The true significance of Birthday Celebration
Love Offering to Shri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj on his 106th Birth Anniversary - 24.9.2022 (Prime Disciple of Swami Sivanandaji and Ex President of The Divine Life Society
Every human being regards a birthday as a special day in one’s
life and celebrates it annually withgaiety and zest. The birthday of leaders is
also celebrated by their followers to share joy. The mode of celebration
changes with time and place but the spirit of celebration remains intact. What
makes a birthday such a special day in one’s life? Bhagavad Gita expounds the
explicit truth that death is certain for a born and rebirth is inevitable for
the dead and one should not grieve over the inevitable. But why should we
rejoice and not stay neutral?
First of all, birth as living being marks the arrival of life on
earth and Lord Krishna holds that I am life in all beings jivanam sarva
bhuteshu and life perpetuates as long as it can because it has a mission to
fulfill. We can perceive the divine more readily in sentient than in any
insentient being.
Life is an annual reminder that human birth is unique among all
the species biologically and spiritually; Homo sapiens is the most
evolved species biologically but at the same time it is the first rung of a
spiritual ladder and the human being is the only species eligible for spiritual
advancement. Other species lead a structured life and even deities in heaven
can rejoice due to their virtuous past deeds butcannotevolve further. Birthday
reminds us of the lofty purposes of human life and gives us an opportunity to
take stock of our endeavors and accomplishments versus the set goals in the
bygone year andfine-tune them for future life. Birthday marks forward onward
movement in our life journey from Brahmacharya ashram (student life) to Grihastha
ashram (house holder’s life), to Vanaprastha ashram (life of seclusion) to Sannyas
ashram (life of renunciate)
A birthday is an occasion to thank God and its creation for
keeping us alive for one full year providing all needs of our life with many
gains and some incidental losses with some hidden messages for the remaining
life. A birthday is a day of good wishes, hope, and prayers. One should aspire
to become a wiser and better individual with every passing year. While we
receive gifts in many forms, we ought to give return gifts by consolidating our friendship with God and its creation to build harmonious,
transparent, and loving relationships with the self and world around us.
Birthday also sounds a word of caution that life is shortened by
one year that was probably more vigor filled than the years to follow and
unlike the T20 match we are not very sure of the remaining lifespan although
one should aspire to live for 100 years in the spirit of karma yoga as
enunciated in Isa Upanishad and reset the priorities and strategy of life from
time to time.
The question often arises in our mind why do we celebrate the
birthday of ascetics and wise men when birth belongs to the body and they
recognize that their true self is immortal Atmanthat is beyond body-mind-
intellect apparatus? It will be interesting to ponder their own thoughts.
Birthday celebration of great men is akin to
worship of God.
A spiritual wave is created that gives impetus and enhances zeal to attain the
Goal of life viz,. God- realization, says Swami Sivananda. All that you havelearned,
believed, reflected, and meditated upontill now must be lived with a calm
resolution, strong determination, and firm faith, says Swami Chidananda.
Mata Amritanandamayi holds that she is happy to see her children
happy in rendering social service and loving one another on the occasion. She
is happier when children regard her birthday as a day of wiping tears of those
who are suffering. While celebrating the birthday of great souls like Christ
and Krishna, we recite prayers to bless us to realize the eternal ‘I’ in me and
to make this prayer part and parcel of our spiritual life.The implication is
that an individual transforms into a Universal and a state of absolute unity,
peace and bliss prevails.
Swami Krishnannada said that incarnations of God are supposed to
come with power of divinity and hence we celebrate birthday of incarnations. As
against this, sages, siddhas and spiritual masters depart with the power of
divinity, and celebrating their punyatithi (death anniversary) is even
more relevant.Maharshi Aurobindo explains that taking birth on this earth is a golden opportunity to grow with the
unique divine portion in a man called ‘the Psychic being’ whereby a man can
aspire, surrender to the divine and achieve the higher state which is difficult
even for the gods. A birthday is an occasion to renew this realization and endeavor
to accomplish the vision and mission of one’s life.
Jayant B
Dave
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