine emanation/human aspiration”. These themes allow us to reflect on the days as we move from liberation to revelation in the Jewish calendar..
Today is the day of splendor, or the beauty of the tiny, or humility (“hod”) in the week of loving-kindness (“chesed”).
With the reading on the mysterious nature of the Tao below, I am reminded about a particular image to explain this idea of “hod”, which seems so difficult to translate. I imagine myself laying on my back, in an open field, looking into a clear night sky, seeing stars, knowing that they are a tiny amount of the total of stars in the universe. Around those stars might be countless beings looking up at them too. In this sea of vastness, I can float feeling the earth spin beneath me, and me carried away as an infinitesimal speck in creation. This seems a good image of humble meaning that I think “hod” may be aiming for.
We can be kind and compassionate, and do so out of humility, our of our sense of having little and still having something to give. We know that there is no naming of it that means anything more than that singular moment of generosity. That moment is precious and tiny all at once.
Wishing everyone generous moments of meaning, and a Shabbat Shalom, and Happy Passover.
Before and after meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 156, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
32.
Tao is eternal and has no name.
Though its simplicity seems insignificant, none in the world can master it.
If kings and barons would hold on to it, all things would submit to them spontaneously.
Heave and earth unite to drip dew.
Without the command of people, it drips evenly over all.
As soon as there were regulations and institutions, there were names (differentiation of things).
As soon as there are names, know that it is time to stop.
It is by knowing when to stop that one can be free from danger.
Analogically, Tao in the world (where everything is embraced by it), may be compared to rivers and streams running into the sea.
Omer Day 4 - Caring is Strategic
Today is the fourth day of the Counting of the Omer - a time when many Jews note each day between the Second Day of Passover and the next major holiday, Shavuot, or “weeks”. Each of the seven weeks and each of the seven days of these weeks correspond to a particular “sefirah” or “sphere”, or perhaps better, “a divine emanation”. These themes allow us to reflect on the days as we move from liberation to revelation in the Jewish calendar..
Today is the day of eternity, or victory, or ego (“netzach”) in the week of loving-kindness (“chesed”).
In combination with the reading below, I am reflecting on the long-term effects, the lasting impact of kindness from this day in the Omer, and the temporary effectiveness of the tools of conflict, as expressed in the Tao.
The lasting effect of compassion can be real, even if we don’t see it.
The lasting damage of conflict is real, and often both visible and unseen.
In both of these realms, the most profound effects are the least visible.
Let us not be easily swayed by the idea that a short-term visible impact makes the biggest difference.
Let us deliberate on the long-term effects of well-thought out kindnesses and compassion. Caring is strategic.
Wising all of you a meaningful day and a Happy week of spring festivals.
Before and after meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 155, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
31.
Fine weapons are instruments of evil.
They are hated by all people.
Therefore those who possess Tao turn away from them.
The good ruler when at home honors the left (symbolic of good omens).
When at war they honor the right (symbolic of evil omens).
Weapons are instruments of evil, not the instruments of a good ruler.
When they use them unavoidably, they regard calm restraint as the best principle.
Even when they are victorious, they do not regard it as praiseworthy.
For to praise victory, is to delight in the slaughter of people.
One who delights in the slaughter of people will not succeed in the empire.
In auspicious affairs, the left is honored.
In un-auspicious affairs, the right is honored.
The lieutenant-general stands on the left.
The senior general stands on the right.
That is to say that the arrangement follows that of funeral ceremonies.
For the slaughter of the multitude, let us weep with sorrow and grief.
For a victory, let us observe the occasion with funeral ceremonies.
Omer Day 3 - Beautiful limits
Today is the third day of the Counting of the Omer - a time when many Jews note each day between the Second Day of Passover and the next major holiday, Shavuot, or “weeks”. Each of the seven weeks and each of the seven days of these weeks correspond to a particular “sefirah” or “sphere”, or perhaps better, “a divine emanation”. These themes allow us to reflect on the days as we move from liberation to revelation in the Jewish calendar. For more on the Jewish mystical sources of these ideas, join us for today’s Jewish “Lunch” and Learn on Zoom here.
Today is the day of balanced beauty (“tiferet”) in the week of loving-kindness (“chesed”).
In my mind, this is the kind of beauty that one finds in the balance between two things, in symmetry, in good “feng shui” - the kind of beauty that communicates wholeness without blowing our minds.
In this it embodies this middle path that the Taoist reading below advises for generals, asking us to see our efforts as successful when limited.
When looking at this balanced beauty in the context of loving-kindness, the theme for this third day of the Counting of the Omer, I am reminded of the sense that no one attribute is enough. We need to be kind, to one another and to ourselves, but not to the extent that we no longer aim at a bigger purpose. All of these attributes are in service of our constantly shifting encounters with the world, which need kindness and strictness, at different times and in different ways.
