KRISHNA FUNK

KRISHNA FUNK

AN ODE TO SHYAMDAS

(To the tune of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” ft Bruno Mars)

Feel free to change “God” to any name/word that for you is the Divine

Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram

Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram

Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram

Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram

And what, is your wealth?  

And what, is your wealth?  

To remember, that the highest thing

the highest thing, 

that you have

Is the, awareness 

of who you really are

the awareness of 

who you, really are

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Find the Beloved, ram

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Remember the Beloved, ram

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Say my name, you know who i am

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Devakinandana (Gopala)

Break it down

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Krsna eva gatir mama

Krsna eva gatir mama

Krsna eva gatir mama

Any time and we’re in the Bhav

Every thing is God (come on)

(Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram...) 

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Hare, hare, hare, om!

Stop

Wait a minute

The world is non different than, the abode of liberation

This is! the abode of liberation!

That formless divine realm is just another mani-festation

of this, or this is another

mani-festation of that

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Find the Beloved, ram

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Remember the Beloved, ram

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Say my name, you know who i am

Gopala (Hari Bol)

Devakinandana (Gopala)

Break it down

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Radhe Radhe Shyam

Krsna eva gatir mama

Krsna eva gatir mama

Krsna eva gatir mama

Any time and we’re in the Bhav

Every thing is God (come on)

(Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram...) 

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Hare, hare, hare, om!

(Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Rama...)

Before we leave

Lemme tell y’all a lil’ something

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama

Krishna is my refuge and (my) destination

Krishna is my refuge and (my) destination

Life is Ananda, that’s the basic thing

Life is Ananda, that’s the basic thing

Life is Ananda, that’s the basic thing

Any time and we’re in the Bhav

Every thing is God

(Ram Ram, Sita Ram Ram, Sita Ram...) 

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Every thing is God

Hare, hare, hare, om!

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama (say whaa?)

Krishna is my refuge and (my) destination

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama (say whaa?)

Krishna is my refuge and (my) destination

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama (say whaa?)

Krishna is my refuge and (my) destination

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama (say whaa?)

Krsna eva, eva gatir mama 

1. 2015 Mark Rubin, with thanks, blessings and apologies to Shyamdas, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

Thank you Shyam-ji for embodying the teachings so fully, deeply, joyously and exuberantly, and for your wisdom, leadership, passion and most of all love. Krsna eva gatir mama.

February 1, 2015

GREAT SPIRIT: A Tribute To The Beloved Ibrahim Baba

GREAT SPIRIT

A most precious gift, the constant reminders

to remember to remember, what is real…and important.

Some quiet, some vibrant, some warm to touch…others not.

But always available to us, 

to arouse one or more or our senses

and to remind us, to remind us, to remind us

in ways and at times that allow us to notice

and if lucky to embody, those blessed reminders

reminders that inform us again and again, and as often as necessary,

that we have perhaps strayed from our awareness of,

or are failing to fully embrace, 

the perfection, the divine, 

reminders that invite and welcome us to do so

and bring us in touch with our own divinity

and our connection with All That Is

Sometimes we are especially blessed,

Sometimes Spirit gifts us a beacon, 

a beacon so bright, constant and clear, Inshallah

that it not only reminds us, reminds us, reminds us,

it trains our sight on what we cannot often see in our daily lives, 

perhaps even on how we may be living in ways to divert 

from seeing what we are afraid to see…in ourselves and beyond.

A friend of a friend, this beacon, so pure

one who sees deeply, hears deeply, touches deeply

who seemingly by nature tries earnestly, lovingly, gracefully, playfully 

to look fully, and into, each and every unique one of us

and by giving us this attention, reminds us that we are worthy, 

perfect in our imperfections, because like him we too are human,

making us feel special, connected, loved 

for however long or short the moment or moments of connection

and if we are lucky opening us to a new but old and perhaps better way

A secret, Dear Ones…(shush)!  

Therein lies the magic of the beacon we call:  

  …Ibrahim, Khalvat, Elias…Sheikh, Teacher, Provost…Baba…and more.

