Deepavali

 The festival of lights that brings inner light

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 Please click here for the PDF version of the Deepavali eBook

Free download at store.rightawareness.com 

  

 Deepavali is the festivals of lights, the Symbol of Self-Awareness-Energy, which dispels the darkness of ignorance, and enlighten the five faculties of us, the Body, Mind, Intelligence, Self-Awareness and the Universal-Consciousness and the know how of using them efficiently to make life happy.

 How to celebrate Deepavali?

2022 Deepawali 

Due to Thithi this year there will be change in the sequence of events

22nd Oct  -Saturday Night India time  2022- (Starts from 6:03 PM to 6.02 PM Oct 23rd 2022)

Do Dhana Triyodashi  in the Evening

 

23rd Oct  -Sunday Night India time  2022- (Starts from 6:03 PM to 6.02 PM )
Naraka Chathurdashi and  Yama- pooja in Evening

24th Oct  -Monday 

Naraka Chathurdashi- pooja
(Take oil bath) 

Evening  India time  2022- (Starts from 5:28 PM)
Lakshmi Pooja (Ammavasya Night)

25th Oct  -Tuesday 

Pitru done in morning  

Gowri Pooja


26th Oct  -wednesday  - (Pratipada )
Govardhan pooja

and  Bhai Dhooj Pooja


For details of how to celebrate visit  deepavali.rightawareness.com 

  

Do five vows of positive actions. 

 

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1st Day:  In the evening, make any food made of Urid dal, like urid dal fry (udhundhu vadai) and place on all the 8 directions and 5 pancha bhoothas. Then light the YAMA DEEPAM facing towards south for ancestors and chant 108 times Rama naama (AUM Shree Raama Jayam)  or Shiva naama (AUM Namah Shivaya).
 
Place a pot full of water with tulsi as Ganga [do aavaahanam] and keep a cup of sesame oil [Do Dhanvanthri aavaahanam] in pooja room and chant Dhanvanthri mantra (See # 21 in this link).
 
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  I vow to eat only healthy foods free from toxins. 
 
2nd Day: In the dawn or morning - Naraga chathurdasi - Take oil bath with the previous day invoked Ganga theertha and chant the names of Ganga and imagine that you are cleansing yourself in Kasi. (See # 21 in this link).
 
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 I vow to entertain only positive thoughts in my mind.
 
Chant  Vishnu sahasranaama (See # 21 in this link)., Annapoorani ashtothram (See # 21 in this link)., Shiva ashthotram (See # 21 in this link), Ganga sooktham (See # 21 in this link). and wear new garments and enjoy Deepawali.  
 
3rd Day - Ammavasya - Lakshmi Pooja. Keep Khalasa and invoke Lakshmi Energy for prosperity, Gowri (Parvathy) for Family relationships and Saraswathy for good education and higher evolution.  Chant Lalitha sahasranaama) or  Thrisadhi). 
 
 
 
 
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 I vow to increase my prosperity/ luck Energy.
 
Evening do Mahalaxmi pooja (chanting  108 names of lakshmi ), kanaka dhara sthothra (See # 22 in this link).  Place all objects of wealth (gold coins, ornaments) before Devi. Put rangoli and place lamps and celebrate Deepawali.
However in the morning it is very good to do Pitru Pooja, then take bath again. This is a way to get more blessings. 
 
4th Day - Pray to Lord Vishnu who came to accept the sacrifice of Mahabali and rewarded him with the status of Indra. Lord vishnu also protected the villagers of Brindavan, from the wrath of Indra  by lifting the govardhan hill. So, pray to that Vishnu who is in the form of clouds, rain God and a natural source to get enough rain and water. However for prosperity in life, pray to Vishnu to do sacrificial acts of giving donations, charities and doing selfless actions for the welfare of everyone. Only then, Lakshmi gives the Bhagya, the luck Energy. More about Mahabali, sacrifice, Lakshmi and Vishnu is seen in this link of Onam. Chant   or read Bhagavad Gita or kanaka dhara sthothra (See # 22 in this link).
 
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I vow to have awareness of doing selfless and socially responsible charity actions.
 
