Navarathri / Easter

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

May I share some thoughts about these two festivals?

 

Navarathri is celebrated in North India in Spring, but in the South in Autumn!

But the idea is the same: Durga appears in three successive forms, as Durga,

Lakshmi and Saraswathi, battles against "demons" and conquers them. These demons

are symbolic, one can interpret the symbolism in many appropriate ways: tamasic

and rajasic qualities like lethargy, anger, envy, lack of love, lack of

knowledge, understanding and insight. This is not a "story" of the past, but it

is believed that Durga fights these battles every year to "clean up the mess" to

an extent. It ends with Saraswathi because the final understanding, Viveka,

comes from her.

 

Most of the mythology and puranic stories of India - and other parts of the

world too - deal with the destruction of evil by God. The Good triumphs over the

Bad in the end.

 

But there are also some very significant stories - or better, cases - where this

triumph is not there, is not apparent.

 

Osiris is killed by Set, Baldur by Loki. Osiris was "revived" but invisibly,

Baldur will "return" at some time in the future. Both myths have the idea of

"resurrection". And resurrection is possible only AFTER a "death", a "defeat".

 

But the most significant illustration of this notion was not a myth, but the

historical crucification of Christ! His followers were still rooted in their

Judaic religion. They had to accept that the incarnated God was betrayed by

priests, executed like a criminal by a foreign invader.

 

And that is celebrated at Easter. Some may have the fortune to listen to Bach´s

"The Passion of St.John". According to that Gospel the last words of Jesus on

the cross were, "It is accomplished!". An alto recites these words and then

sings an aria: it begins with weeping and despair and shock! Then suddenly there

is an outburst of triumphal conviction - "The hero of Juda conquers with

might!"... Then it ends once more in tears, mute acceptance of what has to be,

not knowing why it has to be - the voice of John himself.

 

This scene is the greatest enigma for all Christians, why their faith is often

shaken. But for non-Christians too - the suffering of the innocent and good

always makes us ask "WHY?" before we finally accept the inevitable. Day after

day Christ is crucified all over the world.

 

We read the lofty teaching of the Gita. Many do it as a ritual, an act of piety.

The teaching is still remote, trying to live according to it is not easy, one

does not know how to apply it to daily life. Many saintly teachers, and writers

like Eknath Easwaran, have interpreted the Gita for daily life, written volumes.

 

But Krishna himself came as Christ to SHOW how to follow what he taught. This

time it was not for princes and brahmins, but for the man on the street, for

criminals as well. In the relatively short sermon on the mount he gave the Gita

in abridged form, a "user´s guide". Every parable and aphorism he ever uttered

says what Krishna had said. He himself, a prince, lived amongst beggars. And in

the end, showed how one should face injustice and death without fear!

 

Two of his last messages are very much out of the Gita. "I am the resurrection

and the life. He that believeth in me shall live forever, though he be dead!"

 

"This bread you eat is my body, this wine you drink is my blood!" ..... Gita: "I

am the sacrifice, the sacrificer and what is offered!.... etc. Pure advaita.

 

The notion of Christ having died to take on our sins is a matter of theological

interpretation, which need not bother us at all! The mother cleans up the mess

which the child has made. As Sai Baba says, "Offer your sins too to God with

humility! He will take care of them." Through sinning and repenting we learn.

Never sinning may also mean never learning! This is not just my way of looking

at things, but what I have observed and learnt from my autistic son: through

having been a "model" child he has never learnt the lessons of childhood and

life! Today he suffers from this in many ways.

 

We must thank Krishna for having come as Christ and showing us how to live and

die without fear.

 

Om Christave namaha!

 

regards

Mani