Lent

In the Christian tradition,today,which is also known as Ash Wednesday starts the beginning of Lent.Ash denotes the truth that the physical body will turn to ashes when it decays in death.So it can be termed that we are reminded of the truth of dying to all that is not permanent.In other words to our’old habituated -suffering -egoistic self’.

It is a time of withdrawal(moving inward into the self),a time of spiritual retreat.A time to utilize the test of faith,perseverence and courage in wanting to find the True Self following in the footsteps of the historical Jesus the Christ.

As we are told in the Gospels of the New Testament,Jesus left for the wilderness/desert for 40 days/nights to meditate,look within himself, to be allowed to be tempted,tested and tried.It was a time he had to harness all his energies inward into himself withdrawing from the sensory deluded world,letting go,surrendering and renouncing all forms of desires, attachments,ego-centric motivations in order to find his True Self.He needed time to spend in aloneness and solitude to fast his senses and commence the purification process from all afflictions.By going through this endeavour,Jesus had witnessed his Divinity,experienced, announced and attested that the ‘Kingdom of Heaven is Within,’which he mentions many times in the scriptures.

As we journey on this humanly life, it is necessary to find time for quietude to examine our conscience as we develop going deeper into our self to know and experience the truth for ourselves.This is the lesson and teaching that Jesus and all enlightened teachers/masters of spiritual truth would have wanted for us to learn from.They direct the way of seeking out silence to rest the mind,body and spirit and find our True Self.

Therefore lent could be likened to an addict who wisely seeks healing from unnecessary suffering and torments through rehabilitation to courageously and completely detoxify in the term of ‘cold-turkey’ away from the source of addictive temptations.

Most religious traditions delegate a time for ritualistic fasting/penances and altruistic practices to bring us back into our conscience to observe our living states.And it does not only stop when the ritualistic time period is over…it is truly a continuation to keep evolving, delving deeper into ourselves till we find and purify and free ourselves from unnecessary suffering and selfish bondages.

Lent is a time for everyone,believers and non-believers of any particular religious tradition or non at all.Lent is an opportune chance to begin the healing process of cleansing the self of all unhealthy afflictions that disturb our lives and the lives of others.It is a time to bring peace of mind and heart for the welfare of each and every single human being.And we begin with ourselves!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self