Spring

Spring symbolizes rebirth, life, growth and purity. It is a celebration of new beginnings by many
different cultures in different colors.  The Chinese celebrate spring festival (春节chunjie) in red which signifies prosperity.  Mandarin oranges are synonymous with abundance and good fortunes and are given away as gifts to relatives, friends and business associates.

The Japanese celebrate spring with pink cherry blossoms.  Because they have a short blooming time, they are symbolic of the impermanence of life. The Hindus celebrate Holi with multiple colors.  It is a time to rejoice in the liveliness and colorful spring and bid farewell to the gloomy winter.

Spring is a renewal of our physical freedom to come out from the stagnant cold winter of hibernating indoors. We are liberated physically and emotionally as nature transforms its color.  We feel a sense of rejuvenation, ready to embrace the warmness and crispness in the air. Birds and wildlife spring to life.  A brand new harvest of love is springing.  Are we ready to bud and bloom like the cherry blossoms? I know we can when we allow ourselves to live in the affirmative. Life is fragile just like the cherry blossoms!

Separation and Union

Can one be without the other?  Is separation inevitable? Is union a necessity?  I ponder on these questions and the answers require deep thought.  Nothing is eternal.  We came, so leave we must.  Hence, the ultimate realization: physical separation is only temporal.  

I have always felt alone.  A union has meant pure sharing.  But in the end, frustration creeps in when the other merely takes and takes.  This sparks the search for a spiritual union.  All religions expound this.  On this, Yoga stands above all.  I must merge with the other.  Who is this other?  How do I find this other? Many insist marriage is to the other.  It involves a sharing of lives and resources, and a union of minds and wills. They claim it is a merger of two beings in body and soul.  But to me it is merely a contract and in a way, an imprisonment.  In marriage, we become dependent.  We become attached, fearful, and insecure, for without the other we feel incomplete. We give our love and intuitively and subconsciously place all kinds of expectations we want fulfilled in life.  Soon we realize our folly – we are unfulfilled and end up manipulating emotions. 

Then, there is merger with God which often leads to delusion and belief.  It becomes a mind game and we convince ourselves that God has arrived.  My realization is that we need to merge only with our self.  The ultimate love affair is with yourself and all of your existence.