On this article, we focus on the symbolism of Lent. I need to have a look at Lent not as a phenomenon of fundamentalist Christianity, however as one which describes some common options of any religious path.
We have a tendency to consider Lent as a interval after we quit some behavior or some foodstuff as a private problem. Although this may be helpful as a personal-improvement methodology, it makes a mockery of true Lent.
Severe Christians follow fasting for 40 days, however in my view they nonetheless get Lent incorrect, as a result of they continue to be tied up in spiritual rumour. That is an error, no matter how self-consistent and complete the dogma could seem.
So, I don’t need to churn out the accepted dogma surrounding Lent, however to look at its symbolism: what does Lent actually imply as an emblem? What’s its higher significance?
An Apart: I Am Not a Christian
So we’re clear, I’m a meditator, a mystic. I’m devoted to direct expertise and nothing else. If components of a religion system serve to reinforce my direct expertise of those issues, I entertain them. In the event that they don’t, I see them as irrelevant, except new and improved data forces me to re-evaluate their validity.
At this level, I don’t imagine that any of the Christian myths are correct historic accounts of actual occasions and other people, nor do I observe any of the well-established rites and guidelines that Christianity prescribes.
I’m not significantly all in favour of whether or not Jesus was a historic individual or not, or whether or not he died on a cross, or whether or not he spent 40 days and nights in a desert, or whether or not he was resurrected. That’s all rumour and irrelevant.
Nevertheless, I do see Christianity as a wealthy supply of esoteric teachings, of “secret teachings”, a lot of that are transmitted non-verbally by means of its wealthy symbolism.
I really feel plenty of resonance in the direction of symbols such because the Cross, Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail, and so forth, however solely as a result of they level me to my transpersonal nature, and solely to the extent that they do.
It’s possible you’ll like my episode on the Christian Cross and its True Which means
In actual fact, I imagine their solely validity is as symbols. After I see symbolism of this sort, I can nearly hear them whispering to me, “Hey, I’m making an attempt to indicate you one thing profound in regards to the nature of your self and actuality, test it out.” I see no different validity to them with regards to critical religious follow.
That every one stated, let me share what Lent evokes in me as a religious image.
My Interpretation of the Symbolism of Lent
There are a number of issues that Lent evokes in me, however basically Lent is an emblem for the precept of chastity, of giving up, of renunciation, which is a basic a part of the trail to enlightenment.
It’s true that each one religious traditions encourage renunciation with respect to behavioural and psychological habits. Nevertheless, final chastity is past issues like food regimen and unhealthy habits: it’s associated to our very identification.
Chastity with reference to our identification is the basic chastity of the religious path.
We are able to see this variously as:
- a single distinct section initially of our religious path, lasting just a few years;
- a number of phases of our religious path, lasting a number of weeks, months or years every time;
- a precept that underlies all the religious path;
- symbolism for God being misplaced from itself.
All 4 have their validity, and I’ll describe them right here, starting with the primary two.
Lent Symbolism as a Interval of Time
Seen as a definite section, Lent is a interval of nice effort and confusion. We’re doing religious follow, following some type of system, and making an attempt to glimpse the character of ourselves and actuality, however we frequently come up empty-handed.
To return to deep mystical realisation or gnosis, we should disidentify from who we all the time imagine we’ve been: this individual, with all their quirks, likes, dislikes, ideas, recollections, plans, regrets, hang-ups, sturdy fits, and so forth.
In my thoughts, the true which means of the dogma that “Jesus spent forty days and nights within the desert” and was “tempted by the Satan” and was then “crucified” earlier than he “awoke from the lifeless”, is solely that if we’re to awaken to our religious nature after which stay it out, we should quit all our illusions about who we expect we’re. We should starve our conceptual thoughts. This course of might be disturbing and protracted.
We should profoundly resign our “sin”, which actually means our false funding in all the things that isn’t God, together with the separate ego and duality of topic and object. This isn’t a floor change of behavior however a deep, lasting and basic shift in consciousness.
We’ll possible undergo confusion (the desert, or purgatory) and be repeatedly caught up in our delusions (the Satan) as we’re making an attempt to stroll the religious path. In actual fact, you would possibly say that our total lives earlier than our personal religious loss of life and renewal is a form of desert, as a result of we go about our lives drunk on the Floor stage of our consciousness.
