Getting Better

I once heard my teacher Dharma say that during childhood/adolescence/teenage years, we work off a lot of old karma. Those years can be full of frustration as a result of inability to express ourselves, make our own decisions, or be fully understood by those around us. This perspective gave me a newfound compassion for the young and understanding of their sometimes questionable choices. It also gave me the opportunity to look back at my own youthful transgressions with less judgement. And who knows, maybe in 15 years, I'll be looking back on my life now wondering what the heck I was thinking, but I am trying to get better. ;)

Shakin'

I recently watched a Ken Burns documentary on The Shakers, a 200+ year old Christian sect that is known for their exquisite (but unadorned) craftsmanship, humble devotion, and their "wild" dancing (which gave them their commonly-used name over the actual "United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing"). The Shaker religion was founded by a woman and worship a God that was equal parts male and female. Men and women play an equal role in the church and in society. The Shakers were celibate, acquiring members through conversion or adoption (though adoption of orphans by religious groups was banned in the 1960s and this practice ended). At their height, there were over 6,000 members in the US and now there are only 3. "The Last Shakers" live in Maine. People drawn to this way of life were truly devotional. Their hard work was for God and others. Bhakti and Karma.