Diwali -- The
Season of Light
11-05-00
As
far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a
light in the darkness of mere being.
Carl
Jung
Light
is the symbol of truth.
James
Russell Lowell
“The
night is black
Kindle
the lamp of LOVE
With
thy life and devotion."
Rabindranath
Tagore has so aptly put forth the true significance of Diwali in these beautiful
lines! Let us each begin to light the candles here to my left together. (Group
rises and lights Diwali candles.)
Diwali is the
most beautiful and the grandest festival of joy and heralds the advent of Kartik
the holiest month in the Hindu calendar. Diwali, also called the festival of
lights, is believed to lead us into Truth and Light is celebrated on a
nation-wide scale on Amavasya – which is the 15th day of the dark fortnight of
the Hindu month of Ashwin which falls by our calendar sometime in October or
November every year. Amavasya is
the New Moon, when the skies are darkest, and at this time of the year the
monsoons end and the Sun returns for the Winter.
Diwali truly
is a microcosm of the ancient Hindu culture of India.
It is believed that Diwali teaches us to wake up in life and to vanquish
the ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away the darkness that engulfs
the light of spiritual knowledge and Love.
The word
"Diwali" is a version of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" -
Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and
indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home – humble or
glamorous - the mud hut or the stone mansion - is alit with the orange glow of
twinkling diyas-small earthen lamps - to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and
prosperity. Multi-colored Rangoli designs, floral decorations and fireworks are
picturesque and lend grandeur to this festival which heralds joy, mirth and
happiness in the ensuring year.
This festival
is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all the regions of India and is looked
upon mainly as the beginning of New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the
celestial consort of Lord Vishnu are invoked with prayers. Countries such as
Thailand, Trinidad, Siam and Malaysia celebrate this festival each in their own
ways.
The Diwali
festival dates back to before history was written, and in its progress through
the centuries it is believed Diwali lighted the path of thousands in attaining
the ultimate good and the experience of bliss.
Diwali is
very enthusiastically celebrated for five continuous days and each day has its
significance with a number of myths, legends and spiritual beliefs attached to
each day of the festival. While I describe each day, think of what parallel
experience you could bring into your own life to deepen your spiritual practice
and honor the principles assigned to that day..
WEALTH
The First day
is called DHANTERAS or DHANTRAYODASHI which falls on the
thirteenth day of the month of Ashwin. The word "Dhan" means wealth.
This first day of the festival has a great importance for the rich mercantile
community of Western India. Houses and Business premises are renovated and
decorated. Entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli
designs to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her
long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion
powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.
Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at
least one or two new utensils. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the
evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil
spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Lakshmi are
sung and traditional sweets are offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar
custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds and make an offering
of it to Lakshmi. Imagine cooking with this coriander during the year after it
has been blessed through Darshan with the Goddess Lakshmi!
In villages
cattle are adorned and worshipped by farmers as they form the main source of
their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed
to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and
worshipped on this day.
A very
interesting story about this day is of the sixteen year old son of King Hima.
According to his horoscope, he was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth
day of his marriage. On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young
wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and
silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's bed chamber and
lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on and on, telling
stories and singing songs without end. When Yam, the god of Death arrived there
in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant
lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the
heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the
melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved
her husband from the clutches of death. Since then this day of Dhanteras came to
be known as the day of "YAMADEEPDAAN" and lamps are kept burning
throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yam, the god of Death.
French
poet, John Pettit-Senn wisely
said: “Not what we have, But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” This
young wife gave all she had within her for the husband she enjoyed.
This is the way to give ourselves to God, completely and sweetly, without
concern that we are giving everything away.
So what if we were, as it turns out, she lost nothing and was empowered
to keep her husband from death through her demonstration of faith and devotion.
Let us now
observe how Arati is performed. (Waves offerings for Lakshmi, inviting
Darshan)
JOY AND
LAUGHTER
The SECOND
day is called NARKA-CHATURDASHI or CHOTI DIWAL which falls on the
fourteenth day of the month of Ashwin.