5th Day - Sisters please tie rakhi to brothers (biological and community brothers) and brothers give sweets to sisters  (biological and community sisters)  for Universal peace of the world. This is also the day to show gratitude to those who contributed and influenced your life positively.
 
If you have disagreement or misunderstanding, today is the day to call them or visit them and apologize and mend the relationships. Forgiving others is for your own benefit. It saves your luck energy being used to think negatively on others. Negative thoughts is wasting of your luck energy. So cleanse it out on this last day of deepavali for enjoying the next year round of happiness and prosperity in life.  Chant Lokah Samasthaha Sukhino Bhavanthu.
 
 
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  I vow to be conscious of world as my family.
 
 

 

In English

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In Tamil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMKic4MBXC4

Calculus Rangoli

 This is a presentation done at Maharishi University of Management (MUM) Deepavali celebration -2015

Pranav: karan...its getting late, hurry up, we need to go to the Deepavali celebration in MUM campus.

Karan: I have a hard time finishing up my Calculus home work.

Pranav: I am giving a presentation on Calculus connecting to Rangoli, like I did connecting Onam festival flower patterns.

Karan: What? calculus and Deepavali Rangoli!. Have you gone crazy.

Pranav: I come from Kodungallur, Kerala, the ancient New-York of the world, where everybody wanted to visit and also to study. Greeks, romans, Arabs and chinese all came to this great Musris port both for business and knowledge. It is from here,  Fibonacci Abacci got the idea of Fibonacci series, which is 0,1,1,2,3,5, etc from the great 14th century mathematician Shree Madhava.

Karthik: I know about this sequence. It is adding up the previous numbers and getting a pattern. If I chart in a graph, it goes like a  spiral. This is the number how nature has arranged everything, from  flower patterns to the galaxy.

Karan: Does Rangoli in Deepavali or kolam done in Tamil Nadu or the Onam flower pattern in kerala follow this principle of ancient Vedic mathematics?.

Pranav: Yes see how this conch like Madhav-Fibonacci mathematical pattern occur in this rangoli kolam done in south India. Everything in Vedic mathematics starts with zero and so is Vedic festivals like Navarathri and Deepavali on a Zero-moon day, the Ammavasya day.

Karthik: I belong to Andrapradesh, where, on this day the Khalasa used to Invoke Maha Lakshmi contains coconut, representing zero, the Energy beginning of all creation. It is the Conscious center from which everything unfolds or manifests.

Karan: Now I understand that the seed of Rangoli and kolam begins by placing a dot, the bindu, the first component of geometry. 

Karthik: So Rangoli has a connection to geometry too?.

Pranav: Very much to circles, lines, squares and triangles in Rangoli. Each has an abstract connection to our core being.

Karan: The circle is the symbol of energy's wheel of time....how it changes over time as seasons, ages, etc.

Lines are movements of networking and connections and relationships.

Trikonam or triangle: It represents union of energy in 3 forms like trimurthys, trigunas, tridevis etc.

Pranav: These are done very sequencially in the Onam Rangoli with flowers....starting with circle in the first 3 days, then tringles in the next three days and then finally  squares on the last three days and 10th day, all of them integrated like Sri Yantra, the Cosmic Geometrical map of the Universe.

Karthik: If I understand correctly,  the Chauk or the boxy Square, represents our body, which encloses everything.

Pranav: Our Maharishi's has given the knowledge to take care of this square body...by keeping sesame oil in a cup and praying to Lord yama, lighting a diya-lamp facing south direction for longevity. This is on the two previous night of Deepavali , the Dhana thriyadasi, the 13th night. 

Karan: I hate the 14th day morning, the Naraka Chathurdasi day, when my parents force me to apply oil from head to toe praying to lord Dhanvanthri.

Karthik: Same with me, otherwise I would be not given any yummy Deepavali sweets.

Pranav: Oh I cannot bear the awful taste of the healthy Deepavali legyam after eating sweets.  All the healthy herbs on the planet are mixed to make it.

Karan: Ok, ok , but still you have not got the connection to calculus.

Karthik: We could understand only if we connect to Navarathri that is celebrated few weeks before Deeapvali.  Navarathri celebrates the one single Energy that differentiates into all names and forms in this Universe.

Pranav: Thats right, this differentiation mathematical principle again applies to everything in nature, including our own  body. One single totipotent embryo cell differentiates into trillions of different cells, tissues and organs.

