Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is often translated as the Festival of Lights. Deep means light, or a lamp, and āvali means a row, like a linked chain, so on one level it refers to the row of lights that were placed to help Rama find his kidnapped wife, Sītā, and return with her to his abode, Ayodhya.
The theme of transmuting the darkness of suffering into the light of blissful, eternal awareness is fundamental to the celebration of Diwali. Light always wins over darkness!
Rama, whose name means “the one who enjoys or delights” (in the world of creation), is the ideal man – a divine being in human form – who models the integrity and determination we need to live a good life. Sītā, who is the daughter of the Earth itself and represents creative power and fertility, symbolises the ideal feminine energy of nourishment, forbearance, and beauty found in nature.
These two need to unite in order to enjoy the fullness of a human life here on Earth. But the symbolism doesn’t end there.
Our inherent and life-preserving capacity to overcome, digest, and move on from challenging circumstances is relayed in the epic tale of Lord Rama’s Journey, called Ramayana. Like all epics, it is a story that can be appreciated on many levels, and these multiple meanings are what inspires this period of Deepawali.
The first of the five days of Diwali is known as Dhanwantri Jayanti, honouring the birthday of Lord Dhanvantri who is traditionally considered to be the source of Āyurveda. At this time of year darkness descends and the days get colder, so resolving to maintain good health becomes a priority.
ॐ śri dhanvantre namaha 🙏🏻
On this New Moon day (4 November at 22:14 CET) the birth of Lakshmi is celebrated, honouring the goddess who signifies abundance in all forms. We all need a certain amount of abundance to enjoy a healthy and secure life. This allows us to pursue the “higher” spiritual purpose of human existence, which is difficult when we are ill or living in poverty.
ॐ śri mahalaksmyai namaha 🙏🏻
For Jains, this celebration honours the Nirvāṇa of their founder, Lord Mahavira, freeing him from the endless cycle of birth and death – overcoming the darkness that is the source of all suffering, and moving into the light.
Our personal spiritual growth also has a visceral counterpart, which we can experience when we are living in our own best alignment.
Jaṭharāgni is the digestive fire (Agni) located in the stomach/abdomen (Jaṭhara). When our digestion is balanced (Samāgni), we can assimilate our food and life experiences and maintain good health. It is strengthened by eating a moderate, healthy, and appropriate diet, and by calming mental stress and overthinking.
Prānāgni is the fire of our life force, located in the chest and specifically relating to the energy of the heart and lungs. It is strengthened by prānāyāma, and breath retention after inhale (puraka kumbhaka) in particular, and feelings of connection and love.
Prāna animates the body and mind. When it is weak, our body and mind become frail, and when it leaves the body, we die.
Jnānāgni is the fire of knowledge, also known as Tejas, giving us the ability to discern between good and evil, or what is real from what is unreal – the wisdom to understand the true nature of reality.
asato mā sadgamaya
tamasomā jyotir gamaya
mrityormāamritam gamaya
Oṁ śhānti śhānti śhāntiḥ
Lead me from the unreal to the real,
lead me from darkness to light,
lead me from (the fear of ) death to (the knowledge of our) immortality.
When we imagine these three essential fires – Prāna, Ojas, and Tejas – represented physically, we can picture them aligning in an upward chain of lights through our being, leading us to that unshakable place – Ayodhya, that which cannot be conquered by enemies – where Lord Rama resides.
The most important Deepawali is not found in the pretty lights that decorate homes and streets – it is the one we tend to within us.
Take good care of that divine row of lights that maintains vibrant health, enthusiasm for life, courage to overcome adversity, and the capacity to see the truth of our temporal experience in this life.
With my deepest gratitude to all the teachers and teaching who have brought us to this point of understanding and awareness.
Wishing you all the blessings of abundance and good health at Deepawali!
Much love and light as always!
Susan
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