deepavali (21/10/2006)

DEEPAVALI (21/10/2006)
SAI RAM, WE THE GROUP THREE YEAR ONE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT DEEPAVALI.
BHARATHIYA FESTIVALS AND HOLY DAYS ARE DESIGNED TO REVEAL THE GREATNESS AND
INTEGRITY OF INDIAN CULTURE. FAILING TO RECOGNISE THE INNER SIGNIFICANCE AND
POWER OF THIS IMMEMORIAL CULTURE, THE NATION HAS DRIFTED INTO A PURPOSELESS
EXISTENCE. ALL THESE FESTIVALS HAVE A PROFOUND MEANING AND PURPOSE.
BUT NO EARNEST EFFORT IS MADE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR INNER MEANING
AND DEEPER OBJECTIVES. THESE HOLY DAYS AND FESTIVALS ARE INTENDED TO
CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAYS OF AVATARS AND SAINTS AND TO MARK THE
DESTRUCTION OF EVIL AND WICKED FORCES. THE ANCIENTS OBSERVED THESE
OCCASIONS TO HONOUR THE MEMORY OF THE GREAT SOULS AND TO REMEMBER
HOW THE DEMONIC FORCES WERE VANQUISHED.
DIWALI OR DEEPAVALI MEANS FESTIVAL OF LIGHT AND DIWALI COMES FROM
THE WORD DEEPAVALI MEANING LIGHT OF FLAME.THE SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE
LONG LINE OF LAMPS HUNG IN THE HOMES DURING DEEPAVALI, REPRESENTS THE
INDIVIDUAL HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE BORN OUT OF ONE PARAMATMA. IT MEANS
THAT WE ARE ALL EMANATED FROM ONE ORIGINAL SORCE OF LIGHT. EACH ONE
OF US IS A JYOTI, LIT BY THE INITIAL PARAMAJYOTI. THOUGH BILLIONS OF
LAMPS ARE LIT FROM THE FLAME OF THE ONE PRINCIPLE JYOTI, IT STILL
RETAINS IT’S SPLENDOUR.
THE DATE OF DIWALI IS SET BY THE HINDU CALENDAR AND SO THE DATE VARIES, BUT IT
NORMALLY FALLS IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.THIS YEAR IT WAS CELEBRATED ON THE 21ST
OF OCTOBER.
IN NORTH INDIA, DIWALI CELEBRATES THE RETURN OF SRI RAMA, MOTHER SITA AND
LAKSHMANA TO AYODHYA.THE STORY OF THE RAMAYANA IN BRIEF IS THAT AYODHYA WAS
RULED BY A FAIR AND JUST KING CALLED DASARATHA.ONE DAY, ONE OF HIS THREE WIVES
DEMANDED THE EXILE OF SRI RAMA TO THE FOREST FOR FOURTEEN
YEARS.THE KING AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF AYODHYA WERE UNHAPPY DURING
THIS PERIOD OF SRI RAMA’S ABSENCE.BUT WHEN HE RETURNED HOME TO
AYODHYA WITH MOTHER SITA AND LAKSHMANA, JOY WAS RESTORED TO
THE CITY OF AYODHYA.THE RETURN OF SRI RAMA WAS CELEBRATED IN THE
CITY BY LIGHTING OF OIL LAMPS CALLED DIYAS AND THESE WERE PLACED IN
ROWS IN WINDOWS, DOORS AND OUTSIDE BUILDINGS.