The story
goes that the demon king Narakasur, the ruler of a province to the South of
Nepal, after defeating Lord Indra had snatched away the magnificent earrings of
Aditi, the Mother Goddess, and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods
and saints in his harem. On the day previous to CHOTI DIWAL, Lord Krishna
killed the demon and liberated the imprisoned damsels and also recovered those
precious earrings of Aditi. As a symbol of that victory, Lord Krishna smeared
his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home in the very
early morning of CHOTI DIWAL. The womenfolk massaged scented oil to his
body and gave him a good bath to wash away the filth from his body. Since then
the custom of taking bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional
practice specially in Maharashtra.
In
Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste)
of graham flour and fragrant powders are a `must'. All through the ritual of
baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are engaged to entertain and
teach the children to enjoy the bathing. Afterwards steamed vermicelli with milk
and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served.
Another
legend is about King Bali of the nether world whose mighty power had become a
threat to the gods. In order to curb his powers Lord Vishnu in the guise of a
Batu Waman- a small boy- visited him and begged him to give him only that much
land which he could cover with his three steps. Known for his philanthropy King
Bali proudly granted him his wish. That very moment that small boy transformed
himself into the all-powerful Lord Vishnu. With his first step Lord Vishnu
covered the entire heaven and with the second step the earth and asked Bali
where to keep his third step. Bali offered his head. Putting his foot on his
head Vishnu pushed him down to the underworld. At the same time for his
generosity Lord Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to return
to earth once a year to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and
ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom.
CHOTI
DIWAL, therefore is dedicated to lights and prayers heralding a future full
of joy and laughter. Given the stories we have heard, the “dark night of the
soul” comes to mind, then release into joy and laughter!
Isn’t this really very much like taking a challenge or a problem into
treatment for solution.
The THIRD
day of the festival of Diwali is the most important day of LAKSHMI-PUJA
which is entirely devoted to the propitiation of the Goddess Lakshmi. This day
is also known by the name of " CHOTI DIWAL ". On this very day,
the sun enters its second course and passes Libra which is represented by the
balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra is believed to have suggested the
balancing of account books and their closing.
The day of
Lakshmi-Puja falls on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds
of bells and drums float from the temples as humankind invokes Goddess Lakshmi
in a wondrous holy invitation into their hearts. All of a sudden, it is as if an
impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment
and the next moment, a blaze of light descends down to earth from heaven as a
golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi, or the Goddess Lakshmi as a light-being, steps down
on earth in all her celestial glory amidst chantings of Vedic hymns. A living
luminance of Universal Motherhood envelopes the entire world in that blessed
moment of dream fulfillment. A sublime light of the deepest spiritual knowledge
dawns upon humanity and the devotion of humankind finally transcends ignorance.
This self-enlightenment is expressed through the twinkling lamps that illuminate
the palaces of the wealthy as well as the lowly abodes of the poor.
It is
believed that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields and loiters
through the bye-lanes and showers her blessings on man for plenty and
prosperity. When the sun sets in the evening and ceremonial worship is finished
all the home-made sweets are symbolically offered to the goddess and are later
distributed as "PRASAD," gifts believed to be blessed by Lakshmi that
are then consumed. Feasts are arranged and gifts are exchanged on this day.
Gaily dressed men, women and children go to temples and fairs, visit
friends and relatives. Everything is gay, golden and glitters!
The
willingness to receive is present and the Law of Circulation is realized on this
day of Lakshmi Puja. Goethe said “He
who is plenteously provided for from within, needs but little from without.” This
is a most auspicious day in the religious history of Hinduism.
It is
believed that on this propitious day, Lord Krishna, around whom revolved the
entire story of the great epic, the Mahabharata, and the philosopher, who taught
Karma Yoga through his Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra,
discarded his body.
Bhagwan
Mahavir, the Jain prophet also attained Nirvana on this day.
Swami
Ramtirth, the beloved "Ram Badshah" of millions of Indians was not
only born on this day and took "Sanyas," the vows of a holy mendicant,
but also reached Samadhi on this day.
