25 Dec 2008 Schwabmunchen, Germany
Category: Celebration
Yesterday after dinner we had a nice Christmas celebration with the family and with lots of presents. It took us three hours to unwrap them one by one and we spent a very nice evening. It was so nice to see the surprised faces when opening gifts. I want to say thanks also to those friends who were not here but who had sent gifts which we opened and enjoyed a lot. After that I was very tired and went to bed.
With my usual rhythm I got up in the morning again. I enjoyed the celebration very much. As I wrote before, too, when we were celebrating Diwali in India, festivals are for me like an excuse to have fun, to celebrate. I enjoy the festivals but for me each day is a new celebration so for me each day of the year can be Christmas, Diwali or Holi because I want to celebrate my life each day. When we see a happy person we have a saying in India which says: ‘For him each day is like Holi and each night like Diwali.’ This is a great compliment.
On celebrations like Christmas I also hear that people eat too much. They think a festival is for eating and that you have to eat as much as possible, if you are hungry or not. They start eating in the morning and eat until they are in bed in the night. It seems that for them a festival is an excuse for eating. And when they gain weight and maybe even fall into depression because of that, they have another excuse for eating. I don’t understand whom they want to fool but obviously they fool themselves. I think this is the wrong way, it is disrespectful for the own body. We should take care of this, too. Surely festivals are for fun and celebration but the excess of eating or anything which at the end will harm you and your body is not really good.
When I woke up in the morning the Christmas celebration with the children was already going on in India. Purnendu told me on the phone and then I could see it live on the computer with the camera. I was watching the whole celebration in the Ashram.
As a Christmas gift they gave a pullover to each child because the weather there is also getting cold now. All children were vey happy and they made a cultural program with singing and dancing.
Purnendu had invited one of my old teachers from my junior high school to honour him. He is now retired. I could see him and talked to him on phone. He said that he was so happy to be there and felt so honoured to be there. And he said in his speech ‘Balendu already gave me this great honour by opening this school. I was his teacher and now he provides education to all these children.’ He was very emotional and tears were running down his cheeks. He said that now we gave him honour officially by inviting him but his true honour is the school which supports all the poor children. I was not physically there but in this way I could participate over phone and camera and with the help of these devices I could be there.
The principal of the University of Vrindavan was also there and he said it is so wonderful that the children get this education in the spiritual environment of the Ashram. So many schools are expensive in their fees so that many poor children just cannot go there. If every Ashram did the effort that Shree Bindu Sewa Sansthan does, every poor child would be educated.
Another teacher said that it is such a beautiful place and when you enter in the Ashram you feel the atmosphere. And when you see the faces of these children, then who can say they are poor? It doesn’t matter where they come from and what their situation is, here, at the Ashram and at this school they are not poor.
I spoke with my friends Thomas and Iris, too. They started from Germany yesterday and arrived at the Ashram in the morning. They participated in the Christmas celebration with the children and said that being there is their greatest Christmas gift. They had a big feast and not only the children but many people more were invited.
Roger and Mady from Luxembourg have sponsored food for today.
I have not forgotten the questions from my friend which I wrote down yesterday. I will write about that tomorrow.
Tags:: Body, Celebration, Food, Happiness, Festival, Overweight
2 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
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How interesting to see how you celebrate christmas in India at the ashram. It is very different than here, but we don't have Diwali as well. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed and that the children like their new jumpers!
Reply By Christian on May 05, 2012 07:55
The holidays can be full of love and happiness. If you feel full of joy you will not eat too much food. It just won't happen. Enjoy your family, enjoy your food. Be happy!
Reply By John Haley on October 30, 2010 12:21
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
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