Clean Monday and Losar

Today is known as Clean Monday in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The Clean originally referred to the purification of the soul for Lent. Today it's customary to clean the house thoroughly, and, in Greece, people go on picnics, eat shellfish, and fly kites!

Today is also Losar, the Tibetan New Year (Lo means year and sar means new). Losar sometimes falls on the same day as Chinese New Year, but not this year.

Agenda Today:
1. Clean House:
Cleaning house is a custom for both Clean Monday and for Losar. In Tibet, people clean house for the whole month before the New Year, and whitewash their walls. In the Ukraine, Russia, and Greece everyone especially cleans the kitchen and the pots with which they have cooked festival foods, because today is the start of the Lenten fast.

Today I will scrub the walls in the kitchen and touch up the paint in a couple of places.

2. Draw Symbols:
In Tibet, people might paint or draw the eight auspicious symbols on their walls for the new year. I decided to draw the endless knot on my kitchen wall, which is a symbol of cause and effect, and the union of compassion and wisdom.

Supplies: chalk, ruler, marker, paint, brush

1- Find the center of the space and draw an X.







2- Chalk out the rest of the design- I use chalk because I can easily rub it away and correct my lines.







3- Thicken up the lines.









4- (Optional) Outline with a pen and a ruler, to show the under-over-under pattern of the knot.

5- Paint with acrylics.


3. Hang new prayer flags:

Losar is a three-day festival. Before Losar, all the oldest prayer flags are removed, and on the third day new ones are hung.

Prayer flags in Tibet are made with woodblock prints of designs and the words of Buddhist prayers. They believe that the prayers on their flags will spread with the wind.

Two year's ago I made my own prayer flags- see more about them here. They are still in good shape, so I will leave them up another year.

4. Make Lagana (Greek flat bread)

I served my lagana with garlic-rosemary olive oil.

This simple flat bread is traditionally made on Clean Monday, and its traditional to tear and not slice your loaf of lagana today to avoid bad luck. 

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2-1/2 c. warm water
• 5-1/4 c. flour (any combination), plus some for kneading
• 3/4-tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. white and / or black sesame seeds
• 1/2-Tbsp. honey

Yield: one loaf-

1. Combine yeast, sugar and water. Set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

2. Add flour and salt. Mix well until you have a sticky dough. Knead for 10 minutes (I used my bread hook), adding a few more spoonfulls of flour to keep it from sticking, until the dough is smooth.

3. Place ball of dough in a large, clean bowl that has been very lightly greased with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm spot to rise about 1 or 1-1/2 hours. The dough will double in size.

4. In the bowl, knead the risen dough a few times to deflate it and then turn out onto your pan. Gently stretch and pat your dough into a rectangle. 

Use a wooden spoon to press small grooves or dots in the dough.

5. Let lagana dough rest, covered, and rise for another half hour.

6. Dilute the honey with a little boiling water and brush it all over the top of the bread. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Budding New Moon and Maha Shivratri

Tonight is the new moon; the Chinese call the second new moon the Budding Moon. 

Spring has always been my favorite time of year, when I feel most creative and joyful. As we cycle nearer to spring, I can feel my energy growing and swelling like the buds on the trees!

Shiva, Crafts Museum, New Delhi

Tonight is also Maha Shivratri, a Hindu festival which falls each year on the night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun (in February or March). The Sanskrit word ratri means night, and maha means great, so Maha Shivratri is the night to honor the great Shiva, for his dance of primordial creation, preservation, and destruction.

Many Hindus keep a fast all day, make offerings of flowers and incense, and chant to Shiva. They vigil all night, sing songs, and dance to the rhythm of the drums.

Agenda Today: 

1. Mantra:
Today I will chant the Panchakshara mantra, which means "five letters" in Sanskrit, and refers to the five letters Na, Ma, Si, Va, and Ya:
Om (the primordial sound)
Namah (I honor)
Shivaya (the source of creation)

Hear the chant here.

This is a prayer to Shiva, who is the universal consciousness. Shiva is life potential and the ground out of which everything grows; Shiva is the space from where everything has come, where everything is sustained, and where everything eventually dissolves.

When I meditate on Shiva in this way, rather than as a blue-faced God-being, I get closer to the truth of the Hindu pantheon.

2. Journal:

This is my monthly time for “seeding” intentions. I write down what I hope to focus on in the next 30 days or so, and then give my ideas a period of gestation, like seeds in the soil, before I take action. Having this regular time each month to focus my goals has helped to give me clarity of purpose.

What creative paths am I starting down?
What do I need to clear from my path in order to create something new?

3. New moon meditation and prayer:

Shivratri is the darkest night of the month; it's an opportunity to give myself the experience of the vast emptiness that is the source of all creation. 

Tonight I will light a small white candle on my altar. I will center, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life. And I will ask Shiva to strip away my striving for comfort and safety, so that I can be open to the infinite possibilities. 

4. Plan:

As the moon waxes, I expand-- plant seeds, make connections, and begin new projects. This week I will make some plans for creative action.

