Wesak Musings

Vaikasi Visakham. Wesak. Buddha Poornima.
Had Poornima Puja at home on Saturday night.
OCD me learnt a lesson that day.
Had a conversation with spouse regarding my OCDness and how I never relax and am always bustling around. I have been known to make the bed with my husband in it. However, this was during the early days, yes, days and not months, so husband found it quite charming.
I still make the bed with him in it, very very quietly, tucking in my side of sheets, pulling up covers, quilt, placing bolster, 4 pillows, then half folding throw and laying 2 of the 4 cushions at the foot of the bed.
I have a ready excuse, that I’m reducing his chores.
Anyway, mum, sil are here, and being Purnima, and a Saturday, I had firmly told both to rest, and that I would handle lunch, house cleaning and Poornima puja prasad.
After said firm chat with husband on Friday, wherein I spouted many a justification, I finally had to concede that yes, my OCDness was going to wear me thin and run me to the ground. Note, my husband lectures for a living and is able to talk the hind leg of a donkey, I’m not saying I’m the donkey.
The next morning, I got mum and sil to sort out lunch – fried rice, and dinner – tomato rice, green chilli crackers, cake, purple yam dessert etc etc etc. while I cleaned the house, husband sorted altar, puja room,girls did some chores, assignments. (The OCD remanifested in my cleaning the stove, sink, kitchen floor and loading the dishwasher – yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to load dishwashers).
There was ample time for me to nap, have a cuppa, be read for guests by 7pm.
And, wonder of wonders, I even sat down to have food with my guests instead of standing at the kitchen sink. I allowed them to rinse their plates if they wanted to and load the dishwasher. The icing on the cake was when I allowed a friend to wash some dishes.
But, as with Cinderella, the magic wears off. When all had left, I had to vacuum, wash the towels, and make sure that cushion no 6 was strategically resting in its 45 degree slant to the right.
Here I am wearing a saffron Kanjivaram, amber in some lights, with mustard stripes all through the Saree, gold and amber borders, a gold pallu, a gift from husband, 28+ years ago.
An apt Saree, as saffron is the colour of Buddhist monks’ robes, symbolising humility, renunciation. Furthermore, being the colour of the earth, it denotes stability and a grounded nature.
Happy Wesak Day Sakhis. May Buddha, in his infinite compassion and wisdom, grant us inner spiritual peace and strength.

(Couldn’t resist posting too, decades old Photos of me draped in this Saree, in the US, 10 years ago, attending a friend’s son’s Veena arangetram; and co-judging a national televised music competition in Malaysia, with Indian artistes musician Palghat K.L.Sreeram and music director Ramesh Vinayakam, 15 years ago).