By whatever names or incarnations we each know and love him

this wise, dear, full of life, passionate, involved, life changing soul activist,

whose larger than life presence,

from his tall powerful frame, to his comfortable and often colorful garb, 

this effervescent, brilliant and graceful spark that seems to scream out: I Am Unique, 

yet whose seeming uniqueness somehow resonates with each of us, one and all,

and whose world view and convictions, so clearly and genuinely revealed

in his practice, teaching, and big hearted life,

not only help us to challenge ourselves to better see our true natures

but also pour so much light that we could not, and never again, Inshallah

help but better perceive our sameness, and who we are together

and what we can accomplish together, honoring our sameness

That we are All One, All Love…Adonai Echod.

Look around mother, father…sister. brother.  

Experience the blessing.  Feel it.  Taste it.  Breath it.  

Pray it,  Dance it.  Sing it.  Be the blessing.

Even if I try to hide from me…I can no longer escape from you.

Well then, perhaps no longer from me, after all.

A special blessing indeed to know…by looking, sensing and experiencing You…

that we are All One, in this together.

How can I do anything but Love You from here?

Thank you, Maker of All and Giver of Blessings, 

for the blessing of this most wondrous beacon.

May his soul find abundant peace and love in its return to his friend.  

Thank you, dear friend of friend, Great Spirit.  May your memory continue to be a blessing, 

as it already has been, perhaps even moreso since you left us in body.  

May your transition free us, empower us, compel us

to more fully embrace and implement the teachings of sameness and oneness.

May we move forward together as best we can from a place of love,

helping us all to find our way home (no inner child left behind)

to who and where we already are and always have been, Inshallah

and from that blessed point, invite abundance 

as we do our best to raise the vibration on the planet, one spirit at a time.                               

Mark Rubin
February 2016

CHOCHMAT HALEV: A History and A Legacy

This was written to the Internationally Acclaimed Sufi Qawwali Band Fanna-Fi-Allah in Anticipation of Their 2016 Father's Day Concert at Chochmat Halev in Berkeley, California

May 30, 2016

Hi and blessings Tahir.  This is about Fanna Fi Allah’s upcoming performance at Chochmat Halev (Wisdom of the Heart) in Berkeley, which I’ve been trying to help Bhavani help you make a terrific success.  I’m hoping some of the background in this note will be useful to you, and facilitate the goal of moving forward the core message of Divine Love shared by mystics of many traditions. I apologize in advance if what I offer here is not news to you, but I felt a responsibility to convey why I am so excited about the evening.

My sense and prayer is that the event will not only be a success on its own, but also serve to open the door to opportunity for beautiful connection(s) both now and in the future for you not only with Chochmat, but also with a number of wonderful musicians/teachers who play, lead prayer and teach there, and also lead and perform in other bands — and share the universal themes and values found in Qawwali.

For starters, a bit of background.  As you may know, Chochmat began as a Center for Jewish Spirituality emphasizing Jewish meditation.  It has since grown into what its website describes as “a welcoming, progressive, Jewish Renewal synagogue and meditation center in Berkeley, CA, renowned for our music! We're a community of people focused on renewing Judaism as a relevant, meaningful and joyful spiritual path.”   Wikipedia describes Jewish Renewal as seeking to “reintroduce the ‘ancient Judaic traditions of mysticism and meditation, gender equality and ecstatic prayer’ to synagogue service.”  Chochmat has been at the forefront of this effort.

The principle founder of Jewish Renewal, Zalman Meshullam Schachter-Shalomi, commonly called "Reb Zalman” (per Wikipedia) was“an innovator in ecumenical dialogue.”  And indeed, Zalman himself embodied an interfaith life:  not only was he originally ordained as an orthodox Jewish Rabbi within the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic community, he was also a Sufi Sheykh. The internet has beautiful, heart warming photos of Zalman with leaders of many spiritual traditions — Ram Das and the Dalai Lama to name a few.  It is no accident that many Jews who identify as Renewal also have long term practices and affiliations with Hindu, Buddhist and other mystical traditions — for example, I share a passion for kirtan, as do many.  Nor is it surprising that Renewal services incorporate chant and other musical elements from those traditions — apropos of the upcoming event,  harmonium became an important part of Chochmat’s music years ago.

