\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Sparks of Joy and Awe: Friendship<\/p>\n
Kavannah: Teshuvah-“…<\/strong>the journey of teshuvah<\/i> is not about \u201cturning over a new leaf\u201d or being \u201cborn again\u201d; rather, it is simply finding our way back to the land of our soul…Every person possesses a core of inherent goodness whose integrity cannot be compromised. While outwardly, one\u2019s actions may not always reflect this inner goodness…people always have the ability to shed their superficial facade and do teshuvah<\/i>\u2014returning to their truest, deepest selves.” chabad.org<\/a><\/p>\n One brief shining: Chuseok draws families together in North and South Korea, often back to the places of their birth or raising, like little Okgwa for Seoah, back for thanksgiving for family, for the harvest, for love between a brother and a sister, all over that land, a return to the place of your formation; we might say finding a way back to the land of your soul, which has an individual component, of course, but also and strongly a community, familial component, though, yes, the land of your soul and your homeland may be also be widely divergent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The key move here, from a Jewish perspective, lies in the neshamah, that essence of you, that buddha nature, that stainless and unstainable core to which one can always return, no matter how hamartia<\/em>-missing the mark-has confused your nefesh, the outward facing portion of you that changes, grows, shrinks, expands depending on which of the many wolves you feed.<\/p>\n The month of Elul, our current month in the Lunar Calendar for 5784, encourages all Jews to chasbon nefesh, accounting of the soul. Look back over the last year and see if you got lost in moments of despair over an illness. Like I did. See if you judged others harshly, rather than judging them on their merits. Like I did. See if you neglected opportunities to act with loving-kindness. Like I did. See if you failed to discern again the purpose of your life. Like I did. See if you failed again to act on that purpose. Like I did. Take steps to amend those personal lapses that you can. Like I have. Take steps to open your lev to your true path. As I have.<\/p>\n Teshuvah is not about guilt, however. It is about sweeping away the barriers in your life to being who you most truly are: a sacred becoming, a moment in the ever expanding tapestry of novelty that is the universe and everything. A unique and irreplaceable soul, a unique, never to be repeated, ishi-go ishi-e self awaits your joyous return.<\/p>\n No stains that lead to damnation. No sins even God could not forgive. Only you and the land of your soul. To which, at any time, you can, with exuberance and calm, return.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *”It\u2019s the other time of the year in Korea besides Lunar New Year\u2019s Day, aka Seollal (\uc124\ub0a0)<\/a>, when family members gather together. <\/a>\u00a0Usually, this means traveling to the home of the head of the family, often one\u2019s grandparents<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to legend, an ancient king of the kingdom, Silla, started a month-long weaving contest between two teams.\u00a0 \u00a0The team who had woven the most cloth won, and they were treated by the losing team with food, drinks, and other gifts.\u00a0 Thus starting the tradition of Thanksgiving almost 2000 years ago.<\/p>\n Some scholars also tie Chuseok to Korea\u2019s history, wherein agriculture was a big part of daily life.\u00a0 Koreans commonly offered rituals to ancestors to give thanks<\/a> and celebrate the harvest moon.<\/p>\n Traditionally, the purpose of Chuseok was for family members to gather together during the full harvest moon. This usually appeared in the sky on the 15th <\/sup>day of the 8th<\/sup> month of the lunar calendar. Families wanted to celebrate and show gratitude to their ancestors for the fruitful harvest.<\/p>\n Chuseok is very much a traditional holiday where many of the customs from the old days still stand.”<\/p>\n Chuseok in Korea<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lugnasa and the Harvest Moon Shabbat gratefuls: Torah. Jamie. Mussar. Ruth and Gabe. Lighting the candles. The shema. CBE. Mary and Guru. Mark in Bangkok. My son and Seoah in Okgwa for the Chuseok Festival.* Alan and his busy weekend. Good sleeping. Kristie. Second opinions. Cancer. Spinal stenosis. Sally. Aging. Its joys and its struggles. … Continue reading Chuseok and Teshuvah. Double post. see below as well.<\/span> ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ancientrails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/teshuvah-420x159.jpg\")
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