Finding that beautiful balance means finding limits, means reflecting and stopping on the project, and asking whether or not we have done enough, or done enough in one way, before proceeding.
Both the Tao and Jewish mysticism are asking us to reflect - to think, feel, and seek inspiration - as part of our process of doing in the world.
Wishing all of you a good day, a Happy middle of Passover, and meaningful counting.
Before and after meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 154-155, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
30.
One who assists the ruler with Tao does not dominate the world with force.
The use of force usually brings requital.
Wherever armies are stationed, briers and thorns grow,
Great wars are always followed by famines,
A good (general) achieves their purpose and stops,
But dares not seek to dominate the world.
They achieve their purpose but do not brag about it.
They achieve their purpose but do not boast about it.
They achieve their purpose but are not proud of it.
They achieve their purpose but only as an unavoidable step.
They achieve their purpose but do not aim to dominate.
(For) after things reach their prime, they begin to grow old,
Which means being contrary to Tao.
Whatever is contrary to Tao will soon perish.
Everything is good building material
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 153, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
27.
A good traveler leaves no track or trace.
A good speech leaves no flaws.
A good reckoner uses no counters.
A well-shut door needs no bolts, and yet it cannot be opened.
A well-tied knot needs no rope and yet none can untie it.
Therefore the sage is always good in saving people and consequently no one is rejected.
They are always good in saving things and consequently nothing is rejected.
This is called following the light of Nature
Therefore the good person is the teacher of the bad,
And the bad is the material from which the good may learn.
One who does not value the teacher,
Or greatly care for the material,
Is greatly deluded although they may be learned.
Such is the essential mystery.
Some thoughts:
Originally, I felt resistance to this reading. It seemed to be about perfectionism. I took to heart the idea that “a good speech leaves no flaws”.
And yet, the piece concludes with a discussion of “the bad is the material from which the good may learn”.
The goal: arrive at a place where “nothing is rejected”.
My personal resistance is often in the those inner places where I am most judgmental, most willing to self-criticize, especially in personal practices: “my posture is wrong”, “I am not training right”, “this is not the way it’s supposed to be done”.
That which isn’t yet good enough, in this reading, “the bad”, is what we have to work with in order to make it better. In Jewish thinking since everything originates with the Divine, everything is potentially good.
I am working on forgiveness and mercy to myself. Smiling at my own tendencies to chastise myself. “Yes, I just saw myself as not fulfilling some abstract ideal, isn’t it funny that I do that? I get to have mercy on myself for wanting to be perfect and not achieving it.”
Wishing all of you self-forgiveness and joy on this First Day of Passover - may you all of a good holy day and a good week.
Balancing “no” and “yes”
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 153, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
26.
The heavy is the root of the light.
The tranquil is the ruler of the hasty.
Therefore the sage travels all day
Without leaving their burden.
Even at the sight of magnificent scenes,
They remain leisurely and indifferent.
How is it that a ruler with ten thousand chariots
Should behave lightheartedly in their empire?
If they are lighthearted, the minister will be destroyed.
If they are hasty, the ruler is lost.
Some thoughts:
Saying no is really difficult. I want to help and I want to be useful. When someone asks for my help it is a validation of my own value in the world.
Or is it?
To be valued and to feel valued are different, and we all know it. So much of what goes on around me, if I give into it, can be characterized as “empty calories”, superficial validation.
Whether it is an app on a device that incentivizes me with a point system or a person we’ve never met asking for advice, I need to stop and wonder, what is this for? Am I getting something real out of this and am I the right person to help?
To follow the middle path implied in the reading above is also to follow the balanced position that a Jewish mystical system describes through the “sefirot” or “spheres”, and that we will explore in the coming weeks as we begin to count the Omer starting on the Second Day of Passover.
To follow a path of balance means saying no as often as we say yes.
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom and a very Happy and Healthy Passover starting tonight.
Aiming for Confident Humility
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 151, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
24.
Those who stand on tiptoe are not steady.
Those who stride forward do not go.
Those who show themselves are not luminous.
Those who justify themselves are not prominent.
Those who boast of themselves are not given credit.
Those who brag do not endure for long.
From the point of view of Tao, these are like remnants of food and tumors of action,
Which all creatures detest.
Therefore those who possess Tao turn away from them.
Some thoughts:
Being sure of ourselves - seems like a good thing. And yet humility in the face of the world opens up the universe to us.
In a culture that seems to be attracted to brash displays of confidence over modest avenues of inquiry, it seems like we have a lot of repair to do in this realm.
