HOLI ALL ABOUT ANANDHA.

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Courtesy: Yogacharya Surakshit Goswami

Holi is a two-day festival. On the first day — Holika Dahan — the effigy of Holika,  the sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu, is burnt. The next day,  Holi is played with water and colours. The festival has spiritual connotations too;  metaphorically,  one goes through both burning and colouring.  Knowledge is a form of fire called Jnanagni. The guru uses this fire to slowly burn desires and negative samskaras — of both present and past births — gathered in the disciple’s mind. At the same time, the guru,  with his grace,  releases a stream of love that cleanses his mind.  Now the disciple’s mind gets filled with the colours of enthusiasm,  service,  reverence and faith.  

 When the mind becomes empty of samskaras,  the colour of the world changes into the colour of the Divine.  When a piece of cloth turns dull from frequent use, we either wash it thoroughly or get it dyed; similarly, when the mind becomes fuzzy with ahamkara and other impurities,  the guru dyes the mind with the colours of love, devotion and jnana. Just as Kabir said, “I have handed over my chador to the dyer called the Almighty. ” Holi is played in the material plane only once in a year, but the yogi plays Holi every day in his mind,  by spraying the mind with the colours of love, thus keeping it refreshed.  

 

Likewise, we should also try to improve ourselves from what we were yesterday by casting away our negative qualities.  By doing so, we do not have to wait for special occasions like Holi and Deepavali to celebrate life. Each dawn will be imbued with a festive spirit. Holi is all about filling the mind with ananda;  being in the state of love; swimming in the sweetness of speech;  cleansing the mind of impurities and getting splashed with the colours of jnana. Holi teaches us to be in a joyful state every day. ■