Holi is a celebration that offers a possibility for change and transformation as well as vibrancy, joy, hope, and aspiration. We call it the “Festival of Love,” the “Festival of Colors,” or the “Festival of Spring” because of its varied range. Do you know the history of the Holi festival? The demon king Hiranyakashipu's sister Holika is said to have perished on this day in the fire that was stoked to consume the young Prahalad, according to ancient Indian texts. The boy, however, was uninjured and unaffected. And in the smoke and ashes of the pyre, the demon king's nefarious plans were put to rest.
Since then, Holi has come to represent the annihilation of all evil, both internal and external. This year, let's look at the “Festival of Colors” from a different angle. We still have a lot to learn and incorporate into our lives from this event. Imagine for a moment supposing there were only two colours in the world: black and white. Given the countless colours that nature has given us, nobody would want to live in such a drab and uninspired world.
Life's journey has much to offer, much to teach, and much to experience. But we are enmeshed in the realm of dualities—of black and white—in our own brains.
Our lives are shaped by the good and terrible, right and wrong, easy and difficult, sad and happy, wealthy and poor, successful and unsuccessful, and so on. Inner tensions keep us busy all the time. We entirely disregard the “in-between” because we live our lives at the extremes, thus we are blind to the fact that life comes in a variety of colours, each with its own unique beauty, meaning, and relevance. These hues are what give life to life. Let's accept all of life's nuances, hues, and experiences and see what they can do for our development and evolution.
Even pure white light contains a range of colours, so it takes navigating all of life's vibrant hues to arrive at the desired result, get to where you're going, and appreciate the white. Let's cultivate the ability to accept with grace everything that is outside of our control and all of life's unknowns. Acceptance is the mark of evolution, of advancement, and of greater insight. I am prepared to face life, no matter what. We enter a mental state from which we are able to grow more or evolve better when we master this art or psychology of embracing whatever happens in our lives, situations, circumstances, pleasures, sufferings, relationships, careers, and everything.
Accepting enables growth and joy in life. Let me be clear: this acceptance does not imply a situation's passive defeat. It means to embrace the wide range of opportunities, much like the various shades of colour life offers.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle contains a very powerful advice that I can still clearly recall reading. According to him, as soon as you respect the present moment, all suffering and strife vanish, and life starts to flow joyfully and without effort. Even the most straightforward deed takes on a sense of quality, attention, and love when you practise living in the moment.
Hence, we always have an option. a decision to work for our objective, whatever it may be, while joyfully accepting the present. Or we might keep grumbling about how imperfect our present seems. It is up to us to make informed decisions and utilise every opportunity that presents itself. When this acceptance takes root in our hearts, we begin to see the world in all of its realised splendour. People accuse and extol the virtues of light. But without darkness, it is impossible to observe light. In other words, accepting ourselves joyfully in the here and now is a quantum leap that creates endless possibilities.
The first training in yoga is the training to learn to accept yourself as you are, according to my teacher Chariji. We shouldn't put ourselves down or think too highly of ourselves. Neither our attitude towards ourselves nor others should be excessive. As the science of yoga deals with reality and I must be real, we shouldn't denigrate anyone or denigrate ourselves.
Therefore let's strive to seed acceptance in our hearts on this occasion of Holi and immerse ourselves in all the hues that life has to offer.
Let's acknowledge that we are flawed and that we still have a long way to go on this life's journey before we attempt to transform ourselves and put an end to the supposedly evil within us. The work is already halfway complete once this acceptance sets in. We proceed the remainder of the way with courage, determination, and tenacity.
The Heartfulness Guru is Kamlesh Patel, sometimes referred to as Daaji by many. In order to assist people in controlling their minds, managing their emotions, and raising their awareness to the highest possible level, he is bringing the essence of yogic spiritual practises to the contemporary world in a scientific manner.
He serves as an inspiration to millions of spiritual seekers worldwide and is comfortable around individuals from various backgrounds and occupations, paying particular attention to today's young.
