Spring is in the Air

Today marks the traditional beginning of spring in India. The day is celebrated with the festival of colors called Holi. Perhaps in the rest of the northern Hemisphere too either spring has begun or is knocking on the doors. This is a time that new leaves and flowers spring out in the garden and the fields and the air is sweet with the song of birds. Spring also marks the time when human efforts to conquer a harsh winter or summer are freed for other pursuits. The primary emotion of the season is love, the highest of all virtues to my mind. Whereas for younger persons this is a time to strengthen romantic and physical love, for older persons it is a time when a broader universal love for all of creation may dominate. In my opinion and experience if one has led a meaningful life, the need for romantic love should diminish speedily and progressively past the median age of thirty-five and be progressively replaced by universal love. Without doubt to be human is to be burdened by all sorts of negative and positive qualities. It is possible that we may harbor anger or hatred against those who may have slighted or wronged us in the past. Certainly I am troubled by such emotions from time to time even though realizing consciously that these are harmful emotions. Negative emotions such as these can only drag us down into darkness and depression and the way to conquer that is through forgiveness and love that is capable of lifting us into states of bliss and joy. At any given moment in time a certain number of individuals or communities face grave difficulties and even the wonderful season of spring does not spare such persons. At the present moment the Japanese as a nation are facing grave difficulties. To love all of creation implies that in the very least our sympathies flow towards those who are suffering. Better still we might discover a way or service that contributes towards alleviating that suffering even in a small way.

And, our love for nature may mean that we plant some grass, bushes, flowers or trees in any barren spot we can find in our gardens or the countryside. Humans need farms and homes for food and shelter but much else of creation, insects, birds and animals, find their food and homes in the green side of life. And this green side produces oxygen for humans too while absorbing carbon dioxide that has been worrying much of mankind recently. My own garden in Jaipur is packed with stuff so that there is scarcely an inch to plant anything else just now. The photo shows me and my daughters in the garden when they were visiting me in Jaipur a few months ago. Most times they are away and busy with their careers and it is mainly me and Shyamu with or without his wife and son shown in an earlier photo in this blog who lives here, or another village lad Hari with his wife fori who works in the city and around the garden.

On my mountian getaway, the mountain cottage and surroundings are as green as shown in the photo, but if I try it is more than likely that I shall find spots to plant a few wild flowers or trees in the vast hills. This year the winter season lasted longer than usual but it has been replaced rather rapidly by the warm season and it is my desire to move to my favored spot in the cool Himalayas right away.