From: "Ramlal Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Confusion About Colour Festival
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:41:19 +0530
Baba
== CONFUSION ABOUT COLOUR FESTIVAL ==
Namaskar,
In the jagrti on the day of colour festival, I was there when the margii arrived and I heard him ask Dadaji the question.
Already Dada had told everyone how we would celebrate and what we would do and I could see that the margii was a bit disappointed. When that margii could no longer contain his frustration, he asked the following question.
"Dadaji, today is spring festival. How can we make our offering to Baba during our puja without colours? We need some type of coloured powder or flower. But you have not brought any. Baba will be deprived because we do not have any colour to offer Him. He must be waiting for us as this is the day of the festival. Why is it that you did not supply coloured powder for us?"
Indeed, the margii was quite disappointed. He felt that actual colours (powders, flowers, incense sticks, & even blowing conch shells etc) must be offered to Baba in our puja during colour festival, otherwise Baba would be deprived.
The margii recounted that for years and years always he used coloured powder in his puja on spring festival. He furthermore told that all the margiis he knows do like this as well.
We all watched Dadaji to see how he would respond. With full sincerity, Dadaji told that colours were not a mandatory part of the program, but the margii was not convinced.
Later on, Dada and I went inside and read Baba's discourses on this topic and Dada asked that I write and share our findings with one and all on the email.
The critical point at hand is: Are physical colours like powder and flowers mandatory during our Guru Puja (offering of colours) in spring festival?
BABA'S WORDS ABOUT THIS
Below are the quotes and citations which we found from Baba's guidelines.
In Caryacarya, Baba says the following about the use of coloured powder during puja in our spring festival celebrations.
Baba says, "Then, in the afternoon, all will perform collective Iishvara Prańidhána and Varńárghyadána (using áviir [coloured powder] or flowers of colours of their own choice)." (Caryacarya-1, Social Functions and Festivals)
In that same chapter of Caryacarya Baba further clarifies the matter.
Baba says, "In relation to Guru Pújá, one should remember that both crude and subtle offerings have equal value. Therefore one should not do anything merely for show." (CC-1)
So here above Baba clarifies that bother crude (physical) and subtle (psychic) colours could be offered during spring festival. It is not that coloured powders are absolutely mandatory.
Hence no one should be disturbed if actual colours are not used. One may offer physical colours such as flowers or mental colours. No one should blame or harass anyone if someone prefers to only offer mental colours. There should not be any confusion about this.
BABA'S CLEARCUT GUIDELINE
Baba's next guideline offers great insight into the significance of our AM colour festival.
Baba says, "The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours; it is meant to offer Him the colours of different objects which have dyed the mind. When this practice of offering your own colours – your own attachments, becomes natural and easy, you will then merge in Him. Then you will have no need for any colour, for you will become colourless – you will go beyond the reach of any colour. Your unit-ego will become one with the Cosmic Ego." (Subhasita Samgraha - 3, 'Vibration Form & Colour')
By His above teaching the point is very clear. Our colour festival is not about coloured powders and flowers per se. Rather Baba guides us that the real import is the psycho-spiritual approach of offering the colours (i.e. attachments and obstacles) of one's mind.
Here again is the critical line from Baba's teaching.
Baba says, "The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours." (Subhasita Samgraha - 3, 'Vibration, Form & Colour')
SUMMARY
By all of Baba's above teachings, our approach in colour festival is very clear. There should not be any confusion. Those who wish to use physical colours may do so, but they must offer the colours of their mind as well. And those who wish to only offer their mental colours, that is in perfect accordance with Baba's teachings.
So no one should think that coloured dyes and powders are an absolute requirement for the celebration of our colour festival. On this point there should not be any confusion.
Namaskar,
Ramlal
Note 1: MORE OF BABA'S TEACHINGS
Here are more of Baba's teachings on this critical point:
[A] First in Ananda Sutram Baba says that ours is not the path of ritualistic worship wherein we only offer physical objects or engage in prayer etc
3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.
[Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion.]
Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery.
[B] Here below, in these next two quotes, Baba again explains the inner significance of spring festival.
Baba says, "The inner significance of the Dolyátra of Shrii Krśńa is this: “By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to become colourless.” This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human beings towards Him. So this colour festival is not merely an outward play; it is purely a psycho-spiritual phenomenon. This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating behind the process of varńárghyadána [offering of colours]:(2) “O Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any hesitation.”" (NH-LOI)
Baba says, "The significance of the Dol Liilá, the Spring Festival, is to surrender all one’s mental colour to Parama Puruśa, and thus free oneself from the bondage of colour." (Namámi Krśńasundaram, Disc: 19)
Note 2: OUR AM COLOUR FESTIVAL IS UNIQUE
Our AM spring / colour festival - vasantaotsava - is totally unique. It is not a carbon copy of the dogmatic Hindu colour festival. Baba has given distinct dharmic reasons for the practice of our colour festival that is totally independent and different from the dogmatic Hindu rituals performed in their colour festival.
