So, Paryushan 2025. It’s already on my mind, believe it or not. Mostly because of how things went down the last few times I really tried to get into the spirit of it, the real spirit, if you know what I mean.
My Grand Plan for a “Proper” Observance
A couple of Paryushans back, I had this big idea. I wanted my family, the whole extended crew, to experience it like I remember hearing about from the old folks. Not just going through the motions. My plan was pretty straightforward, or so I thought:
- Digital Detox Zones: Certain hours, especially during reflection times, absolutely no phones, no tablets, no TV. Radical, I know.
- Simple Sustenance: Back to basics with food. Plain, wholesome meals. Less focus on feasting after fasts, more on the fasting itself.
- Group Reflection: Actually sit together, maybe read something meaningful, share thoughts. Not just mumbled prayers.
- Quiet Time: Genuine quiet. No unnecessary chatter, no background noise. Just… peace.
I even typed up a little schedule. I genuinely believed, “This is it. We’re going to connect, find some calm.” Optimistic, right?
The Reality Check: Herding Cats
Well, that optimism didn’t last long. It was, to put it mildly, a bit of a circus. Day one, my teenage nephew suddenly had “critical” online study group sessions he just had to attend. On his gaming laptop, naturally. My sister-in-law developed this amazing skill of texting under the table with the speed of a pro gamer. Pretty sure she was live-blogging her suffering to her friends.
The “simple sustenance” part? Oh boy. You’d think I was serving prison rations from the looks on some faces. Lots of heavy sighs and questions like, “Is this all?” Even my own noble attempt at a digital detox felt like a joke. I’d sit there, trying to meditate, and all I could think about was the pile of work emails. “Just a quick peek,” I’d tell myself. Yeah, right.
So much for group reflection. It was more like group restlessness. People were physically there, sure, but their minds were clearly on their next screen fix or a more interesting meal. It felt less like a spiritual retreat and more like I was a slightly unpopular camp counselor.
Why I Still Bother Thinking About It for 2025
You might wonder why I even entertain the thought of trying something similar for Paryushan 2025 after that. It’s because I remember my grandfather during Paryushan. There was this genuine peace about him, a real shift. It wasn’t for show. And then I look at how it often is now… it feels like it’s become just another event on the calendar, or worse, a competition in austerity theatre.
This feeling really solidified for me a few years ago. I was at a community meeting, planning for Paryushan. The whole discussion was about how big the banners should be, which caterer could provide the most “authentic” yet somehow still impressive post-fast meals. Someone seriously suggested we should get a social media influencer to cover our main prayer session to “boost community engagement.” I tried, I really did, to gently suggest maybe we could focus more on the inner aspects, the simplicity. You know, the actual point of it all? I got these blank stares. One of the senior guys patted me on the shoulder and said, “Son, we have to be modern. We have to be practical.”
Practical. That word stuck with me. It felt like “practical” meant stripping away the soul of it and just keeping the shell. So yeah, that’s why I keep wrestling with it. I see something important, something deep, getting lost in all the noise and the “modern practicality.” For Paryushan 2025, I’m still mulling it over. Maybe it’s about scaling back my grand ambitions. Focus on my own practice, find my own quiet. Or perhaps I just need to accept that the world spins differently now. It’s a learning process, this whole trying to keep ancient traditions alive and meaningful in a world that can’t sit still for five minutes. We’ll see how it goes.