In any case, we lastly expertise deep loss of life of our identification (Crucifixion). It’s well-documented in Buddhism that this step might be destabilising, a minimum of for some time. We might undergo a profound disaster (or desert) earlier than lastly embodying in on a regular basis life the deeper reality of who we’re (the Resurrection).
the precise symbolic which means of Christ’s crucifixion was the crucifixion or loss of life of the separate self, in all varieties, adopted by the Resurrection of final unity consciousness (I and the Father are one) and the Ascension to radical launch in and as Godhead.
Ken wilber, up from eden
In actual fact, we undergo many of those durations on the trail. We might come to a sure stage of realisation, however then have to grasp and let go of our identification with that, in order that we are able to attain a brand new stage of understanding and be “reborn” but once more. The interval main as much as our first glimpses of Reality might really feel significantly barren and effortful.
As An Everpresent Characteristic
From this attitude, religious development is a continuing loss of life and rebirth that requires a continuous letting go of our ideas and concepts. As such, Lent is an ever-present function of this work.
Does this imply that we are able to’t have a good time Lent because it falls within the calendar 12 months? I wouldn’t go that far. However true Lent is a continuing chastity, a continuous openness to emptying our cup so we are able to fill it once more, a continuous not-knowing.
Keep in mind, Lent is about renouncing our illusions with reference to who we’re, what life is about, and supreme actuality.
So if it’s not nearly giving up chocolate, or fasting, or repenting our sins, how does this type of Lent look in actual phrases?
- taking our religious realisations calmly, understanding that there’s rather more to grasp;
- committing to deep religious follow for so long as it takes;
- chopping away our habits of thoughts and psychology that hold us caught in “sin”;
- renouncing patterns of behaviour which might be grounded in lack and need;
- newbie’s thoughts: a agency stance to abide in not-knowing;
- silent presence: remaining proper right here, proper now, seeing all expertise slightly than being it;
- oneness: seeing all expertise as a manifestation of our personal true nature;
- renouncing duality: frequently conscious of our tendency to divide the world into topic and object.
As God Misplaced to Itself
I additionally imagine that Lent symbolises God being misplaced to itself, which happens after we’re unenlightened. We’re manifesting as God, as is all the things round us, however we’re unaware of this, and this creates all form of bother in our lives.
Certain, all of our expertise in the end comes from Supply, however not all of us are conscious of this. After we aren’t, life seems stable, separate, “actual”, imposing, intractable. It’s Hell, it’s barren, it’s desolate. It’s like a endless desert: it doesn’t matter what we do, we are able to by no means actually be glad. We spend our lives consuming salt water, by no means fairly satiated.
Heaven and the Peace of God solely reign after we die to our dualistic illusions and our false self. That is when God is totally revealed to itself in all its glory, and is reborn, totally expressing itself as itself, with you because the conduit.
Lent In All Traditions
The precept of Lent (learn: chastity) is present in religious traditions internationally. Although it is probably not discovered within the type of rituals or rites, it all the time performs a task within the religious path, as a result of it’s vital for religious transformation.
A basic a part of Buddhism is chastity, significantly in old-school, Theravadin traditions with the shaved heads, lengthy robes, giving up of possessions, and norms for behaviour. That is seen as a basic and compulsory side of residing as a monk and receiving Buddhist teachings.
To provide one other concrete instance, we are able to see Lent as a section very clearly within the widespread Eight Ox-Herding Photos from Zen Buddhism.
The highest half of the above diagram is Lent. From the time that the boy sees the footsteps of the ox, he’s topic to confusion, greedy and striving. The ox runs in all instructions, evading his chase.
Even when he manages to tie a rope across the ox, it nonetheless possess wild vitality, and the boy continues working round looking for a approach to seize the beast for good. He’s making an attempt very arduous, however his effort involves naught. This era is Lent.
It’s solely when the boy lastly tames the ox and begins to journey the ox that he actually lives a religious life. That is when he’s “reborn” and goes out into the world along with his discoveries, residing a life that may be very totally different to his earlier one.
Search for the precept of Lent in any mannequin of the religious path, whether or not as a section or as an ever-present, and also you’re certain to search out it.
It’s possible you’ll take pleasure in my episode on the Grand, Common Human Phantasm.
Welcome! I’m Ross Edwards BSc DipBSoM, founding father of Deep Psychology
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