![]() ![]() A time to dial up the gods.ĭrawn to Śrāvan vibe, I did what any book-lover would do: I stocked up on stories, mainly the epic Rāmāyana. And then there’s Śrāvan’s etymological meaning: literally, ‘hearing’ or ‘listening.’ It’s a time to hit pause on the hurly burly of life and tap into what’s timeless. It’s certainly a time for the living stories of Indian mythology to be told, stories like one of my favorites, Samudra Manthan, the churning of the ocean-an event that happened in Srāvan, they say, all those eons ago. Perhaps this is why it’s a holy month full of festivals. A beautiful and rather special month, as I’m learning.įalling during the Southwest monsoon with its torrential downpours, Śrāvan (whether regular or added) isn’t a good time for traveling or for many kinds of outdoor work, at least not in Southasia. ![]() But also partly because of Srāvan itself. It’s considered inauspicious for worldly affairs (one would not plan on starting a business venture during an intercalary month) but especially good for spiritual practice (especially those pertaining to lord Vishnu). It caught my attention, this idea of an extra ( adhika ) month, partly because the added month has a kind of special status. This year there were two Srāvans (the second of which we’re still in, depending on which exact calendric system one follows). The added month always shares a name with the month it’s squeezed in front of. ![]() To keep the solar and lunar cycles synced up, India’s time specialists-Jyotishis-hit upon the solution of adding an extra month every 32 or 33 months. There’s always a remainder, which means the lunar year is never the same length as the solar year. Such calendars feature 29.5-day lunar months and without getting technical, one can appreciate that the roughly 365.25 day solar year that we use in the West doesn’t divide neatly by 29.5. This is an immersion into sacred time, time as it’s divided via the Indian soli-lunar calendar (or rather the many regional variations thereof). In the silence reflect on the thoughts, images, and impressions that have come to you through this meditation and think about how you might encourage those around you, with the insights you have gained from this meditation on the shell.In a sense-at the risk of mixing metaphors-the waters I’m moving through are temporal ones. Consider now how God has provided these for you. The shell provided a ‘home’ and protection for its inhabitant. Imagine the sort of existence it had, and its purpose. Now consider what it might have been like to be the creature that once inhabited the shell. What does God want to convey to you through this example of his creation? Notice its size and shape, its colour and texture, its overall design. Then, when you are ready, open your eyes and look carefully at your shell. ![]() Gently breathe in the sea air and breathe out any cares or concerns that you may have on your mind. When you have located a shell, sit down, close your eyes, and imagine that you are sitting on a beach in the warm sunshine. Living as we do, in the twenty first century where the pace of life is faster and the demands on our time and attention are more numerous than in the seventeenth century, we have even more need for quiet and stillness! Today I would like to invite you to find a shell, you may already have one in your possession, but if not find a picture/photograph of one (see for images of shells). It was while reading a review that I discovered the poem entitled The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage by Sir Walter Raleigh, which he wrote in 1618, the year he died ( The themes in the first few lines, in many ways sum up the key ingredients of our faith and over the coming week we will look together at each one in turn. Partly because the devotional book I was reading was exploring the theme of the abundant life we can experience with Jesus, and partly because the daily newspaper to which I subscribe had a number of articles about death and dying, as well as reviews of books on this theme. This was partly due to the time of the year when everything in creation appeared to be barren and bleak, although closer inspection showed signs of new life waiting to emerge. Without wishing to sound morbid, I recently found myself pondering on the themes of life and death. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |