Rekindle the light within

Light the lamp of love in your heart; the lamp of abundance in your home; the lamp of compassion to serve others; the lamp of knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance; the lamp of gratitude for all that the Divine has given us.

The word ‘Deepavali’ originates from the Sanskrit words, ‘Deep’(light) and ‘Avali’ (rows). ‘Deepavali or ‘Deepawali’, the festival of lights, is celebrated on the darkest night of the Kartik month (Amavasya). It symbolises the light of knowledge dispelling the darkness of ignorance and bringing in the radiance of love.

When love glows, it is bliss;

When it flows, it is compassion;

When it acts, it is perfection;

When love knows, it is Me.

- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar

Illumination beyond illusion

The world is an illusion; Deepawali is that time of the year, where all illusions are warded off. It is a festival that reminds you about the importance of knowledge in life. When there is knowledge, there is no darkness. And when do you need knowledge? You need knowledge at the darkest times of life. When you are blissful and everything is okay, who cares for knowledge? But it is when you have to face challenges that you most need knowledge to kindle the wisdom within you.

Deepawali is the festival of light. Here, light signifies ‘wisdom’. We need to globalise wisdom today. People of various cultures, religions, nationalities and gender need to come together and realise that we are all part of one human family.

This auspicious occasion of Deepawali is the time you can resolve to spread peace, to unite people in love and celebration and to bring prosperity in society. Here is an occasion to let go off all past bickerings and misunderstandings and come together in a spirit of celebration.

Celebrate this Knowledge and feel the abundance. Those who are content from within will be given more!

Every aspect of this festival of lights has a significance:

• Lights symbolize the spread of Knowledge.

• Firecrackers bring relief from the explosive tendencies hovering within. When the explosion happens outside, the explosion inside is diffused.

• Gifts and sweets dispel bitterness and renew friendships.

• A sense of abundance brings awareness and gratefulness for all that one has.

Life is like a lamp

Our life is like a lamp. Just like a lamp needs oxygen to keep burning, so does our life. If you were to be locked up in a glass cage, you would only be able to survive for as long as there is oxygen in the cage. In the same way, if you cover a lamp with a glass, the lamp will burn for as long as there is oxygen. So, there is definitely some similarity between a lamp and our life. That similarity is fundamental in the celebration of Deepawali. It is to remind you that you are a lamp too!

Our soul is also light, it has always been associated with light. That is why whenever someone dies, it is the custom to light a lamp. Even Whenever a child is born in a house, a lamp is lit. So, lamps have a unique significance in our lives.