Karan: wow, that is a beautiful connection of calculus differentiation to Rangoli and to embryology.

Pranav: I owe my gratitude for giving the SCI connection taught  in Maharishi school in fairfield and the Uni5 schools in India.

Karthik: Deepavali is also festival of showing gratitude to the environment by doing the Govardhan pooja, on the fourth day Deepavali festival.

Karan: I am from Goa, close to karnataka, where they celebrate it is Bali-prada, the great sacrifice of  Mahabali.

Pranav: This highest Vedic concept of Bali or Sacrificing the Ego for the higher good,  is the only means to embrace the whole world as one family.

Karan: So the fifth and the last day of Deepavali is celebrated as Bhai Dhooj as the Universal Brotherhood day.

Pranav: All that is differentiated has to be integrated like the dots in the Rangoli and Kolam. So  when we witness  a Rangoli on the Deepavali day, we should be aware of the Truth that, it is by bending  and stretching the lines moving around the dots, the rangoli becomes beautiful

Karan: I got the message!. You say that any relationship can be sweet and beautiful if we give up Ego by bending and stretching along the dots of life.

Karthik: I am glad that through this healthy conversation, I would transform myself to make my life happy. 

Pranav: Let us put the Vedic thoughts in action which is the prayer of Peace.

All: Subha Deepavali to all of you.   

Presentors: Pranav Chhaliyil, Karan Chodankar and Kartik Vempati.

Rangoli and Maths 

 This is a presentation done at Maharishi University of Management (MUM) Deepavali celebration -2014

Pradheep: Namaste and Happy Diwali to all of you and Happy Deepavali pranav. We celebrate Diwali because….

Pranav:  Dad, I  know..... (say quickly - Deepavali is festivals of lights, where awali means an array of lamps,

it is welcoming of Rama and sita after the victory in war, also the victory of krishna over narakausra, it is

when krishna lifted govardhan mountian to save from the wrath of Indra, it is the day when

mahabali visits all his subjects after he was pushed to patala, it is the day when sister tie raki to their brothers for protection).

Pradheep: Pranav, slow , slow, you remind me of how back in India we studied for our exams like parrots memorizing words.

Pranav:  You mean you studied without understanding what they really mean?

Pradheep: Yes we should have studied in the Vedic pattern of connecting everything to our own self.

Pranav: So when we say My Self, it refers to the dissected five aspects of our body, mind, intelligence, Self Awareness and Consciousness which we count using our fingers, right?.

Pradheep: Yes this Samkhya pattern is the first philosophical system on the planet. We can understand everything clearly including this Deepavali festival by connecting to the five finger pattern. Both hands gives 10 digits or Das which become the decimal system. The five days deepavali festival starts on triya-dashi, which means 13th day after the fullmoon in the Karthika Month.

Pranav: Das, the number ten, is a number denoting completeness or Success. I love success or victory and so I like celebrating Vijaya Dasami, the victory on 10th day than Deepavali.

Pradheep: Pranav, Navarathri is only celebrating one day as success or victory. Deepavali is celebration of victory on all five days. Not only you everybody in the planet loves to be victorious. Only the Vedic tradition talks about five levels of Victory.

Pranav: I got it. The first day is the victory over disease and death of the body.   The physical body represented by the pinky finger.I heard from my grandparents that they used to tease you to take bath atleast on this first day of deepavali to keep the body clean.

Pradheep: sshhh, Pranav...So after a good shower, on the Dhana-triyodashi, in front a lamp, Dhanwantri Mantra for health is chanted. Then  keeping sesame oil in a small cup and turning to South direction, Yama is worshiped for a victorious long life.

Pradheep: The second day is victory over the mind's negative qualities represented by the ring finger. The previous night sesame oil is applied before shower on the morning of Kali Chaudas or Naraka-chathurdasi which is dedicated to the mind because it is the mind that creates Naraka or hell or heaven swarga in our life. Narakachathurdasi is the day when Satyabhama overcomes her emotional atachments and kills her own son who became  Narakasura im prisoning 16,000 women.

Pranav:  What a terrible  parenting .

