12/16/2009
Happies and Merries of the season to all:
It’s holiday time, when the air seems as sweet as it is chilly. It might be harder to get into the spirit this year, with the economy in the tank and the country at war, but still, for those whose intentions run deeper than shopping and eggnog, the atmosphere is conducive to heart-opening, mind-expanding spiritual growth.
Since Chanukkah, Christmas and solstice celebrations all have light at the heart of their message, I offer you this traditional Hindu prayer, from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:
Asato ma sad gamaya, tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, mrityor ma amritam gamaya.
Lead me from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.
On the lighter side, a seasonal joke: One day, a small, quiet town finds its peace disturbed by a horde of bikers. Each afternoon the invaders roar into town and wreak havoc in the bars and restaurants. At an emergency meeting, various solutions are offered. The macho guys get out their guns. The lawyers want to pass a new ordinance. The social workers counsel compassion and patience.
Then the clergy propose their plan: make the bikers members of their congregations.
Why? “Because then they’ll only come on the holidays.”
MY NEW BOOK
As many of you know, I have been working for years on a book about the history and influence of India’s spiritual teachings in America. I’m happy to say I’m in the final stretch, and the book will be released by Doubleday early next fall. I’m especially thrilled to announce that the Foreword was written by America’s pre-eminent scholar of religion (and consummate gentleman), Huston Smith. My gratitude for that is immeasurable.
Barring unforeseen developments it will be called American Veda (with subtitle to be determined). Ideas and advice about promoting it are welcome.
PUBLIC EVENT
For those of you in the L.A. area, I’ll be speaking about (and signing) my last book, Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path on Friday, January 15th, 7-9 p.m., at the Mystic Journey bookstore, 1319 Abbott Kinney Boulevard, Venice 90291. It’s FREE, and it will be more of a conversation than a lecture, about life on the spiritual path.
MY BLOG
I am now blogging about once a week on Intent.com. The last entry was titled “Getting Whole on the Holy Days.” It’s an interesting site, with good contributors, and worth checking out. Here’s a link to my page: http://www.intent.com/philipgoldberg/blog
RECOMMENDED MEDIA
In each newsletter I recommend books, CDs, etc. This time around it’s music. Despite having been raised by atheist Jews, or maybe because of it, I absolutely love Christmas songs – when they’re performed tastefully and soulfully that is. Here are some of my all-time favs (they’re available on iTunes):
- “White Christmas” by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters (the doo-wop classic)
- “Oh Holy Night” by Al Green
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by the Pretenders
- “Silent Night” by Aretha Franklin
- “Thank God it’s Christmas” by Queen
And of course, Wilson Pickett’s “Jingle Bells” and Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
ILLUMINATIONS
I usually include quotes on a theme from diverse sources. This time, in honor of Christmas, I offer what I consider the most important passage in the New Testament: Jesus speaking like a guru in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5-8), sticking it to spiritual show-offs and advocating silent meditation:
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION
I normally include a teaching story from one of the wisdom traditions. Since it’s Chanukkah time, what better tale to contemplate?
Alexander the Great conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the conquered people a degree of religious autonomy. Many Jews adopted the language and customs of the Greeks. A later ruler, Antiochus IV, was more oppressive. He prohibited traditional Judaism, installed a Hellenistic priest in the Jerusalem Temple, and filled it with idols the Jews considered desecrations. Led by the legendary Judah Maccabee, the Jews revolted in what we would now call a guerrilla uprising. After their victory, the Temple was rededicated. It is said that their short supply of oil miraculously burned for eight days.
Even without the oil miracle, the story is rich with symbols: the struggle to achieve spiritual freedom, forces that oppress the spirit, idols that detract from the true spiritual impulse, etc. I like thinking of all those elements as residing in our own psyches.
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Blessings to all,
Phil