Personally, balancing confidence and humility is a constant aim.
This balance is fundamental to Jewish mystical thinking, encapsulated by the teaching of Rabbi Simcha Bunim, and early Hasidic thinking, who was famously known to have taught:
Everyone must have two pockets, with a note in each pocket, so that they can reach into the one or the other, depending on the need. When feeling lowly and depressed, discouraged or disconsolate, one should reach into the right pocket, and, there, find the words: "For my sake was the world created." But when feeling high and mighty one should reach into the left pocket, and find the words: "I am but dust and ashes."
Wishing everyone a good day.
Yielding is preserving
A good Tuesday to all.
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), page 151, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
22.
To yield is to be preserved whole.
To be bent is to become straight.
To be empty is to be full.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
To have little is to possess.
To have plenty is to be perplexed.
Therefore the sage embraces the One
And becomes the model of the world.
They do not show themselves; therefore they are luminous.
They do not justify themselves; therefore they become prominent.
They do not boast of themselves; therefore they are given credit.
They do not brag, therefore they can endure for long.
It is precisely because they do not compete that the world cannot compete with them.
Is the ancient saying, “To yield is to be preserved whole,” empty words?
Truly the sage will be preserved and (prominence, etc.) will come to them.
Some thoughts:
The most profound act of creation in the Zohar, one of the central texts of Jewish mysticism, is the act of tzimtzum or self-reduction - it is through this that the Infinite shrinks in order to create the Universe.
And so the Tao also reminds us that in a counter-intuitive counter-cultural way the greatest acts may in fact be those that self-diminish.
This path is difficult. There are things that we need that are attained through possessing and feeling renewed when we are all so worn out is not so easy.
And yet, I will continue to try and remember that yielding is the key to preserving.
Wishing everyone a good day.
Find Something Solid and Move From There
Happy Monday.
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), pages 150-151, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
21.
The all-embracing quality of the great virtue follows alone from the Tao.
The thing that is called Tao is eluding and vague.
Vague and eluding, there is in it the form.
Eluding and vague, in it are things.
Deep and obscure, in it is the essence.
The essence is very real; in it are evidences.
From the time of old until now, its manifestations ever remain,
By which we may see the beginning of all things.
How do I know that the beginnings of all things are so?
Through this Tao.
Some thoughts:
There is something unchanging, eternal, at the heart of meaning in the universe. When we meditate, pray, or commune with that deep mystery, we reach and don’t reach in order to find and not find that mystery.
The experience may change us but it will not change the universe directly.
When we change ourselves internally and return to the world of doing with others, then we may take our changes to our community and change the world.
That which is eternal, that which is the beginning of all things, the unchanging part, may become the place of reference from which we might move our souls in a better direction, and then move our hearts, minds, and actions, in a better direction, and then, humbly and with community move the world together.
Every moment may offer us a new stepping stone, a new solid place, from which we can take the next step forward.
This seems to be a nice overlap between the Tao and Kabbalah.
Wishing everyone a meaningful and motion-filled week.
A oneness-separation reflection
Before meditating today I read this:
[From The Lao Tzu (Tao-Te Ching) as found in Wing-Tsit Chan (translator and compiler), A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, (1963), pages 148-149, slightly adapted by Jonathan Freirich]
18.
When the great Tao declined,
The doctrines of humanity and righteousness arose.
When knowledge and wisdom appeared,
There emerged great hypocrisy.
When the six family relationships are not in harmony,
There will be the advocacy of filial piety and deep love to children.
When a country is in disorder,
There will be praise of loyal ministers.
My thoughts:
Originally, I found this a tough text to connect to.
Then I thought of it in terms of the tendency to think we have arrived at answers when we find a part that works well.
Differentiation from oneness makes creation possible - like in Jewish Mysticism, where the infinite must become smaller and separated in order to make the universe, so in Taoism, separation into ideas is necessary.
And yet, that separation itself creates opportunities for difficulties.
Arriving at a good solution means we need to return to the wholeness out of which the good idea arose and connect back to fundamentals.
Attempting to solve situations with tried and true practices leads into problematic habits.
And this is all difficult to do.
The appearance if separate ideas in this reading connects very clearly to the Jewish Mystical s’firot - the Infinite must create by approaching the finite in steps and each of those steps holds assistances and difficulties.
More on this later I am sure!
Meanwhile, easier to sit for twenty minutes today than it was yesterday. Had some back pain as I worked to maintain my good posture.
I use the “Breathe” app on Apple Watch to help keep breaths and the Insight Timer App on iPhone for the timing of twenty minutes. If anyone has a better alternative that goes past five minutes on the Apple Watch I would love some suggestions.
Wishing everyone a good weekend and Shabbat Shalom.