Editorial

Birthdays! The mention of this brings to the heart a cluster of subtle vibrations. Would one call it joy? Or would it be happiness? Would some feel heaviness or would it be some semblance of silence that greets one? Or would it simply be a smile as one reminisces on memories of what one had felt for each of the birthdays past? For that matter, would one remember at all, the nuances that flavoured each birthday that has passed? Or would it be best to lift each passing birthday up into the air to be swept away like a feather by passing winds and look forward to the next with fresh fervour?

For each of us, our birthdays and also those of our loved ones have their special significance. Birthdays may bring to mind the best of cakes we would have eaten, freshly ordered from the nearby bakery or a posh one in town, or a divinely simple but special kesari (sweet semolina pudding) made by mum’s own loving hands, or the experimental cup-cakes siblings would have tried in one’s name, and which would have tasted special, even if the result of a failed experiment. Invading our minds, at the mention of this word may be special presents we may have received from special people around us or that distant card from a loved one overseas. They may bring to mind the late night out at a birthday bash in a friend’s home or in a night-club. For some of us, it may bring to mind lonely hours spent in cold and sultry weather, away from home on a mission in a foreign land. For some others, it may be a day spent at the country’s border, fighting a battle of honour in defense of one’s Motherland. Or it may be just another day, lived as any other, and forgotten.

It appears there are as many ways of celebrating birthdays as there are countries. In China, a birthday child is served noodles for lunch to symbolize wishes for a long life. In Canada, a birthday child is ambushed and his or her nose greased, the greasy nose being too slippery for bad luck to catch. In Germany, candles are left burning on the cake for the whole day from sunrise, as many candles as the age and an extra candle for good luck. After dinner, the candles are blown out at one go with a wish and presents are opened. In the western world, it appears that tradition of birthday parties started in Europe. It was believed that one was especially vulnerable to evil spirits on birthdays. As a form of protection, friends and family gathered around the birthday person and brought them good thoughts and wishes. Gifts had a greater power in warding off evil spirits, it was believed and that was the beginning of the tradition of birthday parties.

However, in the practice of Integral Yoga, none of these seem to feature. In one life-time, one is born only once and herein seems to lie the grandeur, the significance of the day, the hour, the moment of birth. It is this incident that rolls before us a path, long or short, of experiences, marked by milestone after milestone. Such a moment needs to be put into perspective. It is a moment to be remembered, revisited, if only to ask the question, “Why have I come?”, “Why am I here?”, “What is the purpose of my birth?” as is a moment to carve out beginnings of new pathways towards some high goal.

The Mother simply puts it thus:
“….. it is an opportune moment to … make some new progress each year.”

Why is it an opportune moment and how is this progress to be made? In the following pages lie the answers to these questions. This edition also paints a beautiful picture of recollections by sadhaks of birthdays spent at the ashram engulfed by The Mother’s grace in tangible ways.

The deeper significance of this special day will be felt in the deepest caves of our hearts, remaining one’s own secret, shared perhaps with the Divine alone.

Here is wishing everyone out there a Beautiful Birthday, every hour that he or she is born. With smiles….