Easter and spring have me thinking about rebirth, and it brought to mind one of my favorite verses from the Bhagavad Gita:
Just as a person discards worn out garments and dons new ones, likewise the soul discards a worn out body and enters a new one. (BG 2.22)
Literally, this teaching is about the Hindu belief in reincarnation, and how our essence, our soul, is not lost when one dies, but is reborn, depending on the nature of our karma.
The reason I love this verse so much is because it seems relevant to our journey in a given lifetime. Our lives have many phases, twists and turns, and often we find ourselves outgrowing worn out garments, and other stuff in our life. This includes not only material stuff, but worn out habits, old grudges, roles, or ways of being in the world that no longer serve us. We don new garments, new ways of being which better fit a different identity and who we now want to be.
This happens quite naturally as we move along the path of yoga, although we might not notice. The process of meditation in particular, cleans out all that blocks our access to our hearts, and we find ourselves releasing old ways of being that led to suffering or are otherwise harmful to ourselves and/or others, in favor of the yogic qualities so often mentioned in the texts. And, especially as we grow older, we feel more compelled to do our duty, our dharma, what we need to do to create a righteous world.
Sometimes we must intentionally access qualities such as will, creativity, and freedom to mindfully and consciously put on a new outfit. For example, recently I replied to someone seeking teachers and healers to be on a podcast and I volunteered a perspective from yoga and meditation. When they reached out for a meeting, I immediately freaked out. I donned the old familiar clothing of fear, insecurity, and worry.
I had to step back and remind myself that this is exactly what I want to be doing now. I am an elder in the community who has a lot to share. I remembered a teaching from one of my teachers: be your future self, be the person you want to become. And I said to myself: Wrap yourself in a robe of knowing that within you, from years of study and practice, is knowledge important to share, and allow that to stream out. Be a conduit for the Highest.
REFLECT AND EXPLORE:
How have you found yourself changing your “clothing” as you’ve moved along your path? What have you released? What is the nature of that new clothing?
Have there been times, like in my example, when you’ve had to consciously release old tight clothing in favor of something that better fits the person you want to become?
What qualities of being must you consciously invoke to be the person you want to become?
