Deepavali - a Time of 'en-lightenment' !

[Guest guest]

Greetings satsanghis !

 

lET me wish you all a very very happy Deepavali ! Deepavali lierally

means a 'rpw of lights' - on the dark night of Amavasya ( where

there is no moon ) , we light up the lamps to banish the darkness !

 

WHAT IS THIS 'DARKNESS' ? This darkness is another name

for 'ignorance' or 'avidya' - how do we remove this darKness ?

Externally , by lighting lamps or diyas ? internally, how ?

 

Since EID is just a few days away , i would like to wish the islamic

members a very happy 'id-ul-fitr' which ends the month long fasting

of Ramadhan! !

 

What is ENLIGHTENMENT or self realization?

 

Enlightenment simply means dispelling the darkness of ignorance. in

hinduism, enlightenment is synonymous with

self-realization.

 

"Eenlightenment may be either the intuitive grasping of inner

wisdom, illumination by the truth of the Word,or direct apprehension

of transcendent Reality."

 

"The true self, formerly obscured by false habits of thinking and

vain desires, is suddenly revealed. The inner eye, which was blinded

by defilements of worldly living, opens to a vision of the true

Reality. From that moment life can never be the same, as the

enlightened person begins to live by the knowledge he has ACQUIRED .

acquired.

 

It is my pleasure to bring to you various quotes on Enlightenment

from all paths ! Enjoy !

 

"The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away. Surely

falsehood is ever certain to vanish. " (islam -holy quran)

 

Jesus spoke to them, saying "I am the light of the world; he who

follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of

life. " Holy Bible John 8.12 (christianity)

 

Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the

lightning--nor, verily, fires kindled upon the earth. He is the one

light that gives light to all. He shines; everything shines.

Katha Upanishad 5.15; Mundaka upanishad 2.10 (hinduism)

 

It is wonderful, Lord!

It is wonderful, Lord! It is as if, Lord, one might set upright that

which had been upturned, or might reveal what was hidden, or

might point out the path to one who had gone astray, or

mightbring an oil lamp into the darkness so that those with

eyes might seematerial shapes.Buddhism.-Udhana

 

The holy Preceptor by the Word lighted a lamp;<Thereby was shattered

darkness of the temple of the self,And the unique chamber of jewels

thrown open.Wonderstruck were we in extreme on beholding it-Its

greatness beyond expression.<br><br>Sikhism. Adi Granth,

Bilaval,

 

To know the eternal is called enlightenment Not to know the eternal

is to act blindly, to result in disaster.He who knows the eternal is

all-embracing.Being all-embracing, he is impartial.Being impartial,

he is kingly [universal].Being kingly, he is one with

Nature.<br>Being one with nature, he is in accord with Tao.Being in

accord with Tao, he is everlasting,<br>And is free from danger

throughout his lifetime.Taoism. Tao Te Ching

 

May i now share these illuminating tthoughts from Swami Sivananda on

this day ?

 

O Ram! The light of lights, the self-luminous inner

light of the Self is ever shining steadily in the

chamber of your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes.

Withdraw the senses. Fix the mind on this supreme light

and enjoy the real Deepavali, by attaining

illumination of the soul.

 

He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds, who illumines the

intellect, the sun, the moon and the stars and the whole universe but

whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is Brahman, He is

the inner Self. Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman,

and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul.

 

The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the

stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire. All

the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a

ray of the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in

this light of lights and enjoy the supreme

Deepavali

 

Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yet the

hearts of the vast majority are as dark as the night of

the new moon. The house is lit with lamps, but the

heart is full of the darkness of ignorance. O man! wake

up from the slumber of ignorance. Realise the

constant and eternal light of the Soul which neither rises

nor sets, through meditation and deep enquiry.

 

May you all attain full inner illumination! May the

supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding! May

you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of

the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the

material as well as spiritual planes! "

 

Dear all , while lighting the lamps in your home, be sure to light

the lamps in the homes of those who are poor and umnderprivileged !

For nothing speards more than 'Light' - the light of the candle

always goes upwards dispelling darkness all around ; similarly Let

your consciousness ssoar to such heights that those who come in

contact with you are also illumined!

 

Let there be light!