Chochmat is beloved by many for its powerful musical offerings, which range from contemplative to ecstatic, and often seamlessly weave world music influences into the mix.  A number of original shapers of that approach to music are at the forefront of Chochmat’s offerings now, decades later.  Among them is Maggid Jhos Singer, who contributed in many ways in the early days of Chochmat.  A self-described ‘rogue scholar” with the skill of being able “to translate experience (from the terrible to the sublime) into a fantastic story,” Jhos recently returned to serve as Congregational Leader with his spouse, Julie Batz, who has a unique ability to translate the spiritual essence of Jewish liturgy through her soulful musical interpretation.

The last many years, Chochmat’s high energy musical services have been largely conceived and developed by Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks, a young musician in the early days, who grew into being ordained by Reb Zalman as a Minister of Sacred Music.  Brian’s harmonium driven services are cutting edge, and as a lover of kirtan, my favorites.  The in-house Chochmat Band that Brian leads is amazing.  As you can see from the Chochmat website at https://chochmat.org/music/, musicians who have been part of the band are accomplished in their own rights.  Many are well known for their own bands or projects, including:  Eliyahu Sills of Bolo, who I saw open for you a few years ago at La Pena; Bon Singer, one of Chochmat’s original and most beautiful voices, also a founder of Ya Elah; cantorial soloist Jeannette Ferber, who sings with Bon in Ya Elah and also with rock legend Phil Lesh at his annual Grateful Dead Passover Seders; and Lior Tsarfaty, now working on his 2nd interfaith CD, whose Prayer Songs Project brings together prayers and sacred music from different cultures — including a version of “Oseh Shalom” credited to Jhos Singer and celebrating the connection of Salaam and Shalom.

Hopefully this description of Chochmat — a humble but musically blessed community — feels more than comfortable so far.  And now here’s an important piece of the puzzle, which helps explain why I feel this is a particularly good time to make the connection between Fanna and Chochmat.  Over the past many years, Chochmat was blessed by having Sufism imbued in the community through the love and teachings of the beautiful, recently passed soul Dr. Ibrahim Farajaje (aka Khalvat Dar Anjuman), past Provost of Starr King for the Ministry, and the sweet energy and profound vocals of his son, Nessim Isa Enver, among others.  A spiritual teacher and guide (Pir/Shaykh) in the Ajmeri Chishti tradition, Ibrahim developed Starr King’s Andalusia Project, whereby Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Muslim students and others study their interconnected histories and traditions together. 

Ibrahim’s presence was palpable, his sermons and teachings often magnificent, always thought provoking, invariably revealing the already pre-woven ties between Sufism and Judaism.  His son, Issa, beautifully brought those teachings to Chochmat musically.  Together they would regularly lead Zikrs as part of services.  They taught and led Sufi chants and conveyed how the teachings had counterparts in Jewish prayer.  Brian wove this approach into the essence of the band, a natural extension of what he had been developing all along.  All in all, a beautiful thing — All One.  Add to that an extraordinary array of teachers, a few in particular who led beautiful contemplative services with Ibrahim on major holidays, amazing interpretive dance and other exquisite practices…perhaps even a miracle.  I know for sure I am at Chochmat high holiday services each year when Gary Lapow sets the tone by leading the congregation in chanting “We Are The Love,” which sparks the ecstatic expression of the fire of divine love also central to Qawwali.

Zalman and Ibrahim were close, teaching together on at least one occasion that I know of with Issa.  Both are now recently gone in body.  Their shoes can never be filled.  Others will continue and evolve the work in their own ways…including I am sure by Issa, who was recently installed as Shaykh in his father’s lineage, and also by Brian, who I know has been interested in possible uses of the Qawwali form in Jewish prayer…perhaps by others already involved in Chochmat…perhaps by other beautiful, innovative and/or non-dual oriented musicians from the Bay area — Jewish and non — who I hope will come to the event (Cantor Richard Kaplan comes to mind)…perhaps by other leaders doing powerful, things at the cutting edge of Jewish-Sufi community, such as Taya Ma, co-founder of The Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, who chanted a profound and evocative chant of “Allah, Allah” at the overcrowded memorial service held for Ibrahim at Chochmat.  And many others, including folks in the Sufi tradition wanting to explore points of connection.

When Bhavani asked if Chochmat’s sacred space would be a good fit for a Fanna Fi Allah Qawwali concert, my thought was yes, if it met your technical requirements.  What excited me even more was the sense that beyond just a concert, this could be a wonderful opportunity to build and/or deepen connection(s) among a number of beautiful, positive and powerful devotional musical forces.  And the idea that you needed space on Fathers Day seemed to reinforce that this might be a perfect time to honor and build upon the efforts of a great spirit, known by many as Ibrahim Baba.  

