I was doing regular weekly followup at an Art of living center today morning. While breathing, I realized Something. Probably it’s nothing new for many – the moment I took the breath in, it became me! The air I breath became me and I was nothing without it. We become a part of something be it breath, food or the environment. As a kid, I enjoyed many festivals Ganeshotsva was one of them. Slowly I started feeling it is more political than social. I was disenchanted and grew over it. After coming in Mumbai, I connected to this festival once again. Slowly I this season and festival has become a part of me.
This festival has been teaching a lot of things to me. 
Have you observed something special? Almost whole year we have some or the other festival and celebration in India. We go out to submerge the deity with full funfair dancing. This is going to happening once again predominantly in Western India (Maharashtra). Every year during this festival I learn – and forget later – that life is celebration.
Similar worship will start in few weeks in Eastern India (West Bengal) also in Gujarat. The god on the other side would be – Devi. Imagine, a deity brought home with full reverence, worshiped twice a day and in the end submerged.
I get quiet surprised, in Indian system there is no particular festival (occasion) of mourning unlike another predominant religion. Shraddh paksh is there, but it is not exactly about mourning. Shraddh paksh is about paying respect and homage to the departed ancestors and remembering them. Probably the reason for not mourning is that we – most Indian religion – presume that there is coming back. So, why to mourn? We have to pay homage to our ancestors because of them we are here. However, they too will come back until Moksha.
If there is no end, why be sad? Why be disappointed? Why not celebrate every moment? Had there been Ganesha, he would have loved these last 10 days, and would have danced on the way for submerging – he too would know – life is celebration. Life is a celebration, better we realized it earlier in our life time. A celebration with awareness, if not realized, “life is a trouble… death is not“.
Whatever, good or bad I / you take in (be it food, thoughts or breath) becomes me / you. So it is a good idea to “be a celebration”.
Moksha – attainment of self-realization, liberation from the cycle of life and death.