IN SOUTH INDIA, DIWALI CELEBRATES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DEMON NARAKA BY
LORD KRSNA AND HIS WIFE SATHYABAMA.NARAKASURA WAS A MAN WHO
INDULGED IN ALL VICES AND SINS ON EARTH.HE ENJOYED LOOTING AND
PLUNDERING AND ONCE IMPRISONED 16,000 DAMSELS. HIS EVIL WAYS
BECAME UNBEARABLE THAT HIS OWN MOTHER PRAYED TO LORD KRSNA TO
DESTROY HIM. A BATTLE ENSUED BETWEEN THE TWO AND KRSNA KILLED
NARAKASURA AND FREED THE DAMSELS. BECAUSE OF THIS LIBERATION
PEOPLE WAKE UP VERY EARLY ON THIS DAY AND LIGHT LAMPS ALL OVER THEIR
HOMES, TO INDICATE THE END OF THE DARK DAYS OF THE DEMON.
ALTHOUGH MAN HAS COME FROM MADHAVA (GOD), HE IS ENVELOPED IN A BHRAMA
(DELUSION) WHICH OBSCURES THE BRAHMA (DIVINITY) WITHIN HIM. SO
LONG AS ONE IS IN THE GRIP OF THIS DELUSION ONE CANNOT
UNDERSTAND GOD. BECAUSE OF THIS DELUSION ONE GETS ATTACHED TO
THE BODY AND DEVELOPS LIMITLESS DESIRES. THIS LEADS TO THE GROWTH
OF THE ASURA (DEMONIC) NATURE IN HIM. IN THE WORD "NARA" MEANING
MAN, "NA" MEANS "NO" AND "RA" MEANS "DESTRUCTION." SO, THE TERM
"NARA" DESCRIBES MAN AS ONE WITHOUT DESTRUCTION (THAT IS, ONE
WHO IS ETERNAL). WHEN THE LETTER "KA" IS ADDED TO "NARA" IT BECOMES
"NARAKA," HELL, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF HEAVEN. WHEN ONE DESCENDS
TO THE DEMONIC LEVEL, HE FORGETS DIVINITY AND FOLLOWS THE PATH TO HELL. THE
DIVINE IS REALISED BY PURSUING THE SPIRITUAL PATH (THE AATMIC PATH). ACCORDING
TO THE PURANIC STORY, NARAKAASURA IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED ON THIS DAY
OF DEEPAVALI (NARAKA CHATHURDHASI). NARAKAASURA WAS A DEMON FILLED WITH
ATTACHMENT TO BODILY PLEASURES. HE WAS FULL OF BAD QUALITIES LIKE LUST, ANGER
AND GREED. HE WAS A TERROR TO WOMEN AND PERPETRATED MANY EVIL DEEDS, INVITING
HIS OWN DESTRUCTION AT THE HANDS OF A WOMAN, SATHYABHAMA, THE CONSORT OF
SRI KRISHNA.
IT IS WORTHY OF NOTE THAT THE LORD GAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SATHYABHAMA
ONLY AFTER SUBJECTING HER TO A CLEANSING PROCESS TO RID HER OF HER PRIDE AND
JEALOUSY AS REVEALED IN THE TULABHAARAM EPISODE, WHERE SATHYABHAMA WAS
ADVISED BY NARADA TO MAKE A GIFT OF KRISHNA TO HIM AND WIN HIM BACK BY
OFFERING AN EQUIVALENT WEIGHT OF GOLD AND JEWELLERY. WHEN SATHYABHAMA
OFFERED ALL THE VALUABLES SHE POSSESSED, IT HAD NO EFFECT. ULTIMATELY A TULASI
LEAF OFFERED BY RUKMINI WITH A PRAYER TO KRISHNA TILTED THE BALANCE. THEREBY
SATHYABHAMA WAS CURED OF HER PRIDE AND JEALOUSY.
IN KERALA, DIWALI CELEBRATES THE INCARNATION OF VAMANA AND THE BLESSINGS HE
BESTOWED ON BALI, THE DEMON KING AFTER DESTROYING HIS PRIDE.
IN THE BENGAL AREA OF INDIA, GODDESS KALI IS CELEBRATED DURING DIWALI
TIME. ON THIS DAY, BENGALIS USUALLY FAST FOR THE WHOLE DAY AND BREAK
THEIR FAST AFTER KALI PUJA.
