[NondualitySalon] Easter Holiday

[Guest guest]

Tim Gerchmez wrote:

>

>

> Dear Lists,

>

> Why do we compartmentalize our holidays? Why do we, as humans, have the

> need for a "special day" once a year to celebrate this or that? Why can't

> whatever is special on that day (if it's truly special) continue every

> minute of every day of the year?

>

> For example, I refer to Christmas. Why not sing Christmas hymns every day?

> July 4th, "independence day." Does independence count more on this day

> than it does on others? Birthdays... why not celebrate coming into the

> world EVERY day?

>

> This compartmentalization seems to me silly, and so I ignore most holidays

> as much as possible. If what is done on a particular holiday does not

> exist in the heart ALL THE TIME, always, every day, every minute, then it

> is simply ritual, no different than worshipping a statue.

>

> Enjoy or Discard, but offered with Love,

>

> Tim

 

Yes, people can get carried away with it. I think many people see things

as you do and use the holidays as springboards for expressing themselves

in one way or another.

 

There is a sickness in compartmentalizing holidays or important days. I

can't get out of my mind a particular example of that. The holiest day

on the Jewish calender is Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, the one day

of the year where, through prayer, one can find forgiveness of sins.

 

It was 1982, and I was seated in the synagogue. It was near the end of

the day long service. Suddenly my eye is caught by a stampeding down the

aisle of a harried, yuppie sort with frantic, ragged type-A energy; he

was sweating, trying to get his yarmulkah (skull cap) on straight eyes

darting here and there for an empty chair.

 

After a string of breathless 'Excuse me's' he found his seat. Next to

me. He fumbled with his prayer book, looked to his right and left, and

said to me in a desperate tone, "I'm not late, am I? I'm not too late?"

 

Obviously he was desperate to have his sins forgiven, as if this truly

were the only day of the year when God would give such forgiveness. He

was totally focused on the day itself, as if God would literally pick a

day for a certain religious group and forgive them on that day. If they

could make it to the synagogue, that is.

 

So I always think of that as an example of getting carried away with

holidays and important days. And I think, Tim, that's the kind of

craziness you're talking about. The value of nondual perspective is that

one can celebrate holidays or not celebrate them, whatever one prefers,

while knowing that there is no difference between the two behaviors. I

can't see a nondual guy running down synagogue's aisle desperate for

atonement.

 

(But don't get me wrong. I myself been known to do it for the last

spring roll at a Chinese buffet.)

 

Jerry

[Guest guest]

At 07:19 PM 4/4/99 -0300, you wrote:

>"Jerry M. Katz" <umbada

>So I always think of that as an example of getting carried away with

>holidays and important days. And I think, Tim, that's the kind of

>craziness you're talking about.

 

Yes, that's essentially what I was talking about. Really, what brought the

whole thing into my field of attention was all these disproportionately

Easter-related posts on the mailing lists.

>The value of nondual perspective is that

>one can celebrate holidays or not celebrate them, whatever one prefers,

>while knowing that there is no difference between the two behaviors. I

>can't see a nondual guy running down synagogue's aisle desperate for

>atonement.

 

Any person who claims a nondual perspective and feels they need atonement

of "sins" from a separate god has no nondual perspective :-)

>(But don't get me wrong. I myself been known to do it for the last

>spring roll at a Chinese buffet.)

 

Hey, now that's different... nothing wrong with "compartmentalizing" food

(unless it's one of those insanely expensive instant lunch dealies in a

compartmentalized plastic package they sell in the lunchmeat section...

ick! :-)

 

With Love,

 

Tim

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Jerry and Tim,

 

<So I always think of that as an example of getting carried away with

>holidays and important days. And I think, Tim, that's the kind of

>craziness you're talking about.

 

Yes, that's essentially what I was talking about. Really, what brought

the

whole thing into my field of attention was all these disproportionately

Easter-related posts on the mailing lists.

>The value of nondual perspective is that

>one can celebrate holidays or not celebrate them, whatever one prefers,

>while knowing that there is no difference between the two behaviors. I

>can't see a nondual guy running down synagogue's aisle desperate for

>atonement.

 

Any person who claims a nondual perspective and feels they need

atonement

of "sins" from a separate god has no nondual perspective :-)

>(But don't get me wrong. I myself been known to do it for the last

>spring roll at a Chinese buffet.)

 

Hey, now that's different... nothing wrong with "compartmentalizing"

food >>

 

Why is it different than compartmentalizing days? I only see in it a

difference of degree like pain is to ego, etc...

 

Antoine