Pradheep:  No pranav, that rule is for kings and queens. For us,  it does not mean to physically kill our family members and friends with whom we have difference of opinion. We have to kill those thoughts which are born out of us and create naraka or hell in us and lose peace of mind and happiness.

Pradheep: The third day is the victory over ignorance. Intelligence is the most important and is the tallest of all fingers. We light lamps as a symbol of  victory over internal darkness. Many of us think Mahalakshmi or wealth and prosperity is only related to money. There are 16 lakshmi's or wealth, including good family, friends, courage, knowledge, nutritious food, will power etc. So we pray for all these 16 lakshmi's. On this new-moon or no-moon Amavasya day, we keep our mind clean to receive pure-knowledge of Vidya Lakshmi also.

Pranav: The fourth day is victory over our Ego, "I"ness or "mine-ness". This Self-Awareness is depicted by the very same index finger we point "I" and "you". This is the first day after newmoon or Prathipada. It is the day to remember that Mahabali realized that one cannot sacrifice or offer anything bigger than our Ego to God because including our own body, we do not create anything, except our Ego.

This day is also known as Bestu Varsh or the New Year especailly for finances. Lord Ganesha is worshipped and a lot of charity is done on this day. Krishna performed the govardha poojs to protect the environment. Later he lifted the mountain to protect people from rain.

Pradheep: The fifth day is  the final victory of collectiveness over Individuality. The thumb represents this Unity consciousness or Social empathy feeling. The feeling of universal brotherhood is celebrated as  “Bhai Beej/Bhai Dooj/ Bhaiya Dooj. On this final day of Diwali, brothers and sisters renew sibling love, with sisters applying the sacred red tilak as the mark of real-love and sacrifice inspite of all difference of opinion. This day sister cooks and serve food for  brothers symbolizing universal love and brotherhood. This highest state of un-conditional love or the divinity is the celebration of mankind. 

Pranav: We dont eat for particular cells in body, but for the whole body. Similarly we should not work for just ourself and family but for the whole society , because we are all cells in one Cosmic Body.

 Om Vaasudevaya Kudumbagam Namah !

 Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthihi.

Deepavali 2013

Deepavali is one the most important annual cultural festival considered special by Indians all over the world. This festival of Lights is a universal festival and not restricted to Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, because light and its heat is fundamental element needed by all living organisms on Earth.

 Deepavali is an exceptional time of experiencing pleasures, happiness, joy and a positive outlook towards life. We all love to experience pleasures and avoid experience of sorrows in our lives. Deepavali is an extraordinary Universal festival giving both pleasures, happiness and also the know how’s of avoiding sorrows through its symbolical rituals.

 The core feature of light is that

 1.it gives warmth, the pleasure to the body – this is ritualistically experienced as variety of sweets exchanged with family and friends ,the highlight of Deepavali. The Diwali thali ( a decorated round metallic plate) is used for distributing sweets and gifts on the festival. Thali symbolizes the attitude of giving and sharing that we posses.

2.it reveals all objects around us, without which eyes through present are of no use. Therefore several lamps are lit inside and outside the house as an array and hence the Sanskrit name aavali (Array) of lamps ( “Deep”).

3.It removes darkness of ignorance and lights up the cultural knowledge that is pivotal for happiness.Deepavali the cultural fest of India, is celebrated to remind us the importance of culture. Culture means to preserve the most valuable aspect of our life. For a human being, the Mind is the most valuable, because without the mind, man cannot enjoy any pleasures in life. The word "Man" comes from the Indo-European root word "Mana" for mind.

Lakshmi and culture: Life is the most valuable opportunity we have got through billions of years in the most conducive planet with the right temperature, water, oxygen, soil condition etc. But with all these prosperity, if we dont have a proper mind we cannot enjoy any of these wealth. It is the mind that creates wealth and prosperity and also the very same mind is needed to enjoy the wealth and prosperity.

Hence lakshmi, the goddess of wealth is worshipped on Deepavali, symbolically to culture the mind to experience happiness in life. Culturing of the mind is ritualistically worshipped for preserving the present fortune and for bringing in further success and prosperity in future.

