Time to Listen for the Robin's Song

надія, nadiya is the Ukrainian word for "Hope"

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Aho’ Rajanaka,

I hope this finds you well. I want to say something bright and buoyant, maybe even jaunty, chipper (dammit) but the Zeitgeist is not helping.

надія is the Ukranian word nadiya, which means hope. I wish I knew how to say more but this strikes me as a good place to start. Hope must not become delusion or wishful thinking. It’s got to speak to the spirit of our times, even when that spirit is in crisis.

So it seems, even our Zeitgeist is fractured, and every day brings more reliable dissonance. Who are we? Who could we be? What are we going to do? And, what are we to make of this “spirit of the times?” I ask myself this because I too need something to be hopeful about.

Here in the north country we know that spring will come, perhaps even with warm glimmers before the last snows of April?

Springtime is one of those things where hope is only a matter of time and this past Tuesday, on a day warm enough to rain, a robin was making such remonstrance outside my University classroom. This made me pause in mid-sentence to have a listen.

Normally---as you have noticed over the years---nothing can really stop me once I’m on a roll. But this bird’s orison captured the whole of my soul’s vagaries. I wanted all that this robin was asking for.

It contained a call of some distress and an effort to reach out, for care and consideration, even love: our bird sought connection, offered up appeals in song, and then had the audacity to repeat the entire imprecation with unyielding devotion to the cause. I am of course projecting but let’s allow our inner Keats some nightingale, please?

Because that is the kind of hope I’m currently holding on to most. We might only be playing for time but sometimes that’ll have to do. Whether it’s sit tight, get moving, or come to the front of your mat, do whatever feels best to keep confidence with those hearts who feel as yours does.

Since our class was in the midst of a discussion on Daoism I made some comment about how we might take a lesson from the bird. It’d come early despite the certainty that the worst of winter is yet to come. It hadn’t made a wrong choice, only the choice to be true to itself.

I am determined not to become compliant with evil nor indifferent to its aspirations. Time will tell who we all are. There is no arc of justice but that which we make purposeful to construct. This means we must be committed in our determinations to live fully no matter what comes next.

The Zeitgeist calls for much better than what is being offered by the powers that would dismantle civilization. I want to say something helpful here in Ukrainian, but I think you take my point. We’re going to have to make the best use we have of the time we have to sustain each other and proffer the help we can.

TODAY, Satruday, March 1^st we continue with Hanuman and the Shadows of Greatness, 5pm Eastern on Zoom. Use the Saturday link: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268

TOMORROW, Sunday, March 2^nd, 5pm Eastern Mahabharata reboots with our essential reintroduction to the main narrative. Zoom:

https://rochester.zoom.us/j/314987250

BUT THE BIG NEWS THIS WEEK!
WE BEGIN MONDAYS IN March 3, 10, 17, 24, all Evenings, 6:00 p.m. – 9:15 pm Eastern I’m teaming up with my old friend Todd Norian, founder of Ashaya Yoga, keeper of all things yoga in his heart, truly a magnificent soul and genuinely great teacher. Todd and I have taught many times together and it’s always been pretty darn wonderful. We’ll be doing FOUR Sessions all on ZOOM. There will be conversation and yoga, timely and worth your time, here’s the link: https://www.ashayayoga.com/tantra-intensive

APRIL IN LA TOO. SEE THE RAJANAKA SUBSTACK! IT’S FREE! And consider becoming a paid subscriber too member, ‘cause it all goes to our good causes.

For schedule details look here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/rajanaka/p/rajanaka-sessions-seminars-and-events?r=5ene5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Do take care, see soon? You are most welcome any time. We’ll leave the light on.

Saprema, with affection, Douglas