I hope you agree this could be a win-win on many levels, and that the background in this note helps to uncover points of connection you may wish to explore.

See you soon!  And if I can help you in any way, please let me know.

Love and blessings

Mark Rubin

P.S.  These are my personal views after praying at Chochmat for more than a decade, becoming increasingly devotional via kirtan for an even longer time, and loving and learning more and more about Qawwali, thanks in large part to Fanna Fi Allah!

The Jewish Ashram project vision (draft grant proposal)

2012 grant proposal republished here to inspire Joshua on his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and motivate other seekers interested in an Inspirational, Abundant and Blissful Jewish path

**************

Title of Project *
 
The Virtual Jewish Ashram (Phase One of The Jewish Ashram) 

Project Description

We believe that Judaism has an image problem. Yes, it's true. There are too many unfavorable beliefs about the Jewish people, Jewish study and Jewish history -- even among Jews about being Jewish. Like the famous joke about the meaning of Jewish holidays: "they tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat." Although entertaining, we would like to challenge these assumptions and ideas by creating a space of Judaism that is (sit down, please) INSPIRATIONAL. (Take a breath) ABUNDANT. (Drink a glass of water) BLISSFUL. 

We are thankful to those who have have opened the gates to this sort of practice. The Jewish Ashram will provide a home for them to more readily and collectively build on what they have done, and bring in other important voices with important teachings about topics such as gratitude, abundance, love, possibility, and other subjects which concern spiritual seekers and fill the pages of spiritual, self help and psychology books. We would like to expose the world to this side of Judaism, the Gan Eden side. We believe that creating a new and dynamic incubator for a Judaism emphasizing these things can effect healing in the world, for Jews, non-Jews, and Judaism.

First, by creating a website where Jewish scholars and rabbis could offer inspirational messages, stories and ideals with our user base. The Jewish people need to meet all the Dalai Lamas from our scriptures. All the sages who taught us how to live fully and abundantly. Many rabbis have access to these learnings, but they are not taught or emphasized in traditional Jewish studies programs or shuls. We are taught about the holidays (yes, yes, we know they tried to kill us). We are taught the 613 commandments (really? 613? why do the Catholics only get 7? Oy, the suffering...). We are taught parables from the torah (stories about slaughter, debauchery, incest, deceit, etc). 

We are not taught the Judaism which will guide us to burst open our hearts and fill our souls with song. This is the Judaism that we aim to teach in our virtual (and in the future, physical) ashram. We envision our ashram as an incubator and reference for inspirational Jewish spiritual creation from simple topics pertaining to daily living to more esoteric explorations regarding lifetime purpose, infinity and the unknown universe, and every subject in between. What if rather than beating us down, Judaism raised us to our highest heights?

We want to expose seekers with the side of Judaism that is masked in the world. The Judaism which elevates our hearts in prayer, meditation, poetry dance, movement and song. The Judaism which whispers to us to live the most fulfilled, loving lives. The Judaism which loses itself in bliss. The Judaism which witnesses peace in every corner of the globe, including in Israel. The Judaism which embodies infinite oneness with the universe. The Judaism which embraces all humans as one. The Judaism which manifests miracles and blessings throughout the world. That is the Judaism we are devout to. That is the Judaism we believe spiritual seekers will devour with greater appetite than their bubby's gefilte fish. That is the Judaism we want to spread in the online and eventually, physical worlds. 

 

In the future, we foresee a center which holds this inspirational Jewish experience and study 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We envision a place where Judaism is taught to guide seekers in their spiritual development, whatever that means to them. For some, their spiritual progression may be through the realm of creativity. What can Judaism teach us about Creativity? For others, their expression will be through Service. How could Judaism inspire these seekers through the tales and lessons from its texts? For others, spirituality may come in the form of community. And so forth. We envision teaching classes at this center where each student will embody the values of Judaism and will be inspired and transformed to live in their most fulfilled nature. 

The Jewish Ashram aims to be a place where Judaism guides people's lives on every dimension. We hope that in our center, Jewish people learn about dreaming and dancing, praying and praising, loving and losing, giving and gratifying. We hope that this retreat center opens our hearts to Judaism and that Judaism beams its golden light into the souls of its people. A Judaism that moves us from a place of abundance, and is mindful about sending fear based messages that paralyze us. 

