The next good day, found
We give weight to what is rising — the waxing moon, the star the moon sits in at dawn. Tell it what you're beginning and where you are; it reads the sky at your sunrise and finds the next clear day, every reason shown.
Sree, in his own voice, on what actually makes a day good — and why none of this is about fear.
Read the transcript
So we're talking about what makes a good day. By default, all of us are very blessed; all of us are divine. The very fact that we are asking what is a good day is itself the sign that we have a thinking mind — notice the word: the mind, not the brain. When you are sensitive to your surroundings, that's when life is beautiful.
So any day is good. You can do pretty much any activity on any day — there is nothing stopping us, nothing bad that's going to happen by doing an activity on a given day. What we are trying to do here is find a natural alignment between what's happening in the planetary constellation and what's happening in the mind.
I've personally noticed that on a high tide, you can feel a little agitated. It may or may not be relevant for everyone — I'm speaking to those who are not yet aware of their emotions. You can get connected: notice the tithi, the date, where the moon is, and you'll start to see a pattern. As Indians we have always respected the moon cycle — we stay cognizant of when the new moon comes, and we try to do things in a way that is aligned with it.
So, when do we do the Griha Pravesh? Ideally any day is good — but we are looking for the next alignment, for what is rising. The new moon is a new beginning. Certain nakshatras are suited to certain activities. Our intention is to look at what's happening today and find the next possible date that is aligned with the moon — and we use some astronomy and astrology to work out those details.
We should never approach this from fear-mongering, that something bad will happen — but from a sense of oh, how beautiful, how aligned with nature this is. The whole intention is to make you more aligned.
And if, for some reason, you can't get that alignment — how do we make sure you're aligned anyway? The day before the activity, sleep on time. On the morning of (or the day before), go to a Ganesha temple and seek the divine blessing, the divine intervention. Do a random act of kindness — give some daan, or annadaan; offer a coconut and ask the temple to use it as prasad to be distributed to many. You are feeding other stomachs. These few things help ensure you are aligned before you step out.
If you sense discomfort that day — if for some reason you're uncomfortable — make sure you are well-fed. This gives you a chance to get your emotions in check; and if your emotions are not in check, please don't go ahead and do it. On top of all this there is Anugraha, the divine blessings of the guru. You have enough and more of these blessings. So every day is good for every activity. Pray to the guru for guidance and support — and then just do it.
Any day is a good day.
Every day is a divine day.
Nothing here marks a day as bad — nothing goes wrong by beginning on any day. The very wish to find a good day is the mark of a thinking mind (not the brain — the mind), sensitive to its surroundings. We are, as a culture, tuned to Chandra: the moon, who carries the mind and the emotions. When the mind is steady we decide well, and the people around us feel it too.
So this isn't a hunt for luck, and it isn't fear that something will go wrong. It's wonder — how beautiful, to move in step with nature — and an attempt at harmony: to begin while leaning with the moon's cycle rather than against it. The alignment we are really after is inward; a few minutes of pranayama, and any day becomes a good day to begin.
We asked friends what they were beginning. Sometimes the reply was the whole point.
Everyday is a new beginning…
Each day takes its name from the moment of sunrise. At that instant the engine reads five limbs of the Panchang and weighs them against the rules for what you're beginning.
The waxing fortnight (Shukla) is the moon growing toward fullness — favoured for beginnings. The waning fortnight (Krishna) is the moon thinning toward dark.
One of thirty, by the moon's angle from the sun. The empty Rikta tithis (4th, 9th, 14th) and the new moon are set aside for beginnings.
Which of the 27 stars the moon sits in. Fixed stars suit foundations, movable stars suit travel; the sharp and fierce stars are kept for harsher acts.
Each day has a planetary lord. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are gentle; Tuesday (Mars) and Saturday (Saturn) are usually held back.
None of this is fear — nothing goes wrong by acting on any day. The aligned date is simply the easier current to swim with. When you can't wait for it, bring the alignment to yourself instead:
- Rest and eat well sleep on time the night before, and eat well that day. A rested, well-fed body keeps the emotions in check.
- Seek a blessing that morning, visit a Ganesha temple and ask for guidance, the divine intervention, before you begin.
- A small act of kindness offer daan or annadaan, or a coconut for the temple to share as prasad. Feeding others settles the heart.
- Check your emotions if you feel real discomfort that day, don't force it. A steady mind is the truest muhurta.
- Anugraha above all, the guru's grace, of which you have enough and more. Pray for guidance and support, and then simply begin.