Deepawali

The festival of lights. The celebration of fizzy fireworks. The day that Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya.

We all celebrate Diwali in a loud burst of crackers, and a delectable variety of home-made sweets. Some share their happiness with the less fortunate, which is an extremely commendable good turn on their part.

We worship the Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess who blesses us with wealth, fortune, and prosperity.  

But, what is Diwali really about?

Diwali marks the New Year. It is a day of ‘starting afresh’. On this day we clean out every nook and cranny within our house. But, what about our hearts? When was the last time we swept out our hearts? When did we last empty them of all the dirt and garbage that has accumulated throughout our lives?

That is the real cleaning we must do. That is the real meaning of "starting afresh." We must clean out our hearts, ridding them of darkness and bitterness; we must make them clean and sparkling places for God to live. We must be as thorough with ourselves as we are with our homes. Are there any dark corners in our hearts that we have avoided for so long? Are we simply "sweeping all the dirt under the rug?"

So, from now on, we put our strengths, our weaknesses, our wins and our losses behind us, with an air of acceptance. And then, let us start afresh, with a new book, unadulterated by old grudges and bitterness.

आप सभी को दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं |

CREDITS: http://www.parmarth.com/updates/octnov05/diwali.html