Shubho Bijoya!
Durga
Puja was never simply a religious festival; it is always a celebration of
tradition, culture and community. It is a unique blend of spirituality,
symbolism and cultural richness of the land we live in. That is what makes
Durga Puja of Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Patna and Lucknow so very
different. It means different things for the children, the young, the
newlyweds, the families and the elderly and they all contribute to the tapestry
of these festivities. The Mahalaya, the art competition, the fashion show, the food festival,
the dance drama, the song and dance competitions all form the different colours
which make Durga Puja such an unique kaleidoscope of our being.
I
distinctly remember, when I was a child, I had asked my father why we had to
pray and offer floral tribute three times during Pushpanjali. Sagaciously he
replied just as in school we quickly understood that in order to learn
something well we needed to repeat it several times, this is true of everything
else as well, including the principles praying and meditating, which then
translate into principles of a good life.
This
is so true! Deep down you probably know that it's okay to say "no"
sometimes, to be blatantly honest, to accept people’s imperfections, to forgive
and forget and so on, but sometimes it’s difficult to do these things in
moments of truth. So, what can you do to be able to do these things? These form
the principles for a good life. Some may make you feel a bit uncomfortable, but
the truth that is found in each of these principles is important for your mind
in the present, and especially in the future.
The
mad rush of Durga Puja, which you encounter during pandal hopping, can leave
you tired, frustrated and exhausted, but you tend to return year after year
with the hope of a better experience. We meet friends and acquaintances during
the Puja, may feel glad or sorry for how the Goddess has kept them, be
encouraged by their stories or depressed by their plight. In this hustle and
bustle, toil and sweat, pull and push you realize that Ma Durga is giving you
some invaluable life lessons:
1. You can’t control
what energy others get from you
In
other words, you can’t control the feelings you create in others. Anything you
do or say is filtered through the minds of others and seen through a lens
related to what they are going through at the moment - and it has nothing to do
with you. Just keep doing things out of love and goodwill, and try to support
people who are dear to you when they are going through tough times.
2. You can’t control
how people behave
When
someone "annoys" us, it is often because they behave in a way that
does meet our expectation. The frustration that arises in us, therefore,
doesn’t come from their behavior, but rather from the difference between it and
what we expect. So do not get carried away with your feelings, and remember
that calm is power.
3. The years do only
good for your soul
As
we get older we learn to value our time, the relationships we have with others,
the work we do, the moments of peace and quiet that we enjoy and more and more.
Apart from the immediate difficulties, there are other things that are
important to us in life, and the best sign of personal growth and development
is the understanding that there is no reason to stress or worry about trivial
things that presently sapping our energy. These are momentary difficulties, and
they won’t last.
4. Look ahead and not
back
Don’t
fall into old habits that you had in the past, even if you felt that life was
much easier then. Remember, you stopped these habits for a reason - to improve
your life, and now you have to keep moving forward rather than looking back,
and certainly not go backward.
5. Your peace depends
only on you
Peace
does not necessarily mean that there is no mess, stress, trouble or difficulty
to deal with. Peace is found among all of these when one learns how to balance
life from a practical, emotional and intellectual standpoint. The problems in
life won’t stop; however, the way you react to them will determine how large or
small they’ll be.
6. Do not wait for
your life to start
Most
of us spend too much time waiting for the crowd to thin down and the right path
of life to come before us, but that’s never going to happen. We tend to forget
that the same course of life is one that we pave by walking it, and it doesn’t
exist if we keep standing and waiting. You don’t need to feel safe before you
take the first step - that step is what will build your confidence.
7. Don’t do things
just to impress others
Forget
what others think of you; just do what you love with passion, modesty, and
honesty. Don’t wait for applause, but do what you do simply because that's what
you want to do - because it's right for you. This is the only way to realize
your dreams.
8. Remember that it's
never too late
It's
never too late for anything, and you didn’t stay back or miss a chance – right
now, you’re exactly where you are supposed to be, and every step you took was
necessary. So do not judge yourself or underestimate yourself because of the
length of your journey - we all have to go a long way to find out who we really
are and what our mission is in the world. Give yourself respect and
appreciation for reaching this point and continuing your journey - it isn’t
over yet.
9. You can’t change
the past, but you can change the future
You
may not have been responsible for what happened to you in your childhood, but
you do have to take responsibility for actions that will correct the mistakes
that have been made, as well as the patterns of thoughts you have created for
yourself as a result of those situations. Don’t blame the past for what is
happening to you in the present, because it won’t correct the situation. If
your responses lead you to the same place, change your pattern and thinking
according to the things you’ve learned so far.
10. Life changes all
the time
In
retrospect, everyone can find something in their past that made their life
difficult, but today they live with these things without a problem. Sometimes we
even grow to love situations that in the past seemed only negative. Life often
leads us on a journey we would never have chosen if it was up to us, but you
mustn’t be afraid. Trust that your journey will lead you to where you are
supposed to be. A few words to finish
So
yes, Durga Puja is a very important religious festival, but what these
festivities teach us go way beyond our traditional concept of religion – standing
in front of a deity, closing our eyes, folding out hands and praying for a
better life. But, have you realized, it is the English words religion and
prayer that have confused us. In Sanskrit, Hindi, Bangla and several other
Indian languages the word is ‘Dharma’, which is nothing but a righteous way of
life! And these ten life lessons that I have enumerated, are the obvious and
expected outcome of Dharma.
Like
a mantra, as my father said, if we need to read these life lessons again and
again, we will start understanding them, and imbibing them in our life. They’ll
slowly be engraved in your mind for the rest of your life.
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