HOLY HOLI

[Guest guest]

TODAY IS HOLI-SPRING FESTIVAL OF JOY AND REVELERY.

"Virtue over Vice:

The Puranas describe Holi as a celebration of virtue over vice. It

is a time when we rejoice in the victory of pure, divine Prahlaad

over his aunt Holika. The story - in a simple, condensed way - says

that Prahlaad was a young, beautiful, pure, divine devotee of God.

However, Prahlaad's father was a powerful king who believed that

everyone should worship him. At Prahlaad's refusal to do so, due to

his singleminded love of God, his father decided to have him killed.

Prahlaad's aunt (his father's sister), Holika, had been given a

special shawl as a boon from God for various austerities she had

performed. When she wore this shawl, she could not be burned by

fire. So, Prahlaad's father and his sister devised a plan in which

she would wear her shawl and hold Prahlaad tightly in her arms as

they sat in fire. In this way, Prahlaad would be killed, but she

would emerge unscathed.

 

However, as divine plan works, a strong gust of wind came and blew

the shawl off of her, as well as carried pure Prahlaad to safety.

Holika was burned in the fire of her own evil.

 

One of the great obstacles in life to our spiritual progress is the

difference between what we do or say on the outside and how we

really are on the inside. Holika had performed certain austerities

by which she was entitled to this boon from God. On the outside, she

was "pious." But, on the inside she was not pure. Prahlaad, on the

other hand, was a simple, pure, loving devotee of God. This is what

saved him. This inner purity and inner piety are what truly save us,

what truly make our lives divine.

 

So many of us go to temple, do the rituals, offer money to the

priests, and chant a certain number of malas. Then, we go out and

act in selfish, unpious, dishonest ways. These may not necessarily

take the form of malicious transgressions. It may simply be the way

we speak to our children or to our loved ones. It may simply be the

way we try to cheat those with whom we do business. It may be the

way we sit and gossip about others.

 

All the rituals and puja in the world cannot make up for a lack of

piety, honesty and compassion. The goal of going to temple is not

just to perform rituals; the goal is to become spiritual. God is

happier with pure, innocent, devoted Prahlaad than with all the

austerities and rituals performed by his father and aunt.

 

Thus, on this divine occasion, we should pray to be filled with the

purity and devotion of Prahlaad. We should commit ourselves to

performing our puja, meditation and japa with focus, dedication and

deep love for God.

 

One meaning of the word Holi is sacrifice. On Holi we light so many

bonfires to revel in joy and to burn the effigies of Holika. The

meanings of these bonfires are to burn that which is devilish and

impure, leaving only the purity and divinity after Holi. However, we

must remember not only to partake in the merry-making of a bonfire.

We must remember to sacrifice that within us which is devilish and

impure. There is some demon-nature in all of us. We must burn that

demon-nature on Holi and emerge as pure and pious as divine Prahlaad.

 

The fire of purity and divinity which we light on Holi must burn

continuously in our hearts throughout the year. We must have an ever-

burning bonfire of impurity, so that we are continuously renewed,

continuously purified and continuously rejuvenated.

 

So,

LET THIS HOLI BE A TIME WHEN WE CHANGE

NOT ONLY THE COLOR OF OUR FACES,

BUT THE COLOR OF OUR HEARTS.

 

LET US NOT ONLY "PLAY" HOLI,

BUT LET US BECOME HOLY.

 

LET THE ONLY COLOR THAT

TRULY PENETRATES OUR BEINGS

BE THE COLOR OF GOD.

 

FOR, ON THE MORNING AFTER HOLI

THE OTHER COLORS WILL WASH AWAY.

 

BUT WE MUST LET THE COLOR OF GOD

BE INDELIBLE

IN OUR EYES, IN OUR EARS AND IN OUR HEARTS."

 

Swami Chidanand Saraswati in an email.