Festival dates are based upon certain sacred geometries and not arrived at by random. Indeed each festival is a like a universal portal... or a thinning of the veils….and thus on each festival… The Universe/Consciousness floods planet earth with the quintessential qualities/essence that the particular festival is celebrated /known for… and thus we often feel it in the air so to say! This enables us get in touch with that essence within us …helps us thus further emanate that essence…and festivals achieve a deeper purpose. Knowing this, seers of ancient time created myths & rituals around different festivals (and their essence) to engage the interest and participation of the lay man! Through this they ensured that the masses would be focused on and thus more open to receiving/filling with that essence…! And more so… festivals become a mean to reach a critical mass focus on its essence… and as most of us already know… critical mass enables all of humanity to make the shift that the critical mass have made! What a beautiful tool… a festive day, holidays, fun and cheer…and at a deeper level… impacting human consciousness with the different essences that the different festivals celebrate… abundance, joy, forgiveness, new beginnings, letting go etc etc etc etc… and ofcourse thru them all…love and sharing! So as we tap into these essences on festival days we become a cup filling and pouring them out..! Imagine so many cups filled with these purer essences…pouring them out into the world…Divali has many stories woven around it… Ram returning home from self imposed exile… Mahavir getting moksha… Laxmi entering your inner abode and emanating into your world..

Happy divali...in homage to Tao ...the nameless and the named! In homage to Mother, the nameless origin ...in celebration of creation & the birthing of the named 10,000 things…

Happy Divali and dhanteras! Come join us beloved fb friends, as we meet here in this fb space that is beyond country & culture! Divali is oh so palpably in the air.. "I feel it in my fingers...I feel it in my toes…The love that's all around me ..And so the feeling grows!" Divali celebrations kick off today with dhan (wealth) teras… (auspicious 13th lunar day of the kartik month) celebrating both inner and outer wealth.. as (auspicious 13th lunar day of the kartik month) celebrating both inner and outer wealth..

Other than it being our new year, imho divali celebrates 'That'... we can call it Tao or Void or Shakti...! Tao is beyond words but if we need to use words maybe we could view Tao as abundance Itself...as Beauty...as Glory. Glory glory halleluiah! Indeed Love arises as an awareness of this inherently abundant beautiful glorious Self! Indeed power arises as the means to express experience and revel in this inherently abundant beautiful glorious Self! Indeed wisdom arises as the divine intelligence behind creation....enabling abundant beautiful glorious Self to become infinite forms and ways....
In homage to That I Am. In homage to In homage to Kali, Lakshmi, saraswati ...aspects of Self…

DIVALI - It’s the festive season, and what better aspect to explore than its spirit of Oneness. And what really keeps us from wholly experiencing this ‘Oneness’ is that most confuse oneness with sameness and the obvious gets ignored: that while we are all ‘One’ we need not be the same! And Divali, with its multitude of oil lamps, array of fire crackers, profusion of sweets and many reasons to be celebrated (from Rama returning home, to Mahavir attaining moksha, to Lakshmi pouring her bounty) is a beautiful occasion to understand that each one of us, each so-called difference, manifests willfully as a unique aspect of that which is called Oneness.  And thus true oneness is when you can accept these ‘differences’ as aspects within it and revel indeed in the differences that make it up-  instead of trying to change all those who are different from you, into what you consider the right ‘one’! This is why ‘One’ becomes many …to explore it myriad aspects!

DUSSHERA: Come beloveds and celebrate Dusshera within you this year. Remove the demons of limited beliefs which reflect as fears, negative thinking and unconstructive actions. And in this space, burnt by the passion of spirit deep within you and the fire of awareness and knowledge… allow your true Self to return home. And in this ‘homecoming’ view your inner light reflects in a hundred oil lamps outside…lighting up your homes and relationships and offices and careers.

Happy Shivratri! Whether we are celebrating the birth of Shiva or his marriage with Parvati for both really symbolize one and the same – the 'beginning' of time and space as we know it. I say symbolic because actually there is no starting 'point' and Shiva - awareness (and thus the inherent fulfillment)of all That I Am is inherent in the Absolute; and indeed due to which the Absolute can simultaneously be in this unqualified state of 'rest' and unawareness.

