Ushering in A New Day
Welcome to Moksha Ritau. Let's get a clear understanding of what's going on:
"The third period of the year, Moksha Ritau, the cool season, is from mid-December to mid-April. It is the season of dissolution. The key word is resolution. Merging with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics is the focus of study and intense investigation. The colors of the season are coral-pink, silver and all shades of blue and purple. Coral for the Self within, silver and blue for illumination, and purple for enlightened wisdom. High above flies the coral flag, signaling Parashiva, Absolute Reality, beyond time, form and space."
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's explanation of this new life period:
"In thinking about Moksha Ritau, it is natural to think first about the meaning of moksha. Gurudeva gives us a beautiful definition of moksha in our lexicon, which is:
"Release from transmigration, samsara, the round of births and deaths, which occurs after karma has been resolved and nirvikalpa samadhi -- realization of the Self, Parasiva -- has been attained."
So one of the beauties of this definition is that it focuses on resolving karma. Quite often that is overlooked. When you ask someone "Well, what causes moksha?" and they will describe it as "Oh, some kind of experience of God, Self realisation, that is what causes moksha." And Gurudeva is saying that yes, that is part of it, but also you must have resolved all karma. In other words, we are here to have certain experiences. When we run out of experiences, there is no need to be here. So running out of experiences that we need to have, is resolving all our karma. There is nothing coming at us that needs to be faced in this world. So consequently we have a whole series of lessons on karma and effectively resolving the karma that comes to us and also being careful not to create new karmas, to lengthen the process.
As moksha relates to realization of the self, some conclude that the Moksha Ritau relates just to the monks and not to householders. As this is definitely not the case we need to also think about Moksha Ritau in other ways as well. Each Ritau relates to one of Gurudeva's Master Course Trilogy, and of course the Moksha Ritau relates to Merging with Siva, as we mentioned. Merging with Siva focuses on understanding and controlling the mind. Therefore this is an important aspect of the Moksha Ritau.
Let's compare the ritau we are just leaving, which is called Jivana, to the one that we are just entering, or Moksha. In the Jivana Ritau we are concerned with the worldly experience with our eyes open, and bringing more harmony and refinement into it. In the Moksha Ritau we are concerned with the world we experience with our eyes closed. We are concerned with what is occurring in our mind and in making it more peaceful and content and joyous."
5 Responses to “Ushering in A New Day”
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
December 20th, 2017 at 1:02 am
Mikka mahalo for this beautiful and eloquent post which I am reading as we usher in a new day here in London. Happiest of Moksha Ritau to All. Aum Namah Sivaya.
December 20th, 2017 at 1:07 am
PS photo 8 is a vibrant – beautifully captured and immersive. Nandri for sharing.
December 20th, 2017 at 10:53 am
Nandri ….. really amazing photos.. esp Iraivan (photo 59)
December 21st, 2017 at 2:37 am
thank you
December 21st, 2017 at 9:10 am
Many thanks,
Aum Namah Shivay!!!!!