The grand festival of lights, Diwali, is coming soon, bringing with it a chain of festive celebrations that will fill every home with joy. Most of us are well aware that traditionally Diwali is celebrated after Naraka Chaturdashi, the day that marks the destruction of the demon of body-consciousness, symbolising the victory of divine consciousness over darkness. Hence, Diwali is not merely a festival of lamps but a remembrance of Satya Yuga, the Golden Age, when every soul was self-lit and divine in nature.
During the three days of Diwali, a simple earthen lamp becomes sacred when filled with oil and wick and set aflame. People bow to it, place its light reverently on their forehead, and even offer wealth before it. But once its oil is consumed and the flame extinguishes, that same lamp is thrown away. In a similar way, the human body too is but an earthen vessel. When the light of the soul shines within, nourished by the oil of divine knowledge, that person becomes revered and radiant. But when the soul departs, the body, like the extinguished lamp, returns to soil. Therefore, Diwali is a reminder to illuminate the soul with the flame of wisdom, making life worshipable.
This year, as countless lamps would flicker in homes and cities would glitter with electric brilliance, as millions would be spent on fireworks and celebrations, let us pause and ask ourselves, ‘Will any of these lights ignite the lamp of someone’s heart? Will the cries of the forgotten be replaced with laughter in homes once filled with sorrow?’ Sadly, in our excitement to celebrate, very few of us ever pause to reflect on these deeper questions. So, if you wish to celebrate a truly meaningful Diwali this year, then along with lighting your home, take a vow to light the lamp of the soul in yourself and in others. Instead of spending thousands on fireworks that fade in seconds, try lighting a lamp of knowledge and hope in the life of even one orphan, one poor or deprived soul.
The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal and the UK, and has written more than 8,000 columns. He can be contacted at nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com