In linear terms however, this mating of that aspect of Self that we call Shiva awareness; and its life force Shakti, is viewed as the 'beginning' of creation, time and space and existence indeed - and this is partly what we celebrate as Shivratri! We celebrate the illusion, we celebrate the big bang of the dice being flung at the 'start' of the cosmic game; we celebrate the move out of oneness into duality with much the same gusto as best friends do when they become adversaries in a game; we celebrate the move from all knowing to the thrill of rediscovery much like a treasure hunt we willfully create, whereby the journey is the goal and the goal only a carrot or means towards that! We celebrate, yes, in the full awareness of being a Shiva; being Love and the Will to creatively explore or revel in it infinitely and infinitesimally… knowing that while we are out having an adventure we are safe at home and deeply fulfilled! So we simultaneously celebrate the illusion and awareness, creation & dissolution….

Beloved friends, wishing you all a joyous Akshaye Triti (traditionally celebrated in India today as a day of abundance)! Akshaye means 'infinite expansion /never diminishing'- so imho - today's celebration is really about the 'abundance' of an ever expanding consciousness! Our state of consciousness is our true state of abundance! Our state of consciousness is our true contribution to the world! Through an expanding consciousness we move into wisdom... love... witnessing ...its equanimity and non judgment and forgiveness ...into the awareness of the perfection of every now...its bliss... into becoming one with the cosmos Itself! True abundance indeed! Finding the source within...and once that happens...the fullness flows ever remaining full..

Traditionally today is a day of homage to Vishnu... the preserver... so again ....its our state of consciousness which preserves/sustains us thru existence... and in that how can Vishnu's consort Laxmi (abundance/joy) not be present....and with Laxmi come her 'sisters...' wisdom (Saraswati) Kali (ending and new beginnings part of any expansion-part of consciousness)...So lets celebrate Akshaye triti in this SELF awareness...

Janmashtmi -  what better day than Janmashtmi to understand that 'god' is not playing with us but ...as us!! Enjoy! ‘your’ leela!

Janmashtmi - At the very deepest levels of understanding: Consciousness-The Whole-Love-Krishna...steps into Its game of separation-game of dharma vs adharma- game of Self exploration (call it what you may) at critical points...along the way…of the play… to direct it as It chooses. This is the meaning behind our mythological ‘avatars’ coming to earth to end the conflict of ‘adharma’ and ‘dharma’:  When Higher consciousness, not involved in the game  enters its aspects of  consciousness within the game , towards its Divine will or Dharma! Dharma meaning its Divine nature . And thus adharma not meaning evil But that aspect of seeming separation and ignorance (that Spirit is ‘not’) but chooses to 'create' or 'enter into' as the 'conflict' required for Divine Play! Any story...any play needs this...'conflict'....as its life force- think of it? How can you have a story where nothing ever 'happens'...? It would be the classic one liner 'they met and fell in love and lived happily ever after'! Where would the story be to enjoy and unravel and reach the climax of living happily ever after!?  How could you play a game without this 'conflict'...think of it? My mom-all of wondrous 80 yrs- was looking for online scrabble and when I found her one she tried it and said a big no- it was too easy! No fun!
So Consciousness ....Love... willfully enters into this cosmic play of seeming dharma & adharma and   whenever  the One  consciousness playing this game feels it has had enough so to say;-)...whenever this seeming separation goes too far, It enters into the game like a mother reminding squabbling best friends of the Love that is the reason for them playing!

Happy Janmashtmi dearest all Know the only reason for it all is Love! Love begins the game; Love enjoys its play; Love knows itself through its seeming separation ; Love keeps it all on track as in Love there is only one track! Love is what it is all about!