Deepavali festival a simple reminder of culturing the mind. Cow's milk value can be preserved by culturing it to yogurt or cheese, instead of letting it go spoiled. That which protects the value of milk is a culture. Similarly that which protects the value of our mind, which is so valuable to keep us happy, is culture. We should first learn the art of preserving our mind from unhealthy thoughts before we interact with the external world. The cultural festival like deepavali gives the know how of preserving the value of mind. The happiness and joy of Deepavali festival is to remind us that if we have a cultured well preserved mind, everyday will a happy Deepavali for udeepavali five webs.

Five day Deepavali celebration: Deepavali festival spans the last few days of the Aswin month which means the first light and the first days of Kartik the holiest month, which also means light.

The first day of Deepavali is observed on the thirteenth day from Full Moon after second half of October. This day marks the beginning of Deepavali celebrations and called the Wealth day or Dhanteras or Dhanatrayodash. Out of the five wealth, body health is foremost to enjoy material life. At sunset after bath, light the lamp in your pooja room.

Then in a bowl or khalasa, take water and add few tulsi leaves and a pinch of turmeric powder and invoke holy Ganga in it. Please do  the chanting "Ganga Mata ki Jai". it is also good to chant  Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam.  Save the Ganga water for next day's bath also.

Then a lamp (iron best) is lit facing south direction and Yama Raj, the Lord of Death is prayed to prevent untimely death. Chant "OM Namah Shivaya" or Mritunjaya Mantra 11 times.

 

oṁ tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam ǀ
urvārukam-iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt ǁ
 
It is also a tradition to make savory with Urid dal (Vadai) and throw in four directions of the house and praying Yama's assistants to bless for a peaceful death.

 On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean of knowledge with the secret of preserving the health of body (Ayurvedic Amritha both for body and soul). Therefore sesame oil in a small cup and another cup of Deepavali Herbal-Marunthu (medicine) is kept and prayed to Dhanwanthri, the Lord of Medicine. The oil is used for oil bath on the next day and the herbal medicine prepared several anti-oxidant, detoxifying herbs like long Pepper, Bishop weed seeds, Nutmeg, poppy seeds, clove, Licorice, Pepper, Cumin seeds, sesame oil, Honey, Jaggery and cardamom (click here for recipe). This is used in empty stomach after the fifth day of Deepavali celebration to overcome the health damage caused by eating sweets and oil fried foods.

Do Dhanwantrhi chanting while doing this pooja.

 The second day is known as “Kali Chaudas” to be aware of Goddess Kali to remove darkness in us. This fourteenth day after full moon is also known as mini-Deepavali or Chhoti Diwali. or Narak chaturdashi). Hindus believe that this is the day that Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur, freeing the world from fear. This is the symbolism of freeing the mind from the prison of Ego’s negative thoughts of the mind. Firecrackers are often let off from this day to symbolize the announcing of victory from limitations created by Ego.

    Taking sesame oil bath (from previous day pooja) is the hall mark of the day. The body is massaged with oil to bring into awareness of the both the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind. Chant again Dhanwanthri Mantra while applying the oil.  Best time to do this is before sunrise. Then add the Ganaga Holy water invoked in the previous day into water bucket for bathing. Bathe with this water with the feeling of taking holy dip in Ganga.

After bath, pray to lord Kashi Viswanatha (Shiva) and Kashi Annapoorna (Parvathi) for food and wealth. Best is to Chant Annapoorna Sthothram and Viswanatha Ashtakam and also Ganga Ashtakam.

Do Prayers to Lord Krishna and Sathyabhama for killing Narakasura.

Evening can also chant Visalakshi Astothram and Kala Bhairava Ashtakam.

 3.The third day is the new moon day, the main Deepavali day and the day to do Lakshmi puja. The house is cleaned to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi. This symbolizes the reality that without inner cleansing, we cannot bring fortune in our life. Lakshmi is the symbol of values of wealth we need for living the life happily.

Chant Maha lakshmi Ashtakam and Kanakadhara Shtothram on this day.

 All the values are got only if we have the knowledge of our inner light of Awareness. Hence many lamps are lit on this new moon day night to symbolize the Jyothi-lakshmi or inner light. New moon symbolizes, the new mind with its new energy and outlook. But the two days before the new moon and two days after new moon are also observed as the cultural festival to incorporate rituals for preserving the values of our life at all five levels to lead a happy life.