DIWALI IS ALSO A SIKH FESTIVAL, IT CELEBRATES THE RELEASE FROM PRISON OF
THE SIXTH GURU; HARGOBIND SINGH IN 1619.WHEN HARGOBIND SINGH ARRIVED AT
THE HOLY CITY OF AMRITSAR, SIKHS LIT CANDLES AND OIL LAMPS TO WELCOME
HIM.THE MUSLIM EMPEROR JAHANGIR, WHO RULED IN INDIA FROM 1605 TO 1627 DID
NOT LIKE THE SIKHS OR HINDUS. HE DECIDED TO IMPRISON THE SIXTH GURU AND 52
HINDU KINGS IN HIS FORTRESS. MANY PEOPLE BEGGED THE EMPEROR TO RELEASE THE
GURU AND THE EMPEROR EVENTUALLY AGREED. HOWEVER, THE GURU REFUSED TO BE
RELEASED UNLESS THE HINDU KINGS WERE ALSO FREED. THE EMPEROR RELUCTANTLY
AGREED AND HARGOBIND SINGH AND THE 52 KINGS WERE FREED ON DIWALI DAY.
DIWALI IS CELEBRATED BY THE JAIN COMMUNITY.JAINS CELEBRATE THE
ATTAINMENT OF NIRVANA BY MAHAVIR SWAMI, WHO WAS THE 24TH AND LAST
SAINT OF THE PRESENT TIMECYCLE. IN THE EARLY MORNING OF THE PREVIOUS DAY,
MAHAVIR COMMENCED HIS LAST SERMON; WHICH LASTED FOR FORTY-EIGHT
HOURS. AT MIDNIGHT, HE LEFT HIS EARTHLY BODY AND ATTAINED
NIRVANA.EIGHTEEN KINGS, WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME, DECIDED THAT THE
LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE WOULD BE KEPT ALIVE SYMBOLICALLY BY THE LIGHTING OF
LAMPS. WE TOO SHOULD LIGHT UP OUR INTERNAL LAMPS – AWAKEN OUR FAITH BY
FOLLOWING THE PATH SHOWN BY MAHAVIR SWAMI.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR CELEBRATING DIWALI IN DIFFERENT
AREAS, THEY ALL HAVE A LOT IN COMMON. THEY ALL CELEBRATE GOOD OVER EVIL,
LIGHT OVER DARKNESS, LIFE OVER DEATH. IT IS A TIME OF HOPE AND NEW
BEGINNINGS.
SWAMI HAS SAID ON DEEPAVALI:
THE INNER MEANING UNDERLYING THE BHARATHIYA FESTIVALS SHOULD BE RIGHTLY
UNDERSTOOD. NOTE, FOR INSTANCE, THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE ARRAY OF LAMPS ARE LIT
BY THE LIGHT FROM ONE LAMP. THAT ONE LAMP SYMBOLISES THE SUPREME EFFULGENT
LORD. THE OTHERS SYMBOLISE THE LIGHT IN INDIVIDUAL SELVES. THE TRUTH OF
THE VEDIC SAYING, "THE ONE WILLED TO BECOME THE MANY" IS EXEMPLIFIED BY
THE LIGHTING OF LAMPS BY THE FLAME OF ONE. THE DEEPAVALI FESTIVAL THUS
BEARS OUT THE PROFOUNDEST SPIRITUAL TRUTH. THE LAMP POINTS TO ANOTHER
SIGNIFICANT FACT. WHEREVER IT MAY BE PLACED, THE FLAME GOES UPWARDS ONLY
AND NEVER MOVES DOWN. LIKEWISE, THE FLAME OF JNANA (SPIRITUAL WISDOM)
LEADS ONE TO A SUBLIME LEVEL THROUGH THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
FOUR ELEMENTS REQUIRED TO LIGHT THE INNER LAMP
IF YOU WANT TO LIGHT A LAMP, YOU NEED FOUR THINGS. FIRST A CONTAINER, SECOND