Happy new year! Let’s make this year different by making it all the same... lets live in all encompassing non judgment & acceptance. Let’s make it ‘all the same’ within us (living in forgiveness & the gnosis that everyone is but consciousness playing out their role) & make a difference on the outside! Let’s make it ‘all the same’ on the outside (embracing diversity as aspects of Oneness) & make a difference within! Let this be our all encompassing New Year resolution! For in one stroke we move from forgetting who we are to remembering who we are…from asking ‘God” to do this, change that, save me or him or the world- to being one with Consciousness and its Cosmic play!To enable this, view life through a larger macroscopic lens this year- it is a big equalizer! Difficult people and situations change from being problems we have no control over, to self chosen opportunities for growth- indeed signs telling us to look within! Desires and fears (yours or the others) are not suppressed….or condemned… but seen afresh as soul purposes each has chosen in their higher wisdom to explore, expand or disempower aspects of self! No one…indeed nothing is viewed as better or worse…and the theory of relativity takes on a whole new meaning…for through this lens we view each one and each thing fitting in miraculous ways like a giant jig saw puzzle in the making

Viewing the year end/new year through breath: In meditation we experience breath slowing & receding and in that we touch consciousness/cosmic life force vaster than breath- thus even as our breath recedes we expand; even as breath (& thus sense of self)  decreases we increasingly become one with All That Is; even as it subsides (taking with it all that we have thus far known) we open to infinite cosmic potential; indeed as breath subsides, we die not but move into the experience of eternal life…....and that’s what comes to me as we are poised at the year end/beginning...the year ends, but we expand, the known goes but open are we to so much more...

Breath = prana = life force= mind/its personal identity/ups and downs=  the cosmic play! Thus when we abide in the gap between the breath, we step out of maya /separation/ ego self etc. Indeed when we abide here, though we are beyond 'breath' we are still alive, and we can become aware of another life force, far more subtle than breath- consciousness itself. We can indeed experience that as our breath slows/decreases/recedes- we expand -become one with All That Is...and fear of death starts to recede.

Of course, its all a process! and this abiding in the gap need not be only thru pranayam or breath awareness -though this can aid...it can also 'happen' thru gyan yoga (the real-ization we are all one and not the body) thru bhakti yoga ( in being one with the object/god of our devotion there is no self) thru karma yoga ( selfless action) ...thru all of these we can we move into abiding beyond the breath... and yes sure pranayam and medit helps, can help one start or sustain or go deeper!!!

At a more mundane level, breath= prana= life force, but as most of us don’t breathe properly we need to supplement this with 'food' which is only another form of prana! The finer the food the finer the prana we ingest!

Weddings! Macrocosmically every wedding celebrates the birthing of existence itself! Microcosmically every wedding celebrates the birthing of the (literally) new universe that is created by a couple coming together!

Indian weddings... sharing my personal impressions of the deeper symbolism within the intricate ceremonies. Tiny excerpts on what came to me during a wedding...pls use yr own words…this is just a gist of what I hope to write in more detail at some point…at how deeply symbolic our wedding ceremonies are…! Macro cosmically every wedding celebrates t......he birthing of existence itself…! Micro cosmically every wedding celebrates the birthing of the (literally) new universe that is created by a couple ...Shiva/Shakti ...come together! Each marriage births a new world- new connections, families, generations, life ...and its many stories!

Indeed the wedding ceremonies faithfully reflect the celestial mating of Shiva (Supreme male principle/ Awareness/) and Shakti (Supreme yin principle/Void). The big fat Indian wedding replays- step by step- the ‘process’ of Shiva -Awareness/life force bringing alive Shakti (Void/All potential) ….. of Void thus becoming Prakriti…existence Itself!

The groom (symbolic of Shiva, Supreme male principle/Awareness) comes astride a white horse (symbolic of consciousness/awareness and its life force) to claim the bride who awaits in her domain (symbolic of Void/The Absolute/Supreme yin principle )!

She is bejeweled and dressed in the myriad colors and designs that ...All That Is ...inherently is )! The groom as Shiva awareness is dressed in white with touches of red as he readies to penetrate Void/All That Is! She is veiled, because 'before' awareness and its life force, there is no awareness of what is within /behind this 'veil'/Void/potential…

The baraats drums are symbolic of Shiva's drums- as pure awareness comes closer to void /brings its life force into void/as void is coming to life- they symbolize the initial vibrations that resulted … The Word coming into being...! The shenai ('That' in describable sound like Krishna's flute) is symbolic of the sweetness of Void coming alive/becoming aware of Itself.. and firecrackers symbolic of the big bang

