Colors of our lives

Indian festivals are generally based on mythological stories. Holi and Diwali are no exception. These two festivals are also very special, because they indicate a change of seasons. After Diwali, suddenly the winter breeze starts blowing, and Holi is the gateway to welcome spring. Like a magical change, flowers start blooming everywhere, birds start singing, and butterflies fly from flower to flower, collect honey and pollinate plants. In the early morning hours, I love to spend my time sitting in my little garden. I see the splash of colors everywhere and find small birds sitting on a bottle brush tree, singing so joyfully. Old leaves fall off to welcome tender leaves and adorn the old branches with new leaves. I find everywhere in nature, change comes smoothly, without any resistance or clinging. This is a wonderful lesson we may learn that can make each life beautiful. The lesson is one of grace and harmony towards a peaceful co-existence. We can make ours and each other’s life so joyful if we’re at peace. Instead of cultivating tolerance, we choose to be intolerant. Instead of playing with colors of love our great civilizations play with hatred and blood. Unless we learn to wipe out hatred, anger, and greed from the core of our hearts, there can never be any solutions. In realizing the impermanent nature of life, we may break out from our delusions. Paramhansa Yogananda said, "The Lord has arranged for us this visit to the earth. Forgetting the temporary nature of our stay, we form various attachments. But when our earth visa expires, we are forced to leave behind all we had thought we possessed. Realize now that you are a soul and not the body. Why wait for death rudely to instruct you," As we connect with harmony in nature, we immediately experience the benefit of being in nature. Even spending a few hours in my garden, I feel immensely relaxed. I was reading about a Japanese therapy - Shinrin-Yoku . Shinrin means forest and yoku means bath. One feels de-stressed by being in nature and experiencing the environment through our senses in a slow and mindful way. So being born as a superior creature on this earth, human beings must realize that a harmonious way of living is the only way by which we can live and let others live.

Our Teacher, Captain Rex

In the short span of 8 years, our brave Captain sailed through many difficulties without fear and reached his heavenly abode peacefully on 13th February,2022. He had a beautiful coat of orange and white fur and was rescued three times in three different situations before he landed into the safe and loving home of Prodeep and Louisa in the Hamptons. This brave heart flew from California to New York all alone, sitting calmly in a cage like a sadhu. He was lovingly welcomed by Mr. Miyabi, an independent, starry eyed black and tan puppy and two great animal lovers. In my first encounter with Captain I was most attracted to his eyes which were full of compassion and had depth of an ocean. I was inspired to name him Karuna Nanda, an Indian name which means joy of compassion. Captain and Mr. Miyabi became great friends. Captain was obedient, compassionate, and friendly while Mister Was starry eyed, independent minded, playful. They loved to run on the beaches, chase wild birds and finally jump in to the ocean to have a good swim. Captain always wanted to make friendship with rabbits, deer, birds and chased them with the intention of making friends with them. We know because he caught up to ducks, swans and loons more than once and instead of attacking them went and sniffed them and sat down. But seeing athletic dog running at them, these creatures ran away and in that process, often our friendly Captain lost his way back home, and created sleepless nights for all. During the pandemic time, when Prodeep was working from home, Captain was his constant companion and followed him like a shadow. The flow of life is very strange - when and how it takes an unexpected turn, nobody knows. Captain was not keeping well for some time. Finally after many tests, he was detected with stomach cancer at a late stage. It was a great blow for us all but like a small child, being totally unaware of his health problem, he loved revisiting his favorite beaches, played with Tiger, his horse friend on the last day, and loved to lay on the deck quietly to watch the flocks of birds flying overhead. At the very end, lying on the chest of his master, and surrounded by all his dear ones, he left his mortal body peacefully. He was a blessed soul to pass away peacefully, loved and remembered by all . We mourn when we cannot see our dear ones physically. But the soul never dies. Like waves break down into the ocean to be one with it, souls, discarding it's limitations dissolve into infinity into universal consciousness. We can feel his loving presence every where when we step out on the dewy grass, lovingly care for helpless animals,or look at the dark sky, glittering with twinkling stars. We may find his loving assurance, "Do not cry, I am with you always". As the poet Tagore wrote - "Brightly shining is the pole star in the dark. Oh mind, do not lose your focus. Do not stop your song, when subjected to sorrow." May we all channel Captain's joyfulness, enthusiasm and kindness in our own lives in his loving memory.