Hi,
Today, people are celebrating Deepavali everywhere. Deepavali means an array of lights. People light lamps and arrange them in a line or a variety of formations. As the festival falls on amaavaasya -the new moon night, these lamps dispel the darkness and bring a beautiful glow all around.
But actually, is there anything like darkness that exists in this world? As such there is nothing like darkness. It is only the absence of light that leads to a situation like darkness. It is therefore only the question of presence or absence of light. With light, there is brightness, and without it, it is darkness.
If lack of light is darkness for a matter, what is darkness for people? It must of be lack of something. Lack of knowledge is ignorance. Lack of health is disease. Lack of happiness is sorrow. Lack of peace is stress. Lack of gain is loss. Hence, the darkness of people is nothing but the ignorance, sorrow, stress, loss, disappointment, misery. All these are different forms of darkness which can be gotten rid of by the light of different forms of lamps.
With the light of knowledge, we can dispel ignorance. By installing the light of health, we can cure the disease. The lamp of happiness will destroy the sorrow. With the light of peace, the stress will disappear. If you bring in the light of prosperity, the darkness of loss will vanish. How can we do all this? What is that we should win over in order to light all these lamps of light? Let us look at what these scholars say and take a cue or two from them for greater success, happiness, and prosperity in our own lives.
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Thamasomaa jyotirgamaya (Lead me from darkness to light)
(Excerpts taken from http://www.hafsite.org/)
"The main story behind the celebration is Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of sojourn in the forest. During which period Rama visited many sages, made alliances with different tribal chieftains and killed Ravana who was a menace to world peace and harmony. Ravana who grabs with twenty hands and consumes with ten mouths is a perfect representation of the modern consumerist material man. Rama who symbolises inner peace and bliss, who was born by self disciplined Dasaratha, is the ideal of enlightenment. Thus the message of Diwali is the victory of self-knowledge and moderation over self-indulgence and profligacy. To celebrate Diwali means to enjoy inner bliss,reduce our personal needs, light the lamp of wisdom in the community and share our gifts and resources with the marginalised and needy. Let this year's Diwali observance be a conscious commitment to the philosophy of 'less is more'."
- Swami Bodhananda, Sambodh Foundation
"Diwali is a time set aside especially to nurture what is good for us (sreyas) rather than what is pleasant (preyas). This is demonstrated by Arjuna just before the Mahabharata war started. It was at this point that Arjuna uttered the greatest prayer of surrender in the Bhagavad Geeta. karpanyadoso pahata swabhavah prichchhami twam dharma sammudhachetah yacchhreya syaan nischitan bhruhi tanme shishyas teaham shadhi mam prapannam. O lord Krishna my mind is overpowered by weakness and i am confused as to what is right or what is wrong I take shelter and guidance as am your disciple. we are divine beings having a human experience rather than human beings having divine experience. This should be our life long remembrance. Divali is a good time to re-enforce and continue to nurture this wisdom. May we remove the layers of darkness so that inner divine light radiate. Happy Divali Mother Lakshmi's blessings."
- Swami Parameshananda
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The message is loud and clear. The person we must aim at winning over is ourselves. There is so much to reclaim, reform, and refurbish to clear the darkness in all of its different forms. Deepavali gives an opportunity to introspect and begin the process of enlightening oneself.
May this Deepavali bring in greater success, peace, and prosperity to you! Happy Deepavali!
To your unstoppable success,
With love,
Siva
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