In the jaimala….as He -'awareness' faces 'void' ...the bride slowly lifts her head (the first glimpse of what is behind the veil) for the exchange of jaimalas- the first mating if you like…between Shiva and the feminine as Absolute; that is why, the jaimala is so important ....and different from marriage ceremony that follows....where the mating symbolized is now of Shiva and prakriti (void having come alive) …the second mating so to say…

Then the marriage ceremony...7 pheras... takes place. Symbolically the bride, now as prakriti (The Absolute come alive ) and Shiva are blending…uniting…through the marriage ceremony…cycles of involution and evolution ....the seven realms of existence coming into being! Fire symbolic of the pure awareness -life force-that allows All That Is… to be. The Kanya daan is symbolic of Mother and Father principle - the absolute male and feminine principle within void- giving her away as she now becomes- life...existence...prakriti...with a new name!

Thus the vidaa…He ( Shiva, awareness) taking prakriti away from her unconscious beingness... into life and existence; into a new home.-time and space.-where she forgets her original abode...to play the game of life....

Ofcourse these are just quick random impressions… of the deeper symbolism…..but even these quick impressions makes one realize how rich and detailed in pure symbolism are the seeming 'rituals'.......

The mehendi ceremony which takes place before anything- can be symbolic of the rich potential of all form and design in void before it comes into actualization through awareness! There are so many other ceremonies…each beautiful when understood…either in macrocosmic or microcosmic ways!

Christmas: Imho Symbolically: Jesus = Christ Consciousness (A state of consciousness / Universal Self) = thus 'his' immaculate conception symbolizes the state of Awareness that allows each of us to birth our Christ Consciousness.!

Mother Mary - our feminine aspect of self - birth's our Christ consciousness... as its not our mind/intellectual understanding/concepts/active effort that eventually births our Christ Consciousness but the heart/love/wisdom/silent gnosis/surrender that does. Yet like there can be no child without father and mother... both aspects...the mind/understanding/words/effort ...and the heart/love/beyond words silence/surrender ...make up our journeys!

Christ consciousness is a state of consciousness...also described as Krishna consciousness, Buddha hood, Universal Consciousnesses, and many other terms...! Its qualities are Love and wisdom…what these Masters are thus known for...

Christmas tree : Think of self rooted in the rich fertile soil of material experience
with all that we needed to sustain us being inherently present in the ‘pot’ from which we rise! Conjure the growth vertically… to Self and horizontally… to all Selves; encompassing 'both' aspects is true growth. And as we rise through the myriad dimensions we are decorated richly with the ornaments of each level of experience. Till we merge with our core star self and go beyond that which can be symbolized by the known. Beyond the spoken word…or label of the Christmas tree. View in my trunk-your sushamna, sturdily connecting you  to source always and in my higher narrowing branches view your chakric system getting finely honed...each being lit ...as your 'Christmas'-merger… nears …streamers…strands of shimmering consciousness lightly adorning us now! And just as I shine and beckon and stand tall as a promise of what each one can be .Your expanding consciousness  ignites in each heart a flutter
and you beckon all around to share your inner festivity and bounty- specially gift wrapped- in ways each one needs. And yet, in the gnosis that the ‘gifts’ are not yours to give we hand them out not. And placed are they at the foot of the tree; for each to partake as and when they wish…and unwrap the 'knots' willfully...

Buddha Purnima – Buddha really implies a state of consciousness; we can call this state of consciousness all-thingness or no thingness ...thus the ‘term’ Buddha literally means both –non-self & enlightened one (filled with all light)...and this state cant be really understood… but moved into...(as its beyond the mind )and in that moving into it...all the concepts that helped us move into it dissolve; thus the Zen quote… “The mind that does not understand is the Buddha.” ‘Gautam’ Buddha… who was of the humans who attained this Buddhic consciousness …state of pure awareness…one of those who fulfilled the highest human potential… Buddha Purnima is actually a triple celebration….Gautam Buddha’s birthday & day of enlightenment & and seeming ‘death’; its deeper message being that this state of consciousness is inherent for all who are ‘born’! It whispers to us that in our birth -individually and as the human race – is enlightenment inherent! As is ‘death’! Not only physical death...but what Buddha really died into - eternal light… and its deathlessness indeed! The mind drops off by itself once all its exploration is done...till then dropping the mind remains a concept