Happy Diwali!
(I have included photos taken by some of my friends who are also honouring this beautiful day by lighting candles.)
The festival of light – one of India’s many beautiful and symbolic festivals!
While rooted in historical stories and mythology, I love to focus instead on the spiritual significance of Diwali.
For me, Diwali represents the light of our inner being. It means igniting the light within us. It is a celebration of our inner light.
Inner light
I believe there is a golden center of our being that shines like the sun. Just as there are days where the clouds come and hush the bright warm yellow light of the sun, there are lifetimes of karma, years of difficulties, months of heartbreak, weeks of lethargy, days of insecurity that form a thick layer over our inner light. But, just as clouds pass, so do our internal storms.
Today I am reminded that I do not have to create a light. I only have to let it shine.
From Becky. Check out her beautiful hand-crafted gifts from her Etsy Store.
The victory of good over evil
Diwali represents the triumph of good over evil. The lightness of being overcoming the dark. It reminds us that happiness is power, and that it takes strength to be soft.
From Monica.
Clarity
What is the first thing that happens when we light a candle a dark room? Or simply just turn on the light? The first thing we notice is that now we can see. We can see exactly where we are. We can see what is ahead of us. We can see who is in the room. We can see people for how they are. We can stand in front of a mirror and we can see our selves. Everything is clear. Because light brings clear vision. It brings clarity.
When you let your inner light shine, the first thing that happens is that you will become clear. Only once you are clear can you live smoothly. Imagine if you had no light in your home and you had to live in that way? Could you get anything done properly? Could you cook in darkness? Could you move through your home in darkness? Could you shower in darkness? Could you truly engage with someone, in darkness?
We need light to live. We need to see to live smoothly. We need clarity to live well.
Let your inner light shine, and see life for the magnificent thing it is.
From Emma: Check out her new blog here!
Shine
What is the second thing that happens once you light a fire in a dark room?
It shines!
And you will too. Oh, you will glow, and shine, and sparkle!
When you shine in life, you begin to live life at your potential. You are in sync with life, you flow with it, not against it.
And you belong, and you dazzle, and every thing you do is done with such involvement that you simply glow while you do it.
From Abi
The Warmth of being
And finally, light brings heat. You will begin to generate the warmth of being. A warmth in your heart that pours over yourself and all beings on this earth. People will feel safe and comfortable around you. Their hearts will melt and open in your warmth. And you will live with the knowing that you are always safe, and that you are always held.
My mother always told me as a child that fire is an incredible thing. She said that if you use a match and light just one candle, from that one candle, you can light another thousand candles, and the first one will never become less of a flame.
When our inner light shines, we can live this way too. We can light the world, and we can continue to shine.
From me.
I wish all my beautiful readers a bright Diwali.
May you shine.
May you shine.
May you shine.