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.