hostmelissa
03-30-2009, 11:53 AM
By Dr. Melissa West host of Returning to the Body Mind Wednesdays at 8 a.m. PST
Spring is a time of awakening. If you look outside you will see that everything is coming to life again. The grass is starting to become green and the tulips are pushing up and through to meet the spring sunshine. In spring, there is a return of sunlight and a renewal of the earth’s energy.
As often happens, our own personal experiences are a reflection of the actions of our larger environment and spring becomes a season of awakening. Spring is a noted time of celebration for awakening across many spiritual traditions.
In the Buddhist tradition there is Vesak (vee-sack) or Buddha day, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, takes place in spring. The birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha commemorate our potential to realize truly who we are as sacred, spiritual beings.
Similarly, in the Christian tradition, there is the celebration of Easter in spring. Just as in the Buddhist tradition there are the themes of death, birth and awakening (i.e. enlightenment) as Christ rises from the dead three days after his crucifixion. I remember sitting in my Dad’s church a couple of years ago when my Father preached about Christ’s resurrection as a metaphor.
My Dad talks about Jesus’ rising as an opportunity to connect to rebirth within ourselves. Christ’s death invites us to bring light to the darkness in our lives – to open to our shadow side. In nature we can look to our gardens as an example. In the winter, everything is dead, there is no life. Even in spring, a plant has to grow roots downward first in order to be able to reach up towards the sun. Likewise there are a series of mini-deaths and darkness in our lives.
In our current economic and cultural climate there are examples of death and loss all around us. People are losing their jobs and their homes. Many feel as though their lives are over and yet we are being asked to work through these losses, rise up and find light and life.
One of my favorite quotes that I have displayed on a sticky note on my computer says, “Arise, you need God. Awaken, God needs you.”
Nature encourages this en - “light”- enment inspiring us to connect with our inner light through the increased number of day “light” hours outside. As the light increases outside, we too can open to our internal light, to the God within. We can move from the darkness into the light.
Spring brings with it the hope of new life. The spiritual traditions are connected to the rhythmic cycles of nature. Spring is an opportunity to recognize our own deaths, births and enlightenments. What mini-deaths are you faced with in your life? How can you bring more light to your shadow side? What is being birthed, how are you finding renewal this spring? In spring, nature invites us to bring light our true self, our Buddha-nature, our Christ consciousness, our Atman and connect to our higher self as a form of awakening in a way that reflects the rebirth that is spring.
Gratitude: Special thanks to my Dad, Phil Uptgrove, for helping me organize my thoughts and develop my ideas for this article.
Spring is a time of awakening. If you look outside you will see that everything is coming to life again. The grass is starting to become green and the tulips are pushing up and through to meet the spring sunshine. In spring, there is a return of sunlight and a renewal of the earth’s energy.
As often happens, our own personal experiences are a reflection of the actions of our larger environment and spring becomes a season of awakening. Spring is a noted time of celebration for awakening across many spiritual traditions.
In the Buddhist tradition there is Vesak (vee-sack) or Buddha day, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, takes place in spring. The birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha commemorate our potential to realize truly who we are as sacred, spiritual beings.
Similarly, in the Christian tradition, there is the celebration of Easter in spring. Just as in the Buddhist tradition there are the themes of death, birth and awakening (i.e. enlightenment) as Christ rises from the dead three days after his crucifixion. I remember sitting in my Dad’s church a couple of years ago when my Father preached about Christ’s resurrection as a metaphor.
My Dad talks about Jesus’ rising as an opportunity to connect to rebirth within ourselves. Christ’s death invites us to bring light to the darkness in our lives – to open to our shadow side. In nature we can look to our gardens as an example. In the winter, everything is dead, there is no life. Even in spring, a plant has to grow roots downward first in order to be able to reach up towards the sun. Likewise there are a series of mini-deaths and darkness in our lives.
In our current economic and cultural climate there are examples of death and loss all around us. People are losing their jobs and their homes. Many feel as though their lives are over and yet we are being asked to work through these losses, rise up and find light and life.
One of my favorite quotes that I have displayed on a sticky note on my computer says, “Arise, you need God. Awaken, God needs you.”
Nature encourages this en - “light”- enment inspiring us to connect with our inner light through the increased number of day “light” hours outside. As the light increases outside, we too can open to our internal light, to the God within. We can move from the darkness into the light.
Spring brings with it the hope of new life. The spiritual traditions are connected to the rhythmic cycles of nature. Spring is an opportunity to recognize our own deaths, births and enlightenments. What mini-deaths are you faced with in your life? How can you bring more light to your shadow side? What is being birthed, how are you finding renewal this spring? In spring, nature invites us to bring light our true self, our Buddha-nature, our Christ consciousness, our Atman and connect to our higher self as a form of awakening in a way that reflects the rebirth that is spring.
Gratitude: Special thanks to my Dad, Phil Uptgrove, for helping me organize my thoughts and develop my ideas for this article.