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The Importance of Birthdays

Part of a talk given by Phiroz Mehta at Dilkusha, Forest Hill, London on 1st October 1989

In a world of over 5000 million people, there are on average 14 million birthdays each day of the year. And yet there are very few people, if any, who appreciate the extraordinary importance of a birthday. The whole universe is at work, not only our parents, producing each one of us. The very stars in their courses have laboured and continue to labour (hence the validity of Astrology) to bring us into unique, particular and separate being out of the unitary infinite non-being. Materially, we are the children of stardust, spiritually, of the Divine Energy whose Creative Action in Eternity is ceaseless. So indeed stars and unseen powers shape and affect our lives and destinies, and we in turn affect the cosmos, so much so that the movement of an arm or the winking of an eye, or a stir of the mind and the heart affects the farthest stars and the divine unknown Powers that be, Powers designated by Milton as Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers.

So to me the celebration of a birthday can be a veritable entertaining of the company of Heaven and the multitude of Earth — Heaven and Earth, the Father and Mother of all Manifestation. You may recall Homer called Earth the wife of starry heaven. How extraordinary then, how important, is a birthday? A day most fit for divine contemplation of all those spiritual values — Love, Wisdom, Truth, Purity, Goodness and Beauty — which marks with special and transcendent significance the deep meaning of our Human-ness.

So let such an occasion be remembered as a thing of beauty. That lovely English poet, John Keats, starts his great poem Endymion with “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,” and concludes his Ode on a Grecian Urn with, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty — that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”. And I would add to that, Love is Truth, Love is Beauty.

In the one commandment of Jesus, “Love ye one another as I have loved you”, is the Way of Truth and Wisdom and Beauty.

Video

Watch Claudia Malkovich read The Importance of Birthdays:

Comments

That was very well written and thought provoking. Your smile and delivery are appreciated in your message.

An anonymous visitor, 1st April 2023

I appreciate Phiroz’s emphasis on the significance of birth and birthdays. The spiritual values, individuality of each birth and the reference to love and divine nature that tie in to the universal balance required. To me Jesus Christ is everything. His birthday is the most significant birthday that I love to celebrate.

Malin, 25th November 2020

As I read this article, I think birthdays of one I love that has passed two years ago is far more important than mine. I gave up celebrating my birthday after the passing of my dear mom. I also realized that my mom is the reason for my existence and so I celebrate her birthday by visiting her at the cemetery it may sound depressing but it’s not. It’s my way of coping with my loss of this remarkable woman who I call my mom, and nobody will take her place, even if my dad remarried out of loneliness. I also reminded my dad that my birthday is not that important as much as celebrating the one that matters to me the most. It makes more sense not to focus on myself that much, but to embrace my mom’s legacy.

Anne, 10th October 2019

Lameeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

An anonymous visitor, 4th October 2016

-.- People believe this??

An anonymous visitor, 18th July 2016

To long.

An anonymous visitor, 2nd December 2015

A birthday is celebrating someones individuality,their independence and celebrating another year of being alive. it is a privilege people lose their lives and loved ones everyday.

Northernstarr, 22nd April 2015

In this article it does’t really answer my question but it’s still really helpful in science but it does not answer my question in writing BUT STILL IT’S REALLY COOL!

Alice Wang, 29th September 2014

Not really!

Alice, 29th September 2014

It’s a beautiful day of the year that’s all.

An anonymous visitor, 10th August 2014

Sorry guys if i offended you all, from my research and understanding, birthday is just a reminder that you are born on this day few years ago… nothing else and the celebration depend on their religion and race just to make people happy.

Sam, 4th August 2014

Good.

An anonymous visitor, 1st June 2014

It’s cool.

Fire, 27th February 2014

It’s cool.

Jet, 22nd January 2014

I thought birthday is not have a power and spirit.

Manang Sie2x, 13th February 2013

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