It’s a few days before nearly a billion people on the earth will observe the Deepavali festival. After a scorching day, the mystical waning moon gently rose in the heavens struggling to counterbalance the brilliant sun as it dipped in the aqueous horizon. It did not take long for the fleeting colours of dusk to fade away and darkness to envelope the landscape. Darkness took charge and with its rule came a sense of peace, tranquillity and a sense of calmness. In many descriptions of Mother Kali - poets have emphasised beauty, splendour, compassion and tranquillity through Her dark complexion. Unlike the rigidity of certain schools that in the contrast of light and darkness tend to stigmatise darkness with all evil and light with all good. I am grateful and appreciative to be born to a lineage of great saints and sages who have dedicated their life’s breath to the study and understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe and have presented to us a very objective, unbiased and indifferent view that seeks not to destroy unity and harmony but to unite.
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The collective scripts of all these experiences and study catalogued under the subject called ‘Hinduism’ is an expansive library which seems to be slowly relegated to ineffectiveness taking into consideration the experiences and struggles by practitioners of Hinduism. On the backdrop of rising income levels and the rising middle class - at the very edge, success or progress is defined merely on material advancement. Paradoxically, there is an accompaniment of stress and discontentment fuelled by the terrible twins of lust and greed. After being associated with teachings and philosophy of Hinduism for as long as I could cognise, I am currently ready to deduce for myself that there is a common message that courses through all festivals, celebrations and observances or maybe put forth that all these festivals, fasts and rituals were created to convey that message to humanity.
Preceding Deepavali, there was a concentrate of religious fervour through Gita Week, Purutassi, and Navarathri. As much as the flavours differentiated over the 3, the sweetness or nectar is consistent. So even with Deepavali - where there is confusion amongst many as to whether Deepavali is about Lord Rama, Lord Krishna or Mother Luxmi - there is a resultant distilled truth and that is the goal of our sadhana.
My deduction is that religion is a tool to assist one lead a conscious life. That it is the precursor or prerequisite for any form of idea from the philosophy to help transform and elevate one spiritually. It is therefore not surprising that Sri Ramakrishna on that auspicious Kalpatru Day when His spiritual mood was at its highest, gave blessing to the devotees: “Tomader Chaitanya Houk” which translates to “let your consciousness be spiritually illumined”. Swami Vivekananda thundered the iconic words: “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached”. These words refer to the rising and awakening of our consciousness.
Human beings are supposed to exhibit very high levels of consciousness which should enable them to easily transcend the manifest world and dwell in the realm of spiritual ecstasy. Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother and many other saints at will could enter into a state of absolute bliss. That potential lies within every man and woman equally. That is why Swami Vivekananda time- and-time-again said that “each soul is potentially divine”.
The challenge is that we have attained like Mahishasura (the demon with buffalo head and human body vanquished by the Divine Mother) a human body but operate at the consciousness of an animal. The consciousness of an animal is to satisfy its hunger and procreate. Many human beings also just work to feed themselves and procreate. They engage in no higher activity that can benefit themselves or society to achieve that level where one experiences the absolute truth, consciousness and bliss which essentially is the oneness with God (satchidananda).
Joy found in this world is ephemeral, joy found in the divine consciousness is eternal. There is no doubt about this and by reading the lives of these great highly conscious beings, one can get a true grasp of this concept. Swami Vivekananda suffered terrible hardships in His life yet He had such an inspired positive outlook. Sri Ramakrishna was in excruciating pain because of His illness yet his joy, compassion and love flowed unbound for the service of all.
Our great saints and religious practices are here to teach us this art - the art of conscious living. No matter what situation this world may place before you, you will always exhibit love, be positive, compassionate and steadfast in your goal of spiritual growth.
Every parent on this earth has the power to produce the avatar or a menace to society by raising a child to become a Lord Krishna or Duryodhan, a Lord Rama or Ravana. It all depends on the level of consciousness you raise your child with. The world we live in is the sum result of all parenting. Should every Mother and Father raise a Lord Rama or Lord Krishna then peace, harmony and prosperity will always be present.
As we light the lamps for Deepavali this year or fireworks into the dark sky… let us remember there is a source of ecstasy deep within all of us being subdued by the extensive gratification of the senses. Let the light of Deepavali awaken this consciousness within us. Let it rise to the surface and help us to live like divine beings in a human experience, is my sincere prayer. Be truthful, be conscious and be in bliss. A blessed Deepavali to all of humanity!!!