 The concept of Gods and Goddesses are symbolic of Cosmic Laws. These symbolic laws if reflected in our actions, makes our lives happy. So worship is not an act of singing praise of glory to an un-known God power, but Self-acknowledging that power, within ourselves is worship.

 Some parts of India also uses this opportunity to Self-reflect the victory of King Rama over the demon Ravana and welcome his arrival.

 New dress is kept in the Pooja room and turmeric , tilak is applied and then given to children and Adults. 

Chant Rama Nama as many times as you can.

Kedara Gowri Pooja is also done to Parvathi for Husband-wife relation harmony. Chant Lalitha Trishadi on this day.

On this new moon day, Pitru Darpan / Pooja is also done.

 The fourth day is called “Bestu Varsh” , the New Year's Day of the Hindu calendar to start new business and strengthen existing relationships.

Pray Ganesha and chant Sankata Vinashaka Sthothram to relove hurdles on this day.

This is the day that Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountian with his finger to protect the Gokul people from Indra's wrath and King Vikramaditya was crowned. On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed.

 Uplifting our Awareness from the sensorial pleasures (Indriya) to the highest level is the symbolic of worshipping the Govardhan mountain on this day.

 This day is also called Bali-pratipada in memory of the great sacrifice of Maha Bali king. This is to understand that all the wealth of fortune one enjoys in life is obtained through the sacrifices (Bali) we have done in the past and present. King Bali did a great sacrifice and obtained the Indra’s position.

 Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but only transformed from one form to another. If we want the wealth of fortune in our life, then we should have converted our energy in the past or present. The sacrifice is an Universal act for every living being. Jesus Christ had sacrificed his body for the higher cause of the society and so is Guru Nanak, Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir Jain, Lord Krishna and Ram.

 Even to light a oil lamp for Deepavali, the energy in the sesame oil has to be converted to light energy. Thus all the rituals of Vedic culture is taught logically and at self-Awareness level that there is no conflict of its spiritual and scientific knowledge.

Chant this Govardhana Episode from Bhagavada Purana.

 5.The last day is known as “Bhai Beej/Bhai Dooj/ Bhaiya Dooj). On the final day of Diwali, brothers and sisters renew sibling love, with sisters applying the sacred red tilak on the forehead of their brothers and praying for their long life, while brothers bless their sisters and provide gifts of love. This day sister cooks and serve food for her brother symbolizing universal love and brotherhood. The highest state of mankind is un-conditional love or the divinity.

 Serving our society with unconditional love is the final day celebration of Deepavali and its final message to everyone to make a wonderful life on Earth.

 OM Vaasudevaya Kudumbagam Namah !

Chant Vishnu Sahasranamam for Self and world welfare.

 Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthihi.

 Kandha Shashti Vratha starts from the new moon day till the sixth day. Lord Karthikeya / Subramanya is worshipped especially by childless people and by those having other health problems. A Tamil proverb goes " Shashtiyil irundal Agapayil varum". Kandha Shashti Kavacham, Subramanya Bhujangam is chanted on these days.

 Happy Deepavali

2007 Message

Happy Deepavali to all of you.

   The first day of Diwali is on Wednesday 7th 2007. This day is called Dhanvantari Triodasi or  Dhan Theras. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic medicine (medicine which promotes healthy long life) for mankind. 

    Real wealth is Health. We invest so much on material wealth compromising the health of  body and Mind. Healthy body gives immense peace to the current life. Healthy mind not only gives blissful current life but also shapes better next lives.

    A healthy body results due to awareness of good life style and food style.  This type of life style helps to think positive thoughts and enjoy life to the fullest.  In the moments of pain in body and mind we forget  all that valuable materialistic possessions and they become of no use to us. So let us take care of health of the body the first step towards spiritual growth.

This thought is inculcated for generations in India as Dhanwanthri Day before the eve of Deepavali. This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. This reminds us again that good healthy body and mind  is needed to celebrate life to the fullest.

Remember  if you have a Healthy body and mind, then it  is Everyday, Deepavali for you.


2006 Message

Happy Deepavali to all of you.

        We celebrate every year birthday for our body, because the body was born  on a particular day and we are constantly aware of only the body. But there is a subtle aspect beyond the body which in scientific language is "Consciousness" and the religous word is "God" and Vedic name is "Brahman or Atman".    

