A man once set out to the temple. On the way, his slippers tore. He did not find a cobbler to fix them. He was skeptical about leaving them outside the temple, for fear of someone stealing it. He removed his slippers, and put them inside the bag he was carrying.
As he entered the temple, he was very disturbed thinking if he was doing the right thing by taking the slippers inside. As he reached the sanctum, the priest asked him for the bag, assuming that it contained the offerings for archana. Guilt gripped him.
Holding the bag in his hand, he received theertham. His mind was in total unrest.
He circumambulated the Lord, and when he was given prasad, he received it with the bag in one hand. Guilt gripped him further.
He finally prostrated in front of the temple pillar, and was torn between keeping the bag down, and holding it. Holding the bag in one hand in a manner that it does not touch the ground, he half heartedly prostrated, and walked out.
He was left with the feeling that the bag tuned out to be such a burden and such an obstacle that did not let him pray in peace at the temple. He was so guilty that he did not even have darshan of the Lord properly.
This scene applies to us too.
Carrying the baggage of our past, will only leave us with guilt, regret and remorse. Let us unload the baggage before stepping into the new year. Let us begin anew. Let us forget the past and leave it behind. Let us move into the New Year with positivity. Let us march enthusiastically towards a successful year, where only joy and peace will prevail and we will celebrate our Lord wholeheartedly every single day.
