Baba says, ‘To celebrate Holi means to burn something and to celebrate. You cannot celebrate without burning something. You must first burn your weaknesses in the fire of determination. Only then will you be able to experience celebrating in pleasure.‘

The festival of Holi, Baba explains, is the memorial of the method of purification of us souls. Something becomes pure when the impurity within it is burnt in the fire. Here too, I, the soul, burn impurity for all time in the fire of love of Baba’s remembrance. This is why, He explains, people first celebrate the Holi of burning and then comes the part of being colored.

To burn something means to finish all name and trace of something. This is why, after killing Ravan, they burn him. So check, says Baba: have I simply killed impurity or have I actually burnt it? It is sometimes possible for someone who is thought to be dead to come back to life: it’s as if the life was hidden somewhere or the other. The hidden life of impurity should not come back alive even in dreams, says Baba. Therefore, He says, don’t forget to burn it. Once something is burnt, then it can never come back to life. This, is true transformation and such a soul is known as a pure, elevated soul.

‘You make promises’, Baba observes, ‘and that is good because that means there is determination. A promise that is remembered again and again brings power.’ But, He also observes, it only brings little transformation and the seed of impurity remains buried. This is why after some time, when a situation arises, then because the dormant seed receives the water of situations and reasons, its leaves begin to emerge once again; it does not finish for all time. For that, He reminds me, I have to burn the seed. Once a seed is burnt, it can never bear fruit. Everyone makes promises: ‘we will let the past be the past for whatever has happened up to now, whether to ourselves or to others.’ In other words, whatever weakness there was, I will not allow it to emerge within myself again. And when it comes to others, whatever clashes I had with them in thoughts, words or deeds due to sanskars or due to karmic accounts, I will transform. This is the promise I make and I do it with a pure and earnest heart. And yet, Baba observes, there is little to no transformation that actually takes place; the weakness re-emerges and the clashes repeat from time to time.

This is because, Baba explains, I think: ‘now, that I know this soul’s sanskars, I will keep myself safe in the future and have good wishes and pure feelings.’ I do the same with myself too: ‘I will not allow this weakness to re-emerge in the future.’ In other words, I focus on the weakness of the self and the others. The problem with this approach, Baba points out, is that this habit of seeing, hearing and imbibing the weakness has become natural and has been there for a long period of time. So while it is good that I have decided not to have this weakness anymore, I have not simultaneously decided what I will replace the weakness with! I remember I shouldn’t do a certain thing, for example, I should not get irritated anymore, but along with that, I don’t remember what I should do in it’s place.

If I simply clear a place, Baba points out, but then don’t use it in a good way, dirt and mosquitoes collect in that empty space because dirt and mosquitoes are readily available in the atmosphere. ‘So‘, He teaches, ‘change the approach. Rather than start with the weakness, let elevated thoughts of natural transformation enter your consciousness.‘ In other words, rather than think: I must let go of irritation, I must stay safe from that soul’s anger, Baba teaches, I must instead remember my own and the other’s specialties and virtues. Then, the impurities will automatically finish. What I don’t feed will starve and die.

It is because I follow the wrong approach, Baba explains, that I also feel a heaviness in yoga. I might experience peace in remembrance but I don’t experience happiness, my head feels heavy and sometimes, I even nod off to sleep. When there is no happiness, there is also no zeal and enthusiasm. Rather than simply remember that: ‘I am a soul, a dot, a point of light and Baba is also a dot, a point of light’, Baba teaches, also remember what type of soul you are!: what are the specialties of I, the soul? I am a multi-million times fortunate soul! I am the original creation! I am a soul who is claiming Baba’s heart-throne!’ When I simply think of being a dot, that takes me to a stage of emptiness and my head feels heavy. This is why, when I have the determined thought to bring about transformation in myself and others, along with that, I must also constantly keep pure, elevated thoughts and specialties emerged and transformation will then take place automatically.

So, rather than think: ‘this soul is like this anyway; he does this anyway. This is always bound to happen this way. I must beware and keep myself safe…’, Baba teaches, think: ‘this soul is special, they have this specialty…’ ‘Just as you think ‘this and that’ about the weakness‘, Baba says, ‘in the same way, think ‘this and that’ about the elevated stage and specialties. Transform your consciousness, form, attitude and drishti. See the self and others in this elevated form.’ This, He explains, is how I fill up that space I cleared up without leaving it empty. Celebrate the Holi of burning in this way, He teaches. Don’t think: ‘you see, I knew this soul wasn’t going to change’; instead, Baba teaches, ask yourself: ‘have I changed?’ Self-transformation is what leads to world transformation and so, He teaches, think: ‘Let me be an example of having changed first.’ This is known as the burning of Holi. There is no celebration without burning. It is the burning that takes place first, because, once I have burnt it, I have become clean, elevated and pure, and then I automatically and constantly remain colored with the company of the Father. I then constantly celebrate the auspicious meeting with Baba and all souls. Auspicious means I celebrate a beneficial, elevated and pure meeting.

So, celebrate Holi in the true sense, teaches the Father. That is, always be holy and continue to celebrate a meeting.