       Do we celebrate birthday for our inner "Self". This inner Self is like a light that gives us "life'. Deepavali is the birthday of that inner light, which most of the time we are not aware of. Our wise ancestors understood the importance of being aware of our inner Self or light and hence made us celebrate Deepavali, which means to be "Aware of the inner light". For our body's birthday we  blow "off " light, because this body will also one day blow off. But on Deepavali we lit  "light" which  is to remind us of the inner light.

         Knowing this inner light, one understands inner peace or joy or Ananda. This is symbolized by eating and distributing sweets and the joy of eating sweets does not equal to one zillionth of the joy knowing our inner Self. Light removes darkness of Ignorance and that is symbolized of gods killing Asuras or demons.

         The Mahalakshmi is the symbol of light and she is described as Hiranya varna, the color of the bright golden light. Mahalakshmi pooja is done on deepavali days to remind of this wealth of light in us. Knowing this inner light is the real wealth or lakshmi. All other wealth gives comfort to the body and Lakshmi to the Atma.  

      So friends do not celebrate deepavali as a mere ritualistic festival. Deepavali is the birthday of your "Inner Self, the guiding Light". Happy (Birthday) Deepavali to all of you.

 2005 Message

 The celebration of deepavali starts with painting, re-arranging, cleaning  the house, buying new clothes, new jewels and of course lighting earthen lamps and fireworks. But this is only an  external affair. Festivals are no doubt for fun and feast, but one has to also know the deeper significance of it. Celebrating Deepavali or any festival without knowing its real intension is similar to a child saying that going to school is for fun and without knowing the purpose of attending it.

     Due to our busy life to tend to misplace things at home and keep the house a real mess. Knowing our lazy minds, our ancestors remind us to a yearly clean-up for deepavali celebration. Similar to our messy house, our minds have thoughts that mess up life's purpose and happiness. Again once a year to remind us of the need to  keep our minds clean these festivals have been incorporated in our culture.

3 Reasons

     Deepavali is bringing lights into our hearts to remove the darkness of ignorance in us. There are three reasons why we celebrate deepavali.

1. To celebrate the victory of Devi  killing Mahisha and drinking the blood.

      What a disgusting act and a reason to celebrate a festival in a country that talks about peace? what a culture that worships Goddesses who acts worst than cannibals?. This is how people sarcastically mock Vedic festivals. But knowing the reason behind it makes us appreciate the ancient wisdom.

      Blood is red color and represents the circulator of energy and promotes activity. But our energy is wasted tremendously by our unnecessary thoughts. Children are bubbling with energy and often we adults become tired running after them. The reason is that children are always in the present and do not waste thoughts brooding. 95%of our thoughts are useless, comparing us with others, regretting of the past failures and anxious of the future. We constantly also breed negative thoughts like  anger, hatred, jealousy, lust, greed etc and we burn our vital nutrients  in this process.

 

 mahishi   This stagnating thoughts is the feature of Ego and so symbolized as Buffalo head. Buffalo is an animal known for its laziness and always like itself soaked in dirty stagnated water. Kali is the Ego killing intellect in us ,which brings prosperity in us.

     Kali drinking blood represents using the energy that the Ego was sucking and wasting. If we could just get a sip of this energy we can create wonders.

     Our wandering mind is one of the many aspect of Ego. Try this right now...try to keep your mind from wandering and be focused on your work. Can You?.

 2nd Reason for celebrating Deepavali:

     Unfortunately the wandering mind cannot be immediately be tied to focus. The senses have to first tamed. There are five sense organs of action (legs, hands, mouth and two excretory ravanaorgans) and five sense organs of perception (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue), making it ten.

    These ten headed senses (Ravana) always steal our mind (sita) who ignores the concentration (lakshmana). Rama  the intellect only can save Sita from Ravana after a great effort and practice (war).

     The victory of this internal war brings the light of peace and prosperity in us. This celebration is Deepavali.

 3rd Reason for celebrating Deepavali:

      To fight the war against the senses we need the help of the intellect, which we rarely use. We ignore intellect most of the time suffer dire consequences. This is the story of the churning of Ocean, connected to deepavali celebration.

 

    

 

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