Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy All Souls Day-Detachment


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Halloween is a European tradition that was most likely brought to the US from the Scottish and Irish immigrants. It is believed to have its origin in the Celtic world and later in the Christian world. It is a time to celebrate the soul. In the tradition the wealthy would give small cakes to the poor who would beg from door to door on All Hallows Eve. In return for being chartable souls would be released from hell or purgatory and transcend to heaven. This was called souling and the cakes given to the poor were called soul cakes.

Yoga makes it very clear that we should all be charitable not just with our money, but with our time, our thoughts, our words and our deeds.  It also means we should give without attachment or the desire to receive something in return. Give for the sake of giving. Here is where the ego comes in…it always wants to get something in return.  When we expect joy from outside things we are never satisfied.  So remember to give so that a soul may find peace and in this you will always be rewarded with a sense of peace within yourself.

 

Everyone wants to be happy. Attachment brings pain. Detachment brings peace. In life things come and things go. It is like the ancient fable about the musk deer. The musk deer loves the scent of musk. In the fable the musk deer has a musk spot on its forehead. It runs from place to place seeking out the origin of the scent not realizing that the scent is on its own forehead. Happiness is like that- it’s not out there it’s within you.

Happy Halloween

Doctor Lynn  

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