Note 3: MORE ABOUT SPRING FESTIVAL
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2011/03/special-significance-of-dolyatra.html
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Confusion About Colour Festival
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:41:19 +0530
Baba
== CONFUSION ABOUT COLOUR FESTIVAL ==
Namaskar,
In the jagrti on the day of colour festival, I was there when the margii arrived and I heard him ask Dadaji the question.
Already Dada had told everyone how we would celebrate and what we would do and I could see that the margii was a bit disappointed. When that margii could no longer contain his frustration, he asked the following question.
"Dadaji, today is spring festival. How can we make our offering to Baba during our puja without colours? We need some type of coloured powder or flower. But you have not brought any. Baba will be deprived because we do not have any colour to offer Him. He must be waiting for us as this is the day of the festival. Why is it that you did not supply coloured powder for us?"
Indeed, the margii was quite disappointed. He felt that actual colours (powders, flowers, incense sticks, & even blowing conch shells etc) must be offered to Baba in our puja during colour festival, otherwise Baba would be deprived.
The margii recounted that for years and years always he used coloured powder in his puja on spring festival. He furthermore told that all the margiis he knows do like this as well.
We all watched Dadaji to see how he would respond. With full sincerity, Dadaji told that colours were not a mandatory part of the program, but the margii was not convinced.
Later on, Dada and I went inside and read Baba's discourses on this topic and Dada asked that I write and share our findings with one and all on the email.
The critical point at hand is: Are physical colours like powder and flowers mandatory during our Guru Puja (offering of colours) in spring festival?
BABA'S WORDS ABOUT THIS
Below are the quotes and citations which we found from Baba's guidelines.
In Caryacarya, Baba says the following about the use of coloured powder during puja in our spring festival celebrations.
Baba says, "Then, in the afternoon, all will perform collective Iishvara Prańidhána and Varńárghyadána (using áviir [coloured powder] or flowers of colours of their own choice)." (Caryacarya-1, Social Functions and Festivals)
In that same chapter of Caryacarya Baba further clarifies the matter.
Baba says, "In relation to Guru Pújá, one should remember that both crude and subtle offerings have equal value. Therefore one should not do anything merely for show." (CC-1)
So here above Baba clarifies that bother crude (physical) and subtle (psychic) colours could be offered during spring festival. It is not that coloured powders are absolutely mandatory.
Hence no one should be disturbed if actual colours are not used. One may offer physical colours such as flowers or mental colours. No one should blame or harass anyone if someone prefers to only offer mental colours. There should not be any confusion about this.
BABA'S CLEARCUT GUIDELINE
Baba's next guideline offers great insight into the significance of our AM colour festival.
Baba says, "The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours; it is meant to offer Him the colours of different objects which have dyed the mind. When this practice of offering your own colours – your own attachments, becomes natural and easy, you will then merge in Him. Then you will have no need for any colour, for you will become colourless – you will go beyond the reach of any colour. Your unit-ego will become one with the Cosmic Ego." (Subhasita Samgraha - 3, 'Vibration Form & Colour')
By His above teaching the point is very clear. Our colour festival is not about coloured powders and flowers per se. Rather Baba guides us that the real import is the psycho-spiritual approach of offering the colours (i.e. attachments and obstacles) of one's mind.
Here again is the critical line from Baba's teaching.
Baba says, "The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours." (Subhasita Samgraha - 3, 'Vibration, Form & Colour')
SUMMARY
By all of Baba's above teachings, our approach in colour festival is very clear. There should not be any confusion. Those who wish to use physical colours may do so, but they must offer the colours of their mind as well. And those who wish to only offer their mental colours, that is in perfect accordance with Baba's teachings.
So no one should think that coloured dyes and powders are an absolute requirement for the celebration of our colour festival. On this point there should not be any confusion.
Namaskar,
Ramlal
Note 1: MORE OF BABA'S TEACHINGS
Here are more of Baba's teachings on this critical point:
[A] First in Ananda Sutram Baba says that ours is not the path of ritualistic worship wherein we only offer physical objects or engage in prayer etc
3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.
[Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion.]
Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery.
[B] Here below, in these next two quotes, Baba again explains the inner significance of spring festival.
Baba says, "The inner significance of the Dolyátra of Shrii Krśńa is this: “By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to become colourless.” This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human beings towards Him. So this colour festival is not merely an outward play; it is purely a psycho-spiritual phenomenon. This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating behind the process of varńárghyadána [offering of colours]:(2) “O Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any hesitation.”" (NH-LOI)
Baba says, "The significance of the Dol Liilá, the Spring Festival, is to surrender all one’s mental colour to Parama Puruśa, and thus free oneself from the bondage of colour." (Namámi Krśńasundaram, Disc: 19)
Note 2: OUR AM COLOUR FESTIVAL IS UNIQUE
Our AM spring / colour festival - vasantaotsava - is totally unique. It is not a carbon copy of the dogmatic Hindu colour festival. Baba has given distinct dharmic reasons for the practice of our colour festival that is totally independent and different from the dogmatic Hindu rituals performed in their colour festival.
Note 3: MORE ABOUT SPRING FESTIVAL
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2011/03/special-significance-of-dolyatra.html
