The Holy Days
“The great teachers belong to mankind. It is wrong to believe that Jesus belongs only to Christians…. To accept one of them as own and discard the rest as belonging to others is a sign of pettiness. Christ, Rama, Krishna—they are for all men everywhere. The various limbs and organs together form a body; various states and communities together form the world. The sustenance given by divine grace circulates in every part of the body, helping it to function in unison. The sustenance of love, endowed by divine grace, has to circulate in every state and community to make the world live in peace and joy. If this truth is realized, there will arise no idea of Difference.” ~Baba
Easter, a celebration of resurrection
The Christian Holy week, March 27 to April 3 this year, heralds the time during which Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled his divine on earth. On Holy Thursday, March 31 during a sacred Passover meal, he proclaimed the supreme sacrifice he would make for his disciples and all mankind. On Good Friday, April 1, Jesus was convicted for treason against the Roman Empire and was crucified. Easter Sunday, April 3, marks the most important day of the Christian year, when the Resurrection of Jesus is celebrated, He had died for mankind’s sins, and his miraculous victory over death offered the promise of rebirth for all who believed in him. The message of Easter is thus love, forgiveness, and supreme compassion.
Swami has said: “If the name of Jesus is gloried all over the world today, it is because of his boundless love. He served the lowly and the lost, and in the end offered his life itself as a sacrifice.”
On Easter, it is a custom to give Easter eggs to each other as a present. Throughout the history of- man, the egg has symbolized the birth of a new life. The oval-shaped Shiva Lingam too has no beginning and no end. It is from this eternal sphere the physical universe was born. That is why Baba says that the Shiva Lingam is the symbol of creation. The Easter egg reminds us of the Shiva Lingam and of the same significance and glory of creation and resurrection. This is a time for us to reflect upon the example of Jesus and to do as Swami says, “regard himself as a Messenger of God try to lead an ideal life.
Passover, A Celebration of Freedom
On the of March 26, Jews the world over will begin observing Passover, the festival that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Before their escape, the Jews were slaves in Egypt, then e rich, materialistic nation. They prayed to God for deliverance from their bondage, and according to the Old Testament, God called the prophet Moses to a burning bush on Mount Sinai and told him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
In order to convince the Egyptians, he meant business, God struck Egypt with many plagues, including locust, fire and hailstones. None of these seemed to have any effect on the Pharaoh (Egyptian King), so Moses told him that the tenth and last plague would kill all the Egyptians’ first-born sons. The Jews avoided bringing this plague on themselves by sprinkling the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their doorposts so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes on his way to kill the Egyptians. After this plague, the Pharaoh finally gave in to the demands of the Israelites and let them leave Egypt.
However, the king soon changed his mind and sent his army to pursue the Israelites. When the Jews reached the Red Sea, they seemed to be trapped between the advancing Egyptians and the sea, but just when all hope seemed lost, God parted the Red Sea and the Jews walked safely other side. When the Egyptians came after them, the waters closed over them.
Today, Jewish families observe the eight-day holiday by substituting matzoh (a flat, unleavened bread) and products made from it for other kinds of baked goods. Matzoh recalls the Jews’ hasty flight from Egypt, which left them no time to raise and oven-bake their dough into bread. On the first and second days of the holiday, Jews hold a ceremonial dinner called a Seder, where they retell die story of the exodus and use matzoh and other ritual foods. Prayers and singing are also a part of the Seder.
Rama Navami, a Celebration of Truth and Right Action
Hindus celebrate the birth of Rama on April 20. Swami has said: “Rama enlightens every seeker in the spiritual field, since he put into daily practice all that he deemed right. So, he sets the standard for every member of the household, of the society, of the nation and of the human race. He went into exile to maintain the highest ideal of a ruler responsive to the reaction of his subjects….
Rama was the embodiment of steady adherence of sathya (truth) and dharma (right action). Only those who are saturated in Rama-bhakti (devotion to the ideal of Rama) can dive into that glory. He is the grand ideal, upon whom you can contemplate. By doing so, you can and develop His virtues, slowly and silently. A tree grows silently for years before it yields fruits. It does not produce them on the spot or in an instant….
Rama means he who pleases. Nothing pleases man more than his âtma (divine-self), which is an eternal, unfailing source of joy. One must prefer the awareness of the atma and the bliss that the awareness confers, to all other minor momentary joys. “Thyaagenike Amruthathvam Aanasuh,”—by renunciation alone can the bliss of Immortality be won.
