The Meaning of Easter

Easter is a time when darkness is removed by light. When the old dies and the new is born. In the Northern Hemisphere Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring equinox – that is, when the days become longer than the nights. In Australia we miss out on this experiential aspect of expanding light, as it is autumn and the days are shortening. Nevertheless, we can connect with the symbology of new light and life. 

Easter is also a time when sacrifice and suffering, personified in the death of Christ’s body, result in renewal and purification of the spirit. Thinking in yogic terms, the body represents the tamasic, or materialistic aspect. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ represent the transformation that occurs when we transcend identification with the material dimension and identify instead with our spiritual nature. Thus we are “saved” from the limitations of the tamasic ego. This gives us the opportunity to let go of attachments that bind us to suffering and follow a path of renewal and peace. We are then on the path to sattwa, a state of harmony and peace.

Peace can be defined as the absence of violence. Violence is multi-layered, not merely physical. Easter is the perfect time to make a resolve to remove violence from all levels of life in order to create a deep, experiential peace.