renunciation.

Good approach.  I'm currently processing what I want to do for the upcoming 39 days.  I've observed Lent before, not because I was affliated with a particular church, but because I was moved to do so.  The idea of fasting and prayer appealed to me at the time.  I say, 39 days, because Lent completely slipped my mind and I absent-mindedly ate a couple of pancakes and syrup this morning.  They were good.  I said, “YES!” to them …  so did my hips. :)

big smiling, here!  Me too, ok?  

I pledge to embrace, to accept, to own wholly, to allow, and to say YES to whatever arises!

i love it.

crow

You go!!!

I pledge to give up sleep deprivation and wholly embrace good night’s sleeps.

which means I’m going to bed now. :-)

Adi Da once said:

Renuncation without realization is utter nonsense.”

Practice of R. in a formal manner seems useful for few people. I respect and appreciate this. While I was member of a spiritual comunity for 5 years -and benefitted greatly! -now I prefer to live without pregiven structure, rules and forms.

YES to your choice!

Albert

Yay Siona!

I love this approach! THanks for the inspiration!

That's gorgeous Siona. I love what you said about embracing everything, a very Buddhist tantric approach. I just happened to see this apropos quote today and realized that is what I am giving up ;-) (below):

“Usually we think of renunciation as celibacy, poverty, obedience, shaving your head, going off somewhere and leaving everything behind. Trungpa Rinpoche gave a Tantric, nondual interpretation of renunciation: ”Renunciation means  to let go of holding back.” Can we let go of holding back? Can we relinquish our fears and defenses?” - Lama Surya Das

I've just jumped on this bandWagon…where are we headed?!
: - )

tonight’s topic was buddhism —-
is lent about renunciation? or letting go of our attachments? aren’t the catholics and the buddhists making the same point in different ways? hmmm.

I kind of feel like a Catholic Buddhist at times, although I prefer no labels. Anyhow my personal interpretation is that Lent is NOT about renunciation, or giving up. Rather it is about deepening our contemplation and direct experience with the Unspeakable source that has many spoken names.

Yes, it is about repentence. There is an etymology of the original word that was translated as repent that means to turn back toward. We don't really realize how often we have turned away, shut off, from this awareness with a capital A.

Over the ages, boy and this is loaded topic, people noticed that one had a clearer, lighter essence that was attuned with this presence of unity and wholeness when one didn't drink alcohol, didn't drink caffeine, ate simple fresh fruits and nuts, and drank pure water, etc. Maybe a few people realized they were so nourished by consciousness itself and they were lighter still when they nourished their souls on the simplest elements of water and air alone. But this was a natural inclination that arose from a sensitivity to what takes us toward that which is inherently whole, the desire to turn back toward that whole Self.

Later, those who did not understand, interpreted the behavior as deprivation, and a giving up of pleasure. Yet nothing was given up. And Everything gained, as well as No-thing. (And for the record, dark chocolate and lovemaking are definitely on the turning back towards path.)

For myself, during this period of Lent I am refining my sensitivity to what gives me that attunement to the most surrendered depths of Self.  How do I allow Spirit to carry me? There is an incredible lightness of Being that seems to become more luminous and light with simple pleasures, simple presence to life's wonders that isn't related to denial. The question isn't what to deny, but what daily and momentary practices in the next forty days brings forth clarity and contour to the very source of that which animates life?