Although the project we envision is a physical space, which may require[s] millions of dollars to build, we would like to begin the process of gathering these Jewish teachings and spreading the word through the virtual universe. 

Intended Need * 

We intend to build a Jewish Ashram in California. We envision a retreat center where all Jewish denominations will teach, study and commune. More than anything, we envision a center where new Jewish liturgy and practice are fostered and expressed. The Jewish community too often works in silos. Chabbadnikim do not mingle with Reform Jews who do not mingle with Renewal and humanist Jews. We strive to create a center which is grounded in embodied Jewish spiritual practice: meditation, heart opening, and compassionate wisdom. We aim to bring teachers from every denomination of Judaism to teach retreats at the center. We imagine that every group will form the center in its own way, be it through new prayers, art, wisdom, books, dance, chant, etc. Regardless of what retreat a participant will select, they will have access to all spiritual teachings of Judaism. Once the center is established, we will create cross-denominational retreats that incubate new liturgy, prayers, and Jewish practices. We will share these practices with the global Jewish community through our virtual ashram.

Today, Jewish seekers can be found kneeling before Hindi rishis, yogis and gurus or meditating in Buddhist monasteries on mountaintops across Asia or praying to a myriad of other spiritual Gods, who resonate with their hearts. Many seekers do not have access to the Jewish teachings of the heart and so, seek teachings outside Judaism to fulfill their basic human needs: the expansion of hearts and souls, the seeking of purpose, and communal creation. There are infinite spiritual teachings and revelations in the Jewish texts and we aim to encourage rabbis and Jewish educators to expose seekers to the heart and soul wisdom of Jewish spiritual practice. The teachings exist. The teachers are ready. The students are yearning. We aim to create a space where all facets of spiritual Judaism can be woven into a magical tapestry of shared and blissful spiritual experience.

The Jewish community collects many statistics about issues concerning the longevity of the Jewish people. Issues of intermarriage, conversion, loss of affiliation with Israel, etc. which concern these community leaders and scholars. There is one issue which may not be easily measured, but we believe is the most urgent to consider: the importance of the Jewish neshama (soul). We believe that by teaching the Judaism which fosters the expansion of the soul, our culture will rejoice in jubilant celebration of its traditions, increasing engagement with the culture and decreasing the issues that these concerning statistics present.

+++++++++++++++++ 

WORKING NOTES

Please identify which aspects of the criteria this project meets and why this project is uniquely suited to Reboot *
Have to ask about this....
 
Intended Audience *
Jewish (and non-Jewish) spiritual seekers of all ages Budget

Website development budget - $5000
Security based site because people will be sharing personal information Not sure how much detail they need. Will ask.

Outreach Plan
Social Media through Jewish organizations and the featured rabbis
Social media through non-Jewish spiritual communities (Buddhist, Hindu, Tao, Yoga, Meditation, Dance, Movement, Chant, etc....)
PR and media in Jewish and non-Jewish spiritual papers, journals and online sources Community games - 5 minutes of meditation, photo collage of an attribute or teaching, quotes / poems / songs, etc. new ritual corner

Evaluation Plan

Number of people who are active visitors on the site
Number of visitors who recommend the site to their communities
Feedback regarding impact of site from visitors
Development of preliminary funding plan [Funding raised] for physical ashram (not sure we should include this....) I'll ask.

FOR JOSHUA

FOR JOSHUA:

Hi favorite neph-dude.  I hope things are well and that you're feeling great about and increasingly ready for your big day.  By now you have hopefully navigated through the myriad of adult voices inputting into the substance of your drasch.  I am very much looking forward to hearing what YOU decide to say, and to benefit from whatever wisdom you uncover and share.  I hope my minor and intentionally non substantive input -- of one idea per paragraph, taking your time, remembering to breath, etc. -- proves to be of some help.  I trust you with the substance and remain happy and available if you'd like any help working through it.  But mostly i'm looking forward to what YOU have to say...from YOUR  heart, in YOUR voice!

