The Dalai Lama has come to town. This morning he was giving a teaching in the big temple in McLeod Ganj and also performing a puja (ritual ceremony), I am told, to celebrate the full moon.
At the same time, the Hindu festival of Holi is taking place across India. This festival of colour sees exuberant men and women playing like children, throwing coloured paint over each other. Luckily I was spared the full experience this year. Instead a small child gave me a bindi – a spot of paint on the third eye – and wished me ‘Happy Holi!’
This full moon, coming as it does after the spring equinox, also means that Christians will be celebrating Easter this weekend – the passion of Christ and his resurrection.
It strikes me that all of these religions are celebrating this spring full moon. And even those of us who do not follow any particular religion cannot help being moved by the majestic moon rising as the sun sets. Underneath it all, we are all pagans!
