I think I need to establish more spiritual habits. The one thing I do consistently that makes a huge difference is to meditate every day. This is my time to let go of goals and plans, shift to the right side of my brain, and passively observe my mind and body. It means as much to me as sleep.
What I want to start doing more often: spiritual rituals. My family went to a friend's Bar Mitzvah last month. I'm a Buddhist, but I was incredibly impressed with the prayers and readings in the traditional Jewish prayer book, the "Siddur", that was used in the service. I kept skipping from page to page, appreciating the prayers asking for virtue and wisdom and the prayers of appreciation. These weren't selfish prayers. They did not ask for handouts. They were prayers of intention. "Today, help me find wisdom, gratitude, and compassion."
I was impressed with the structure of these prayers: certain prayers on the Sabbath and others during the week. It made me feel great respect for religious ritual. I think I've tended to be a Buddhist "snob". I've focused on the ideas about self and reality and the use of meditation to see things as they are without words. I've focused on the philosophy of Buddhism, the concepts. The intellectual side. And I've dismissed the rituals. But our 13 year old friend's Bar Mitzvah gave me new respect for religious rituals--for habits such as saying grace at every meal. I need more of these habits to grow spiritually every day.
Shabbat Shalom.
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