” ‘मन’ और ‘मकान’ – दोनो ही साफ और स्वच्छ होने चाहिए …”

Swami ji said…

Festivals are associated with joyful celebrations, gaiety, fun, laughter and cleanliness. A whole lot of detailed planning goes into the manner in which festivals are celebrated; the offerings that will be made to God; dishes that will be cooked; the gifts that will be exchanged; the outfits that will be worn ; the decoration of the house – and all this is done, while giving equal importance to the cleaning of our home. Cleanliness of our home and surroundings is carried out on a war footing and reaches a feverish pitch with all the unwanted material being thrown out of the house in abundance – without a second thought. It appears as if all of a sudden we are in a great rush to discard and get rid of things that have lost their utility for us.

Every nook and corner of our residence is scrubbed and cleaned. All that is visible to the eye – has to be spick and span , we feel. But why do we do this ? ‘ त्योहारों के दौरान घरों की इतनी सफाई क्यों की जाती है? हम ऐसा इसलिए करते हैं ताकि घर का कोई भी बेकार सामान जगह न घेरे | ‘And, It is always good to make it a habit to do so, periodically. Moreover, the words – ‘ The old gives way to the new’ – if applied in this perspective, too, could hold a realm of meaning , as, after all that cleaning , dusting and mopping – our homes do emerge clean, fresh and uncluttered – as though welcoming us with open arms, for the next innings of our lifetime, free from all the negativity that the unused items had accumulated over them.

But while cleaning up the interior and exterior of our home , we should not get distracted from the main issue which is – ‘जिस प्रकार हम समय-समय पर अपने घरों की सफाई करते हैं, उसी प्रकार हमें अपने मन को सभी फालतू के विचारों, गलतफहमी से मुक्त करना चाहिए…’ At times, in our foolishness, a slight misunderstanding is all that is needed to create immediate rifts and cracks in a relationship – that last for a lifetime. What about evicting them too from our heart? Why do we find it so difficult to let bygones be bygones ? We must clear the cobwebs of past issues and start afresh and not let negativity occupy our hearts and minds.’ ये ‘गलतफहमियां’ बेमतलब की होती हैं … उनका न सिर है और न पैर। लेकिन हम उनसे बेवजह अपना मन भर लेते हैं।’

While cleaning up our homes, we go all out to remove every cobweb that is visible to us – without thinking for even a second about the painstaking effort that had been put in by the spider to create its home – its web. So, why don’t we with the same detachment – without giving importance to our ego and misguided notions – let go of all misunderstandings and lighten our heart, unburden it of the weight of anger and darkness and instead fill it with love, compassion and understanding for others.

The celebration of a festival is not only about displaying outward fervour and holding excited festivities – but to also live, absorb and follow the hidden core message – the subtle nuances of the festival in its true letter and spirit – enrich ourselves and live a life … ‘ जिसमे हमारा तन, मन, घर और विचार – सब पवित्र, शुद्ध और स्वच्छ रहे। “