Diwali, the Festival of Light! : Swami Chidanand Saraswati
I hope that — by God’s Grace — this nds you in the best of health and happiness at this sacred and divine time of Diwali, the Festival of Light!
From high in the sky, the beautifully burning lights of Diwali can be seen, illuminating India and the nations around the world where Indians live in a kaleidoscopic symphony of colours.
Diwali is a day eagerly awaited by young and old alike, in which our homes are sweetened by the fragrance of ghee- lled diyas, which icker upon our household walls, and line our streets. In preparation for Diwali, we sweep and scrub our homes until they shine like jewels. Dressed in colorful new clothes, we o er burning lights to brighten the skies from our loving hands.
Return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya — Welcoming the Divine in Our Lives
Diwali is celebrated as the time at which Lord Rama returned to the city of Ayodhya a er being in exile for fourteen years. e people of Ayodhya were, of course, overjoyed at the return of their
Divine King. To welcome Him, they lled the streets of the city with brightly burning lamps. e lamps symbolize the joy at His homecoming and also literally a way of beholding His divine face on the dark night of the new moon.
e symbolism of this is truly beautiful. We do not merely celebrate Diwali as a historical remembrance. Rather, as we light the diyas (lamps) we must also consciously and actively welcome the Divine back into our lives. God (by all names and all forms) is of course omnipresent and never “goes away.” However, we go away from God. We turn our focus, our attention, our love and connection away from the Divine and onto the material, the temporal, the eeting. We o er our actions and decisions on the altar of nancial success, material wealth and social status. We forget and neglect to o er ourselves on the altar of the One who is true success, true prosperity, true light and true peace. So, as we light the lamps on Diwali we welcome the Divine back into our lives. rough these beautiful lamps not only are we better able to behold the image of the Divine outside of ourselves, on our altars, in our temples
or other houses of worship, but the true Light is one which shows us the Divine within ourselves as well. We have been not only created by the Creator, but we have also been created of the Creator. So, as we light these beautiful lamps we pray for the divine vision to be able to behold that Divine in all around us and also within ourselves.
Rama Rajya
When Rama returned to Ayodhya and took the throne of the city, it was the beginning of what is called “Rama Rajya” or the rule of Rama. Rama Rajya is referred to, again and again, not only in the Ramayana but in innumerable other literary works, as really an age of perfection. It is the age to which we are always trying to return — a time of peace, joy, harmony, health and abundance. However, the Ramayana gives us very speci c details of what Rama Rajya entailed. ese include a complete eradication of despair, poverty, illness, su ering, illiteracy, and violence. e world of Rama Rajya was one in which all people had su cient resources, education, training, good health and were loved and cared for.
When we celebrate Diwali, we must similarly be prepared to work toward creating Rama Rajya which began as soon as Rama returned, hence began from Diwali. Rama did not simply wave a magic divine wand and make poverty, illness, illiteracy, malice and despair vanish. Rather He called upon the citizens of Ayodhya to join hands in bringing about this new world order.
In the same way, if we are truly going to celebrate Diwali, we must be prepared to joining our hands and creating a world in which no one – yes, no one – sleeps hungry, lacks basic education or health care, or is the victim of violence. It is not enough to just light diyas and eat sweets on Diwali. In order to really celebrate we must vow and pledge that from the next morning we will WORK toward creating Rama Rajya here and now.
Maha Lakshmi – the Goddess of Prosperity
Diwali is also a celebration in which we worship Maha Lakshmi, the Divine Feminine, the Goddess of Prosperity and Abundance. However, it is common for many to mistakenly perceive Maha Lakshmi as the Goddess of tangible wealth, to whom we pray when
we want nancial improvements in life. However, true Wealth is not merely the number written on our bank statements or on our income tax balance sheet.
True Wealth is the light which shines forth from within us; it is our cup which runneth over with love, compassion, gratitude and joy. Maha Lakshmi is the Divine Mother. She gives and gives like the Sun, and like Mother Ganga — sel essly, with no discrimination, no hesitation, no expectation and no vacation! Maha Lakshmi can be seen and worshipped not only in Her gorgeous form in our mandirs, draped in a shiny red saree, but also in all that gives and gives: the rivers, the trees, the very air that we breathe, the crops that nourish and sustain us. All that is green, all that is beautiful is She.
BE the Light
For this festival of lights, let us instead resolve to be the light ourselves. Instead of asking Maha Lakshmi for the bounty of wealth, let us instead ask how we may restore that bounty for the world. In planting a tree, we are planting the grace of Maha Lakshmi. In cleaning our rivers, we are cleaning Her glorious form. In stopping any instances of violence against women and girls, we are protecting Her.
Puja does not only mean that which we do sitting in our mandirs; it is how we live our lives. Arpan (o ering) is not done only in the midst of a religious ritual; it teaches us how to live. Let every minute and every moment be an opportunity to perform puja for Maha Lakshmi. Let everything we do be an o ering to Her.
Each lit diya not only brings individual light, but it also can be used to light others! One single burning candle can light innumerable other candles. On this Diwali, let us not only light the oil lamps but let us become the lamps which bring light and then light others. Instead of throwing reworks into the sky, causing air and noise pollution, let us become the reworks, illuminating this world through the goodness of our deeds and the sel essness of our actions.
It begins with one tree, one toilet, or even picking up one piece of litter from the road or the bank of a river. It continues with the switching o of one light, the protecting of one girl, one woman, or one resource.
From here begins a chain of light that can propel us forth into a new era. Make the resolution, and launch a new era of light in which all may bask. Hope and light are in your hands on this Diwali day. If we can take a pledge on this Diwali Day to truly be the light and help bring in an era of Rama Rajya, then the lights of our lamps will continue to burn not only for a few hours but on and on throughout the year and for years to come.
On this holy day of Diwali, I pray that you will take this opportunity to examine your own lives and take a pledge to ll your lives – every word, every thought and every action — with light, thereby bringing light and life to others.
May the light of love and devotion shine brightly in your hearts.
May the light of understanding shine in your minds. May the light of harmony glow in your home. May the light of service shine forth ceaselessly from your hands.
May your presence light the lamps of love wherever you go.
May your smile, your words and your actions be as sweet as the sweets of this festive season.
May Maha Laxmi bring you the true wealth of health, happiness, peace and prosperity
upon you and all your loved ones.
With love and blessings to you always, In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
