Monthly Highlights – September 26

Greetings Everyone!!!

Are You Your Own Friend—or Your Own Enemy?

In this ever-changing world—where we meet new people, move to new places, adapt to changing technologies, and constantly redefine our ideas of happiness and success—there is one question we need to ask ourselves from time to time:

Are we truly our own friends, or are we becoming our own enemies?

Earlier, people often made decisions with the distant future in mind. Their vision of the future was relatively stable, and when life unfolded close to what they had imagined, they experienced a sense of fulfilment.

Today, however, we often operate with only the near future in mind. With situations changing so rapidly in every sphere of life, it has become difficult to foresee what our distant future may look like.

In making choices and drawing conclusions about our lives, we constantly look outward—to situations, people and circumstances. But we rarely pause and look within ourselves.

In a moment of happiness, do we stop and ask, “Is this truly what I am seeking?” And when we face a difficult situation, do we ask, “Is this really what I did not want for my life?”

When we respond only through our outer layers of understanding, without truly knowing ourselves, we can create unnecessary disturbances within. Our reactions may not always be aligned with what we actually want.

In this way, we can become our own enemies—much like what happens in an autoimmune disorder, where the body fails to distinguish properly between what belongs to it and what is harmful, and ends up reacting against itself.

We too are constantly changing. Something we once wanted may no longer be what we want today. Yet when circumstances connected to our past appear in the present, we may struggle to accept them.

There is, however, an important distinction.

If we have changed ourselves and are now walking on the right path, it is natural to feel disturbed when the consequences of our past actions surface in the present. But even then, we must be careful about how we respond. Our present is, in part, the result of what we did in the past—and our actions today become the seeds of what may unfold tomorrow.

Therefore, to respond rightly to the situations around us, we need to know ourselves better. We need to pause from time to time and understand what we are, what we truly want, and why we respond the way we do.

Only then can we become a friend to ourselves. Otherwise, without even realising it, we may become our own enemy and end up fighting against ourselves.

Every now and then, we need to find some quiet time to look within and introspect. Those who are able to find such moments are fortunate, because we are constantly caught up in the race to understand and respond to the world outside.

That quiet time can give us immense peace and renewed energy—the strength to take the right action and make the right decisions.

This month, Mother Kameswari Devi blessed us with such an opportunity—to pause, look deeper within ourselves, and reflect on who we are, what we wish to do, and how we wish to do it.

With this thought, we present our September Newsletter—one that may not have a long list of events to display, but has much to cherish in our hearts.

1.Ganesh Navaratri Utsav @ Sri Kameswari Foundation

The 9-day festival of Ganesha in the Bhadrapada masa brings new energy into the lives of all astikas,much like how the presence of a little boy in our home adds joy and vibrancy to our lives.Just a glance at Ganesha fills our hearts with a sense of fulfilment,as He feels so much like one of our own.

In most of our festivals,one person performs the puja while the other family members participate by witnessing it—for example, women traditionally perform the puja during Varalakshmi Vratam, while men perform the abhishekam during Rudrabhishekam.

Ganesh Chaturthi is unique in this way,as it brings every member of the family together to offer prayers,with everyone participating and engaging with the various materials from Prakriti—such as patri,flowers,fruits and more.

The most joyous event is bringing Ganesha home and installing Him in the mandapam.The discussions that begin around which Ganesha idol to bring,how to decorate the mandapam and which books to keep in the puja bring everyone together and fill the home with excitement and devotion.

At Sri Kameswari Foundation,Ganesh Navaratri has been celebrated with great joy and devotion. Puja was offered every morning and evening, including Ashtottara and Sahasranamarchana. Children actively participated in the celebrations and offered their prayers, making the occasion even more joyful and meaningful.