Swami
Dayanand Saraswati, founder of Brahma-Samaj with his superb yogic powers
expelled his soul from his body and mingled with divinity on this auspicious day
of Diwali.
Hindis kindle
innumerable lights on this day to immortalize the sacred memories of these great
souls who lived to bring enlightenment into the lives of millions of their
fellow beings.
One very
interesting story about this Diwali is
from Kathopanishad of a small boy called Nichiketa who believed that Yam, the
god of Death was as black as the dark night of the new moon, Amavasya. But when
he met Yam in person he was puzzled seeing Yam's calm countenance and dignified
stature. Yam explained to Nichiketa on this Diwali day of amavasya that by only
passing through the darkness of death, man sees the light of highest wisdom and
then only his soul can escape from the bondage of his mortal frame to mingle
with the Supreme Power without whose will not an at ton moves in the world. And
then Nichiketa realised the importance of worldly life and significance of
death. Nichiketa's doubts were set to rest and he wholeheartedly participated in
Diwali celebrations. This is a
wonderful metaphor for meditation practice when one, in a sense, dies to the
world and joins the light of the inner self.
The FOURTH
day is PADWA marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat
was started on the day of Padwa.
The people of
Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshipped him
after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna
stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra, who in terrific anger sent a
deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the
Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella.
This day is
also observed as Annakoot, meaning mountain of food. In temples the deities are
given milk baths, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling
diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. After the prayers and
traditional worship innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously
raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as an offering, and then the
devotees approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it.
Goddess
Lakshmi is worshipped in every Hindu household and her blessings sought for
success and happiness. This day is looked upon as the most auspicious day to
start any new venture. In many Hindu homes it is a custom for the wife to put
the red tilak on the forehead of her husband, garland him and do his "Arati,
the waving of lamps, offerings and other ritual objects before a sacred image
--on this day, the Goddess Lakshmi, with a prayer for his long life. In
appreciation of all the tender care that the wife showers on him, the husband
gives her a costly gift. This Gudi Padwa is symbolic of love and devotion
between the wife and husband. On this day newly-married daughters with their
husbands are invited for special meals and given presents. In olden days
brothers went to fetch their sisters from their in-laws home for this important
day.
The FIFTH
and final day of the Diwali Festival is known by the name of "BHAYYA-DUJ."
As the legend goes Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yami on this
particular day. She put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, garlanded him and
led him with special dishes and both of them together ate the sweets, talked and
enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, while parting Yamraj gave her a
special gift as a token of his love and in return Yami also gave him a lovely
gift which she had made with her own hands. That day Yamraj announced that
anyone who receives tilak from his sister will never be fearful. That is why
this day of Bhayyaduj is also known by the name of "YAMA-DWITIYA"
Since then this day is being observed as a symbol of love between sisters and
brothers. It became also imperative for the brother to go to his sister's house
to celebrate Bhayyaduj.
What a
wonderful idea, the celebrating of this day dedicated to continuing to maintain
the love between brothers and sisters for it is the day of food-sharing,
gift-giving and reaching within to the inner most depths of the heart with those
who have known us longest.
Diwali on the
whole has always been the festival with more social than religious connotations,
just as our Western celebration of Christmas has, and yet, in the midst of the
rituals and repetition, there is the heart of spiritual practice. It is a
personal, people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and
friends meet, enjoy and establish a world of closeness, all within a tradition
that celebrates the triumph of light over dark, knowledge over ignorance.
Wayne Dyer
says that “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we
tune into.” In this, we tune in now to the deeper meaning of Diwali,
that light always dispels darkness, that there is a spiritual remedy for the
ignorance of truth and it is universally available.
Celebrate
this sacred space
Not
because the space is sacred
Any
space, in any place
Could
be.
Celebrate
because this place
Is
where the veil hiding my face
Dropped
And
let the healing grace
Invade
my secret spaces.
Linda
Bailey
(Dispense
Prasad)
Thank
you for being here today!
Emerson
Center for
