Today is Ash Wednesday, marking about 40 days until Easter–it is a time of repentance. The Ash part comes from a tradition of placing some ashes over the head or using it to mark a cross on the forehead, saying the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Not very cheery, and it would only be true if you are the body) Interestingly, yogis put ashes on their bodies to help cool them–originally for when having kundalini experiences.
Thinking of repenting, turning back to God, and preparing ourselves for the Mystical Crucifixion, we can reflect on anything that interferes with our communion with God. It is traditional to give up something for the 40 days in the buildup to Easter, and it is a good time to renounce any obstacle. Some people give up sweets, others television, it could be your cell phone and electronics (or limit its usage, such as the insane practice of texting while driving!), whatever comes to your mind that interferes with your receptivity to God awareness.
I thought that as part of paying homage to this day you would enjoy reading a part of a Talk Mother gave on Ash Wednesday:
“As I’m sure all of you know, today is the beginning of the Lenten season. It is Ash Wednesday. So I call this to your attention in order that you might enter into the spirit of the Lenten season, that you might fast from some of the things which you ordinarily enjoy, both in the sense of food and the things of the senses.
“This Lenten season actually depicts the story of each individual soul as that one starts on the higher rungs of the ladder of God-realization. The whole Christian world has come to think of it as a time of deep sorrow, and it is that indeed because what man has to go through in order to become a Godman, or the Christed one—the son of God—is indeed not easy. Every little bit of the price must be paid for the pearl, which is the supreme jewel of God-realization. There can be no holding back if you would attain that greatest of all boons, if you would have the petals of your flower of God-realization open wide and spread forth the light which is your True Self. It is a very necessary part of your journey through life at some time or other, if you, as you must do, would realize your oneness with the Divine within yourself. There are many trials, many tests, many tribulations, and in some cases a great deal of pain, before that sublime moment is reached.
“In the early days of the Christians, this custom was started. It is difficult to know exactly when because practically all of the feast days were tied up with some of the Pagan rites that existed long before the birth of Christ, and this one is no exception. Again, it was a case of celebrating the change of the seasons. They had a funeral ceremony, and they had a snowman to represent the death of snow and the beginning of spring. Where there’s usually the ordinary amount of food taken, then at that time gradually the rules were made to stop eating all things of the flesh, all flesh meats and the products thereof, such as cheese and milk, eggs and butter. We have come a long way from those times, and perhaps it is well that we bring them to remembrance.”
May this Lenten Season bring you closer to God, Christ and Gurus, and to use this as an opportunity to sharpen your focus on God, surrendering all that you are at the feet of our most Beloved One. And, happy Valentine’s Day! It brings to mind something we did in grade school; making decorated folders that hung off the front of our desks, then everyone in the class created cards for each other to drop into the folders. This is my version of dropping a Valentine’s card off in your folder.