5. Make Thandai:
Some Hindus observe a strict fast today, though many go on a diet of fruits and milk. This famous flavored milk is traditionally prepared to drink, and as an offering to Shiva.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole milk
• 1-Tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. saffron strands
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom 
• dash of ground black pepper
• 1-Tbsp. almonds 
• 1-Tbsp. cashews
• 1/2-Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1/2-Tbsp. fennel seeds 

1- Pour milk in a heat proof measuring cup or saucepan, add saffron and sugar and heat till sugar dissolves. I did all the heating in my microwave, on low heat. (I can't afford saffron so I just left it out).

2- Add ground cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper to the milk and wisk to combine.

3- Combine the almonds, cashews, poppy seeds, and fennel seeds and grind into a fine powder. I used my coffee grinder and did it in 2 batches.





4- Add to the milk and mix well. Heat the milk again for a few seconds. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. 

5- Strain the mixture through a sieve. Serve chilled.

Pea Planting Day

Pea Planting Day is a special anniversary for us. 

February 22 is listed on my planting calendar as the first day to plant peas in the Willamette Valley; it also happens that this is the day W and I got engaged to each other, 41 years ago!

Peas are traditionally the first vegetable sown outside in the spring because they will germinate and grow in very cool soil. We plant peas today to ceremonially kick off the start of the planting season, and also to remind ourselves of the beginnings of our relationship; the day we decided to be together forever.

Double rainbow I saw yesterday on the walk home from school.

Agenda Today:
1. Pea Planting Ceremony:
We usually get our share of rain in February, and it's been really pouring this week.

Pea bed, ready for planting.

I always turn the pea bed earlier, to be ready. As I turn the soil in the pea bed, I remember that plowing is a sacred act of connection to the Earth Spirit. 

We plant the peas as an offering to the earth, and an offering to our relationship. We also drink a little wine and spill some on the ground, to bless the soil.

Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa (масленица) is the oldest of all Russian holidays. It began as a spring equinox festival called Jarilo, named for the Slavic god of the vegetation and spring. Later it became a Christian holiday, starting on the Monday ten days before Lent- the Russian version of Carnival, with eating, drinking, sledding, games, and costume parades. Even though it's now Christian in theory, all of its events still focus on driving away the winter and re-awakening nature.

Our Maslenitsa doll from two years ago.

On the first day of Maslenitsa, the young people of each town make a straw effigy doll, dress it in bright clothing with ribbons, and take it around with them all week, for sledding and parties. The party atmosphere grows from day to day, and from Thursday through Sunday no one is allowed to work.

The last day of the festival- Sunday- is Forgiveness Day. People visit their relatives and bow to them to seek forgiveness for the wrongs of the past year. (The proper response is “God will forgive you”.) On Sunday evening, the whole town gathers to throw the effigy doll onto a huge bonfire. The doll symbolizes winter, and they hope that all their problems will leave along with winter.

Agenda this week:
1. Journal:
I celebrate this week in a muted way- I don’t live in an area that has big Carnival parties. In keeping with my theme this month of receptivity and nurturance, I will take some time this week to consider things I might be open to in the coming season of Lent.

How can I best nurture the seeds of inspiration growing in me now?
What might I fast from, or do without, in order to prepare for the joy of spring?
Who do I need to ask forgiveness of this week?

2. Make an effigy doll:

Our doll from 2 years ago had yarn hair.
This year we used a piece of cloth and tore strips
for a fringe.

The Maslenitsa doll is a representation of Jarilo's sister, named Morena or Marzanna, the goddess of death, winter and nightmares. The symbolism is of death and rebirth: Burning away the winter so that spring can return.

The effigy can be any size, from a small doll to a life-sized statue.

Supplies: Long stick, fabric, scissors, needle, thread, pens, yarn, string, straw or newspapers

1. Sew a head with two pieces of white fabric and a running stitch.  Draw a face with markers. Stuff with straw or newspapers.

2. Sew a tube for arms and stuff with straw or newspapers.

3. Cut a hole in the center of a large piece of fabric for a dress, and sew strips of cloth or ribbons all over it.

4. To put the doll together, begin by firmly tieing the arms to the long stick. 


Next slide the dress on from the top. Add the head and and tape at the neck. 

We invited our Maslenitsa doll to sit with us the rest of the day.

3. Make Blini Pancakes:

The name Maslenitsa comes from the word maslo, which is Russian for butter. 

During this week, Russians fast from meat, but eat a lot of rich, buttery blini (pronounced blee-NEE) pancakes. Once Lent begins people will eat even simpler foods, so this is the last chance for feasting!

In Russia, blini are eaten for remembrance of the dead, and also as a symbol of the spring sun.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 c. milk
• 1/3 c. butter
• 1/2 c. warm water
• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 c. white flour
• 1 c. buckwheat flour
• 3 large eggs
• oil
• toppings: berries, sour cream, whipped cream, jam, maple syrup, or caviar

Yeast getting bubbly.

1- Scald the milk. Add butter and stir until it melts. Cool to lukewarm.