OIL, THIRD A WICK AND FOURTH A MATCH BOX. IF ANY ONE OF THESE IS
LACKING, YOU CANNOT LIGHT THE LAMP. THIS LAMP CAN, HOWEVER, REMOVE
ONLY THE OUTSIDE DARKNESS. HOW IS THE DARKNESS IN THE HEART TO BE
REMOVED? IT CAN BE REMOVED ONLY BY JNANA JYOTHI (THE LIGHT OF
WISDOM) AND BY NOTHING ELSE. HOW IS THIS LIGHT OF WISDOM, THIS
SPIRITUAL LIGHT, TO BE LIT? THIS ALSO NEEDS FOUR ELEMENTS. VAIRAGYA
(DETACHMENT) IS THE CONTAINER. BHAKTI (DEVOTION) IS THE OIL. EKAGRATA (ONEPOINTED CONCENTRATION) IS THE WICK. JNANA (KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUPREME TRUTH) IS
THE MATCH STICK. WITHOUT ALL THE FOUR, THE LIGHT OF SPIRITUAL WISDOM CANNOT
BE GOT. OF THE FOUR, THE PRIMARY REQUISITE IS THE SPIRIT OF VAIRAGYA
(RENUNCIATION). WITHOUT THIS DETACHMENT, ALL KNOWLEDGE OF SCRIPTURES IS OF
NO AVAIL. WHAT IS THIS DETACHMENT? IT IS THE ABSENCE OF ATTACHMENT TO THE
BODY. THE EGO-FEELING, WHICH MAKES ONE THINK OF THE "I" ALL THE TIME,
SHOULD BE GIVEN UP. THE SENSE OF MAMAKARA (POSSESSIVENESS) AND THE
EGO-FEELING ARE THE CAUSES OF RAGA (ATTACHMENT). HOW IS THIS DISEASE
OF ATTACHMENT TO BE ERADICATED? BY THE PROCESS OF SELF-ENQUIRY. WHEN
YOU REALISE THE IMPERMANENCE OF THE BODY AND ALL THE SENSORY
EXPERIENCES, YOU ACQUIRE THE SENSE OF VAIRAGYA (DETACHMENT). IT ONLY
MEANS YOU SHOULD DISCHARGE YOUR DUTIES, TREATING THE BODY AS A GODGIVEN INSTRUMENT FOR THIS PURPOSE. "PAROPAKAARAARTHAM IDAM SAREERAM" (THIS
BODY IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING OTHERS). IT SHOULD NOT BE USED SOLELY FOR
SELFISH ENDS.
DEEPAVALI HAS TO BE OBSERVED AS A DAY FOR GETTING RID OF ALL THE BAD
QUALITIES IN US, SYMBOLISED BY THE DEMON NARAKASURA. THE GOPIKAS WHO
WERE FREED ON THAT DAY REPRESENT THE IMPRISONED GOOD QUALITIES IN US.
THEY SHOULD BE MANIFESTED EFFULGENTLY. THIS IS THE INNER SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE FESTIVAL. AS LONG AS THE DEMONIC QUALITIES REMAIN IN MAN, HE
WILL BE IMMERSED IN DARKNESS. BAD QUALITIES AND THOUGHTS HAVE TO BE
GOT RID OF ALTOGETHER. I DESIRE THAT OUR FESTIVALS AND THE HOLY DAYS SHOULD BE
OBSERVED IN THE FIGHT SPIRIT, WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR INNER
SIGNIFICANCE. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NARAKASURA SYMBOLISES THE DESTRUCTION
OF EVIL AND THE RESTORATION OF WHAT IS GOOD.
WE THE GROUP 3 YEAR 1 WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU ALL A VERY HOLY AND HAPPY
DEEPAVALI.
SAI RAM