MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

It is one of the peculiarities of time that life goes on regardless of any occasion it marks for us. New Year? Okay, but the kids must still be fed, the garden tended, the bread made.

Every culture has a 'new year', though it may not coincide with the Georgian calendar which has become the globally accepted operational time. For every one of those cultures, the marking of movement from one year to the next holds a level of celebration and the chance to leave 'stuff' behind in an attempt to improve what's coming. In the Hindu tradition there is the festival of Holi, which marks the end of winter. It is well known for the colourful parties, but lesser known is the practice of writing out a personal trait or habit which one wishes to correct, then throwing the paper into the Holika fire.

This is different from writing out a list of resolutions in the hope that we can manufacture some of them throughout the next set of twelve months. It involves some introspection and a positive desire to improve oneself. The intention and focus must remain as the paper burns in the flames. The visualisation of 'burning one's vaasanas' is powerful and when the first challenge and the next and the next which highlights that particular vaasana (trait) comes at us, it is up to ourselves whether we succumb, or 'retain the flame of cleansing'.

The year is yet young; it is not too late to light a candle and burn your vaasana for 2018! Is there something which you feel you could improve upon within yourself? It can be something as simple as 'I must not bang doors' right up to the big stuff such as, 'I need to be less defensive'.

With the first, all that would be required of you is that you pay attention to your activity around doors. In doing this, it may uncover a reason for why it happens; pure inattention, too much hurry... or undisclosed anger? With the bigger stuff, it will entail the further step of seeking the assistance of others to aid awareness and to overcome the challenges. Purushaartha - self effort - is always rewarded. (A more familiar adage for most of you would be, 'the Lord helps those who help themselves', but the beauty of the Advaitic approach is that it does not require you to have a deity.)

When you watch the burning paper, concentrate on the writing you placed there. Inside yourself, create an image of that part of you which you wish to improve also entering the cleansing flame. When the first challenge appears, do your best to reframe that image for yourself and work around it. Small steps can take us to distant places.