Diwali – From the Age of Darkness to the Age of Light; Celebrate the victory of light over darkness

The Festival of Diwali is like Christmas and New Years, all rolled into one. This festival of Lights, also called the festival of Brotherhood, is perhaps the most popular festival of India and is now celebrated throughout the world. This year the date is Monday, Oct. 24, according to the moon! 

Although the origins of Christmas and Diwali are several thousand years apart, the message and methods of celebration are quite similar. Both have the underlying theme of brotherly love, peace, mutual respect, and unity. Both give a message about the renewal and lightening up of life, family bonding, exchanging gifts, blessings, and good wishes, singing and dancing. New clothes, sweets, colorful decorations all add to the joyous nature.  

For Diwali, candles and millions of sparkling lights illuminate homes and businesses, signifying the ‘awakening’ of soul consciousness and reminding us we are divine points of light. Thousands of small-lighted deepaks (wick oil lights) float down the rivers on leaves as a memorial of a time when human beings lived in a higher consciousness, naturally aware of being souls. 

The twinkling lights on the Christmas tree reminds us of our true identity, and the star at the top of God’s eternal light.  

Both celebrations have wonderful spiritual messages, which have become somewhat diluted over time as we forgot our eternal identity of being souls and became body conscious. The story of how the soul forgot itself and then fortunately, remembers is as follows.  

“In the winter of the world the light within us had grown dim and we could no longer see. Too many confusing thoughts and worries deluded and froze us into inaction in our search for the meaning of life. The mind became clouded. Forgetfulness filled the air covered with the illusion of external beauty. Having wrong thoughts and actions, we continued to lose our peace, purity and power. But, a glimmer of light; a glow of soft peace, always there within the soul, began awakening the feelings of pure love and memories of our innate goodness. The dark clouds of doubt began disappearing; new hope and spiritual energy filled the soul, as the Supreme Sun of Knowledge gave courage, understanding and strength to every cold ‘branch’ and ‘twig’ of this eternal Tree of Humanity. 

“God, as the Creator, the eternal Guiding Light of Knowledge, ignited our extinguished lights with the ‘oil’ of new knowledge and the flame of loving remembrance and made us worthy. The soul awakened and remembered with delight, ‘I am light and eternal and so are you.’ Enlightened, the winter of the world blossomed into ‘spring and summer’ a pure, peaceful heavenly world of happiness, where brotherly love created harmony, as the light of the soul was constantly lit.”

Now in this current winter of the world we can shine our inner light of love again to return health, happiness, abundance and harmony. 

“Let your little light shine, let it shine, let it shine!”

Don’t hide it under a bushel, because the whole world now needs the light of soul consciousness. It takes only a moment to move away from the current Age of Darkness to the Age of Light of health, happiness, abundance and harmony. 

God is only a thought away, always there to show the way. Recognizing my spiritual identity is like being reborn; suddenly I am no longer ordinary. Become the living lights, connected to the One True Light to awaken others to shine, and the darkness vanishes like it was never there.  

Resource: Peace Village Bookshop at www.peacevillageretreat.org/all-books.html. 

(You can contact Sister Chirya Risely, from Owego, at bkchirya@gmail.com or at chirya.risely@peacevillageretreat.org.)

All Brahma Kumaris Centers will be holding Diwali programs. Call (589) 518-5000 for more information.