Dear ones, we celebrate Diwali, which is a joyous festival, on the twenty first of October. It is a much-loved festival. We light lamps at night, children get fire crackers, new clothes, women buy jewelry, eat lots of sweets and many of us gamble on Diwali night.
The gambling for fun is an ancient tradition of the playing of cards. It goes back to Shiva and Parvati playing with dice. Parvati won all of his divine possessions, his crescent moon, his serpent garland and his loin cloth. They had an argument and Parvati further won his drum and meditation cloth. The symbolism of the game is of the cosmic interplay between consciousness (Shiva) and Parvati (Prakriti). It is said that those who gambol on Diwali will prosper.
What is the actual reality behind this beautiful festival?
According to Swami Satyananda, Diwali’s true meaning is an inner celebration of the soul’s light, which surpasses external illuminations. He teaches that the festival’s external tradition of cleaning, decorating and lighting lamps are symbolic of awakening the inner spiritual light of the Self through meditation and introspection, leading to enlightenment and eternal bliss. He encourages people to let go of inner darkness, such as ignorance and selfish qualities, to align with the light of the divine love and realize the truth of the soul.
Diwali is a time of inner reflection and spiritual growth, focusing on removing inner darkness and embracing light. – Swami Sivananda
Light and truth persist even in the face of darkness and untruth. – Mahatma Gandhi
It is never too late to honor, respect and follow what is said by the Gurus. They say that Diwali is a time of inner purification. We need to remain consistent in applying these principles to our daily, ongoing life.
- Introspection
- Reflection
- Awareness
- Truth
- Atmabhava
Take even one and you will find a change overcoming you. All our festivals teach us to remove our internal ignorance.
Aim Hrim Klim
Photo by Tanusree Mitra on Unsplash