There are several days per month on the Lunar Calendar that we focus on more spiritual matters. This spiritual focus day, has us looking around to our surrounding family and community. It’s a local heart centered day. Do you have family, friends or people in your community who have needs they cannot meet themselves? Is there anything you can do to help?

Everyone feels overwhelmed with their daily lives. It’s easy to think that we will get to the charity part later, when things aren’t so stressful. One thing I noticed while studying other religions, is that charity is practiced as penitence for being purposely obtuse or lazy. You say Holy Mary’s in Catholicism. You give time or money to the poor in Middle and Eastern traditions. From a practical standpoint, any trouble you got into that got you the Holy Mary’s situation, is probably better prevented by having an experience of providing charity. This approach takes you out of the blur of our daily lives, into purposeful, helpful, mindful positivity. Auntie Karma is happy. You feel stronger. You’re not coming from a place of lack. You demonstrated that you have something extra you can give.

Yes, the Lunar Calendar

On this fasting day, we realize the importance of valuing virtue, the quality of being honest and respectably standing firm on moral principles. Virtue is necessary when living with others. Everyone knows how important it is to be able to rely on others. We also know how devastating it can be when others don’t live up to their word.

Wisdom literature recommends striving for virtue, honesty and respect (which is different from being liked). As humans, we’re probably going to miss a few marks, even if we’re trying our best. The point isn’t perfection. The point is doing your best. That’s what periodic fasting days give you – an opportunity for you to recheck, reset and regroup toward your best.

Remember the wisdom, where 2 or 3 are gathered. . . anything can be accomplished.  The ancient Daoists noted that 1 makes 2.  2 makes 3.  3 makes the 10,000.   We have tremendous influence.  Especially in numbers.  Sages tout virtue as the universal cure.  I’d agree.  Where 2 or 3 are gathered with virtue. . . imagine the world we could create. 

Meditation questions:

Who are your other virtuous 2. . .?

Is your life conducive to being honest 24/7? Do the people in your life treat you with the respect you need to be progressive? Do you have group plans with your progressive peeps? Do you have progressive peeps in your life? What does progressive mean to you? (loaded question nowadays!!)