When I took up Krishna bhakti many years ago it was like my life moved from black and white to color. Before then, I had a very limited understanding of, and interaction with, the world in general and spirituality in particular. I was smitten by an existential boredom and saw little adventure in the everyday grind of eating, sleeping, and working.
And then I met Krishna. My life was splashed with color and depth like never before. There were new angles of vision, invitations to broader thought, experiences of spiritual energies on many levels, reasons to make me sing again, and new roads to dance upon. In a word, the practice of Krishna consciousness brought me to a whole new level of vibrant and colorful existence. And continues to do so 33 years later.
As we prepare to exuberantly throw colors this weekend at Holi DC, I am reminded of the changes that were gifted to me many years ago, changes that continue to shape and nourish my sense of self and my goals in life. Holi is the wild welcoming of spring – and spring brings growth, warmth, openness and change.
At Holi, I’ll throw green for the first teaching that changed me – ‘consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul.’ Respect that and you respect all life. It is the most simple and sacred principle of all. Even the life of that small mouse in my kitchen presents to me the presence of the soul. Knowing this, life becomes alive in the truest sense of the word and rich with opportunities for relationships and service.
I’ll throw yellow for the invitation to freedom that the path of Krishna bhakti offered me. Prabhupada says it well, “The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead.”
I’ll throw red for the protective and incredibly exacting laws of karma. Red is strong, can make us stop, and is the color of blood, both life and death. This self-correcting system, which turns the wheels of life, is a universal system. It’s not that God is sitting on high dishing out punishment. He sets up a system and gives us our place to play. Whoever cheats the system or hurts others for their own interest, will pay the price. There is great safety and shelter in knowing that someone is keeping eye on all the messes we create down here.
Color your life with us this weekend. Lose yourself in the moment and find yourself in a greater space. Let the colors fly and create change. Make it beautiful.
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