2- Pour warm water into a large bowl, and sprinkle yeast over it. Stir, then let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it gets bubbly.

3- While the milk cools, combine the salt, sugar, white flour and buckwheat flour.

4- Divide the eggs. Add yolks to the milk and butter, and beat for 2 minutes with a spoon. Combine the milk mixture and yeast, and stir in the flour. Beat for 2 minutes.

5- Cover the bowl, and put it in a warm place until double, about 30 minutes.

6- Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Stir the batter down, and gently fold in the egg whites. Let stand 10 minutes more.

7- Lightly oil a griddle or frying pan, and heat to medium. Pour in a 1/4-cup of batter and spread it out with a spoon (good blini must be very very thin). Cook until the top is bubbly, then turn and cook the back.

8- Serve with berries, sour cream, whipped cream, jam, maple syrup, or caviar. Place the filling in the center of the pancake and roll it up.

4. Have a fire:

After spending the day with our Maslenitsa doll it was time to put it on the fire.

The kids initial response to the idea was "Why?! Why do we have to burn it?"

We talk about the symbolism of burning away the winter so that spring can return.

We talk about how people in different cultures do things that seem odd to us, but it's been their tradition for a very long time so it seems normal to them.

And because most of us have a primitive love of burning things, it took only a minute for them to be gleefully on board. In the end, we marched together out to our fire pit, planted it in the center, said a few words, and lit the match.

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Nirvana Day

Nirvana Day is the celebration of Buddha's death at the age of 80, at around 487 BCE. It's celebrated in East Asia on February 15th, or on February 8th by some people.

Buddhists celebrate death because it's when the soul is released from the body to experience Nirvana. The word Nirvana means "to extinguish", but it's really more of a transformation to a new kind of existence. Nirvana is usually described as a state of bliss or peace, and a release from all physical suffering. The Buddha taught that Nirvana was beyond human imagination, and so speculation about what Nirvana is like is considered by some to be foolish.

Nirvana Day is a time for contemplation of the Buddha's teachings. Some monasteries and temples hold meditation retreats. People visit and bring gifts of money and household goods to support monks and nuns.

Agenda Today:

1. Open to Uncertainty:
Buddha's last words were, "Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Strive for your liberation with diligence." 

So Buddha says we are all marked by impermanence- all life is fleeting and changeable. I am not in control! I know this, of course, but emotionally I resist it every day. I cling to my past happiness and resist the pain of today.

Nirvana Day is a reminder to try again to accept the uncertainty of everything.

2. Read:
Nirvana Day is a time for contemplation of the Buddha's teachings. On this day, people often read passages from the Nirvana Sutra, describing the Buddha’s last days of life. 

I read instead from my favorite Buddhist author, Pema Chodrin. She has a book that's entirely about the impermanence of life called Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion. She says-

“Our habitual patterns are, of course, well established, seductive, and comforting. Just wishing for them to be ventilated isn’t enough. Mindfulness and awareness are key. 

Do we see the stories that we’re telling ourselves and question their validity? 
When we are distracted by a strong emotion, do we remember that it is part of our path? 
Can we feel the emotion and breathe it into our hearts for ourselves and everyone else? 

If we can remember to experiment like this even occasionally, we are training as a warrior. And when we can’t practice when distracted but know that we can’t, we are still training well. Never underestimate the power of compassionately recognizing what’s going on.”

3. Bodhisattva Practices:

Pema Chodron talks about training to be a bodhisattva, a compassionate warrior who has generated enough love to reach nirvana, but remains alive to help others who suffer.
"Warrior-bodhisattvas enter challenging situations in order to alleviate suffering. They are willing to cut through personal reactivity and self-deception .... A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next. We can try to control the uncontrollable by looking for security and predictability, always hoping to be comfortable and safe. But the truth is that we can never avoid uncertainty. This not-knowing is part of the adventure."

So, how does one train to be a bodhisattva? By cultivating the four limitless qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. (Equanimity vs. reactivity is my challange!)

"But bodhichitta training offers no promise of happy endings. Rather, this “I” who wants to find security—who wants something to hold on to—will finally learn to grow up. If we find ourselves in doubt that we’re up to being a warrior-in-training, we can contemplate this question: “Do I prefer to grow up and relate to life directly, or do I choose to live and die in fear?” 

First Bodhisattva Practices:
1. Slogan: Every morning this week say, “I accept that I can never know what will happen next. This is part of the adventure!”

2. Observe: As I face daily encounters with unpredictability, notice my feelings of fear, irritation, confusion, defensiveness, worry, or disappointment- these are flags that show me when I am holding back.

3. Break my pattern: Rather than holding back, perk up and lean in to the situation. Embrace the uncertainty of the moment. Step out of the safety zone! Accept the situation, accept my emotions, and accept the people involved.

4. Meditation: 
I will try to meditate for awhile each day for the next week. Meditation is one way to learn to be vulnerable. When a thought rises, breathe it gently away- let the emotion remain and experience it fully without the thought; be present in the moment and tender toward myself, others, and the world.