Memorable birthday party!

>
> Dear family,
>
> Please join me in wishing Nitai C a happy birth day  --- his
> first birth day. Nitai is son of a very close friend of mine.
>
> Somehow this birthday party was very special and I write to you to
> share this.  I live in New Jersey.
>
> I describe a typical birthday party in America.  The host calls 20
> children and their parents.  The host orders food from a restaurant.
> The  food itself is typically in the mode of ignorance or is cooked in
> the mode of ignorance. For example, our family ate out two weeks ago
> after about two years and my wife and I found the experience toxic to
> my body and mind.  Which restaurant serves food cooked with love and
> compassion?
>
>
> The host orders order coke, sprite and other soft-drinks.  The host
> orders a clown to entertain the kids.  They do a karaooke singing
> meaningless lyrics. The parents discuss Sridevi, Obama, cars, sports
> and jewellery.  The children blow balloons and are quarrelsome.
> Sudhakar is typically stuck in these parties wondering whether these
> kids grow up to have environmental and social responsibility as
> guiding principle in their adult life.  How is the world a better
> place that we have had the party to celebrate the birthday?  Would the
> kids grow to be compassionate when they grow up?
>
> Please do not get me wrong.  I recognize the importance of celebrating
> birthday and all other occassions.    Now, I describe little Nitai's
> birth day party.
>
>
> The parents rented a hall in a place of worship.     I felt glad that
> the room was not probably contaminated with air-freshner to gloss over
> the smell from the smoking and indulgence of the last party in that
> hall.. During my college days, despite being a staunch atheist, I
> visited everyday a place of worship just to find the calmness and
> simplicity away from mundane.
>
> Then, they got the kids to do some wonderful bhajans.  They got hold
> of a 11 year old and 14 year old to do a wonderful Indian classical
> dance. They got an American monk with a degree in science aged 65 to
> come to share with us some tips on how to bring up children that they
> become socially responsible. Finally, they made all the adults do
> dance for the bhajans. It relieved the stress in my mind!    Finally, they
> home cooked the meals for 200 people with love --- completely avoiding
> restuarant food.  They even made nice fruit juice. This food was
> cooked carefully to be in the mode of goodness (sattvic) and
> spiritually sanctified by offering it to the Supreme. Somehow, love
> was reveberating in the room. As you all know, love is the most
> difficult to find object in this world.
>
>
> I somehow had a ball of a time at this party.  When the monk began
> speaking, as a mark of respect to his authority, I got up from the
> chairs, paid my strech obeisances on the floor to the monk and just
> sat on the front with my toddlers in the front seat.  I was wondering
> how to make my kids ideal citizens of the world.  My kids enjoyed the
> bhajans and  classical dances.  I enjoyed being with the kids to see
> if they had any interest in classical Indian music or dance.
>
>
> oh boy!  what a party.  I requested the parents to have the parties more often.
>
> I had overfilled my stomach with the delicious food and rasamalai and
> happily drive back home with contentment.
>
> sincerely,
> --sudhakar