I want to thank you for agreeing to read something I co-wrote with a friend a few years ago...she actually wrote the first draft after we decided what we wanted to say, which I then edited.  We used the attached version to apply for a grant.  We didn't get the grant and she got married and moved to Israel.  Which is great!  In fact its a great example of a key theme in the grant and something we've discussed from time to time, uncovering and renewing Jewish ways to manifest abundance.  I know that abundance is a teaching you have absorbed online from non-Jewish sources, which is terrific.  I'm hoping that the grant proposal will inspire you to let abundance cross your mind on your Bar Mitzvah day, and perhaps many a day in the future.  

You may recall seeing Reb Zalman a few years ago (shortly after the grant proposal was written) at a church where he received an honorary doctorate degree.  He capped his acceptance drasch that day with this teaching, not frequently voiced in Jewish circles, and sadly emphasized even less:  "Abundance is possible.  Abundance needs to be invited."  Zalman as you know had deep Jewish roots, was one of the founders of Jewish Renewal, a Sufi priest, a friend and spiritual brother of the Dalai Lama, and much more.  I hope your Bar Mitzvah opens you to experiencing and co-creating an expansive, hopeful, happy, alive, love based, blissful and big hearted Judaism, bearing in mind Zalman's gift of pointing us to embrace the joyful challenge of abundance.  To me, that is where spiritual life resides and Tikkun Olam begins.

I love you Joshua Lev Abrams Rubin.  Happy Bar Mitzvah very soon.  And an invitation to abundance, now and always.

Mark

11/16/2015


Josh, here's a link to the attachment.  http://marksrubin.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-jewish-ashram-project-vision-draft.html

UP WITH JOY

The Tyranny of The Chairs: A Passover Reflection on Furniture
Bondage... and Liberation? 

Do you need the table and the chairs? The table yes; I’ll let you know
about the chairs after I know who’s coming. Later...so what about the
chairs? Oh, you may not even need the table? Later still...sure, we
can do the table a bunch of chairs whenever you want... Even later
still: chairs/schmairs...sure you can come get them anytime before
Pesach, just let me know when... Finally, OK, OK. Tomorrow is fine,
just let me know what time... But are you sure? They’re heavy, I can’t
really help, and you’re still recovering from an injury... And beyond
all that, the background noise of the momentarily unspeakable (perhaps
a 5th question): and then we have to take them back? And so it goes. 

 The wise child asks: can you envision for a moment a world of
abundance where everything is possible, a promised land where there
are every number of tables and chairs to meet the requirements of any
gathering with ease. With aging bodies resting rather than being
taxed? And stress replaced with the possibility of enjoyment?

 The wicked, mischievous child says: you can’t do that. What makes
you think it possible to not stay in your slave mentality forever?
Isn’t it part of who you are...this bringing of tables and chairs back
and forth, there and back, again and again? How dare you? But go ahead
and try. Amuse me.

 The simple child asks: don’t we just need one chair for each person?
That should be easy. I can bring my own chair as an example.

 As for the child who asks no questions, seemingly unable to
understand and meaningfully contribute to such deliberations -- or
perhaps wise enough to avoid jumping into the fray... To that child
you can say, we have a chair for you should you wish to join us at the
table, but as always you are welcome to sit in peace on the floor,
which we know brings you much happiness. (Are we jealous?) 

The tyranny of the chairs. One of dozens of tyrannies we subject
ourselves to in planning for a gathering celebrating liberation. (How
ironic.) One of hundreds of tyrannies, even thousands, that we may
subject ourselves to daily, knowingly or not. 

May we listen to the voices of our inner children, and let go of
burdens -- big and small -- that do not serve us and that we need not
carry. 

To expand upon the words of the author Paulo Coelho, may we be mindful
that in every moment we can step into fantasy, the abyss, or somewhere
in between. And in choosing where to step, may we be grateful that, as
taught by zen master Charlotte Joko Beck, we cannot avoid paradise, we
can only avoid seeing it. 

May we embrace the Passover teaching of being grateful for hard earned
“freedom from” and engaging fully in what that opens for us, “freedom
to.” 

As we open to and embody this newly discovered or rediscovered
“freedom to” -- freedom to visualize and create our own reality, our
own paradise -- may we find ourselves moving in grace away from fear
and gravitating increasingly towards love as our touchstone and guide 

And may this season’s blessings of liberation, transformation and
renewal ease our process of being in that knowing, connected and
joyful promised place, as often and a much as we can stand to be free.