A Season of Celebration

Although we have had much to grieve in this recent, dim blur of a past, perhaps one of the greatest moves of love for ourselves and this world is to remember the act of celebration. Today we wish all of our beloved community members a beautiful, brightening Holi/full moon of Phalguna suffused with love and light. A festival rooted in many mythologies -- whether it be the transcendent love between Radha and Krishna, or the triumph of Vishnu-devotee Prahlada standing up to the bloated violences of power (his megalomaniac father, Hiranyakashipu) -- what we can be sure of is that our tradition is rich in lessons of love, strength, and compassion, and that these are lessons which will help us endure into a brighter future. This spring, we also see so many other traditions of the world moving into this brighter future with us in celebration. To those beginning to celebrate Panguni Uthiram, Hola Mohalla, Phalguna Uposatha, Passover, or the upcoming Easter and Ramadan, we wish so much joy and love, and we are with you in this season of spring and celebration.

So much of these past several months has read as some sort of bizarre elegy, and as a much-needed counter, we would like to conclude by offering a few beautiful words from prolific Bengali poet, philosopher, and activist, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). In his self-translated collection of poems, Gitanjali ("Song Offerings"), Tagore writes of devotion, love, and light -- a perfect vessel in which to move forward in this season of multi-faith celebration. We look forward to rebuilding a stronger, brighter world with you.

As Dr. Brahmachari Sharan of Georgetown University writes:

"No matter what our spiritual traditions or religions are, take a moment to appreciate the full moon, the change in the weather, and the blossoming of mother earth. It may be just the pause we needed to nourish that spark within."

With love, HfHR

Rabindranath Tagore

Gitanjali 57

Light, my light, the world-filling light,

the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening 

light!

Ah, the light dances, my darling, at 

the centre of my life; the light strikes, 

my darling, the chords of my love; the 

sky opens, the wind runs wild, laughter 

passes over the earth.

The butterflies spread their sails on 

the sea of light. Lilies and jasmines 

surge up on the crest of the waves of 

light.

The light is shattered into gold on 

every cloud, my darling, and it scatters 

gems in profusion.

Mirth spreads from leaf to leaf, my 

darling, and gladness without measure.

The heaven's river has drowned its 

banks and the flood of joy is abroad.

Gitanjali 58

Let all the strains of joy mingle in my 

last song—the joy that makes the earth 

flow over in the riotous excess of the 

grass, the joy that sets the twin brothers, 

life and death, dancing over the wide 

world, the joy that sweeps in with the 

tempest, shaking and waking all life 

with laughter, the joy that sits still with 

its tears on the open red lotus of pain, 

and the joy that throws everything it 

has upon the dust, and knows not a 

word.