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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya

Good morning.

After five days of celebrations, the festivities of Diwali are concluded. With it, many also we celebrated the new year.

Just as there are numerous Hindu festivals throughout the year, there are also many celebrations of the new year in the Indian calendar whether solar or lundar. Needless to say, we love an excuse to have a celebration, and our festivals certainly grant us that.

As well as being a means to meet with loved ones, pass on cultural practices, enjoy good food, and have a rest, festivals also serve a deeper purpose. Just as we set reminders for ourselves to complete certain tasks, festivals are a reminder to re-examine our thoughts and re-focus on our goals.

The new year is celebrated all over the world with great joy, whether on the 1st of January or another date. It’s an occasion to examine the year gone by, to celebrate successes and learn from challenges. It is an opportunity to make resolutions for the year ahead.

It is beautifully said that that which is ever new alone is beautiful and true. With our pace of life, we get tired of things easily. Things soon become ‘old’ and we are quick to discard them. What is it that feels ever fresh to us? When is it that things appear new?

Sometimes, the date changes, and yet we feel everything is exactly the same. Things don’t really change until we change, and we don’t change until our thoughts change. Changing someone else’s mind might be near impossible but changing our own is a challenge worth taking on.

May we have the courage to examine our own thoughts. May we have the honesty to acknowledge when things need to change. May we have the strength and wisdom to make the change.

Namaste, Hari Om.

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