Deepavali is a festival of lights celebrated all over India.
Crackers are burst by one and all.
Sweets are made in all Hindu households and distributed among friends and relatives.
But these are days when sweets or gift hampers are bought across counters of shops which do brisk business during this important festival time.
This is a time when all working people get a bonus of about a month's pay which is spent in buying new clothes, crackers, sweets, etc for near and dear ones.
Today I had to take a bus to a distant place. Saw a poor labourer holding a huge packet of dolls. He was busy explaining to another co-passenger about how his daughter loved to have it and since he got his bonus yesterday he was taking it home even though he could ill-afford such a costly buy but this is once in a year and his child's happiness was a higher priority.
I can imagine the happiness on the child's face on seeing that big packet of dolls. I remembered my own childhood when my parents stitched us all new clothes and made sweets and snacks so elaborately. They were such fun filled days.
Left to myself, I will spend this festival of lights with just lighting a few lamps, listen to soft music and enjoy the quietness.
May we all be blessed on this festive occasion.
Happy Deepavali.
Mahalakshmi
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Changing Times
Every human being undergoes a sea change every 30 years.
What we were so passionate about now does not appeal to us anymore.
Times change and humans change with the life experiences they encounter.
But why 30 years for changing?
The ancients believed that its got much to do with the cycle of Saturn which starts at 0 degrees and comes a full circle covering 360 degrees to yet again reach 0 once every 30 years. For those of you who are not too familiar with the zodiac signs, there are 12 signs in all, each sign comprising of 30 degrees making 12 x 30 all of 360 degrees. Saturn takes 30 years to do one round of 360 degrees.
There are many of us who could be sceptical about such things yet our sages gave us good reason to give it a second thought.
We undergo so much in a span of 30 years that we no longer hold dear what once we were so gung-ho about.
2 such cycles and we touch age 60 which is considered a crucial year in a human life apart from the normally accepted retirement age for many of us in India and elsewhere too I guess.
According to ancient Hindu wisdom, this is the age when each goes into what is called the Vanaprastha Ashram when a human is supposed to hand over the reins of control in the family to the nexgen so that he or she can become detached enough to dwell on the higher spiritual meaning of life and living. Vana means to move into a forest which is bereft of the material comforts we were so used to not so long back. An official retirement means leaving office or workplace, abdicating our control over our seat of power to the next in line.
My 2 cents!
By the way Saturn is about to transit from the zodiac sign of Virgo in which it was stationed for the past around 2 and 1/2 years, into the next sign of Libra around mid-November, 2011.
May it bring many positive changes in all of us.
Mahalakshmi.
What we were so passionate about now does not appeal to us anymore.
Times change and humans change with the life experiences they encounter.
But why 30 years for changing?
The ancients believed that its got much to do with the cycle of Saturn which starts at 0 degrees and comes a full circle covering 360 degrees to yet again reach 0 once every 30 years. For those of you who are not too familiar with the zodiac signs, there are 12 signs in all, each sign comprising of 30 degrees making 12 x 30 all of 360 degrees. Saturn takes 30 years to do one round of 360 degrees.
There are many of us who could be sceptical about such things yet our sages gave us good reason to give it a second thought.
We undergo so much in a span of 30 years that we no longer hold dear what once we were so gung-ho about.
2 such cycles and we touch age 60 which is considered a crucial year in a human life apart from the normally accepted retirement age for many of us in India and elsewhere too I guess.
According to ancient Hindu wisdom, this is the age when each goes into what is called the Vanaprastha Ashram when a human is supposed to hand over the reins of control in the family to the nexgen so that he or she can become detached enough to dwell on the higher spiritual meaning of life and living. Vana means to move into a forest which is bereft of the material comforts we were so used to not so long back. An official retirement means leaving office or workplace, abdicating our control over our seat of power to the next in line.
My 2 cents!
By the way Saturn is about to transit from the zodiac sign of Virgo in which it was stationed for the past around 2 and 1/2 years, into the next sign of Libra around mid-November, 2011.
May it bring many positive changes in all of us.
Mahalakshmi.
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