The world's spiritual lore abounds with the symbols of hope and faith in the light of God, with the recognition that man, too, is led by the light from which the whole universe is projected, from darkness to light, and from the unreal to the Real. Light and illumination is the cosmic message of life. For man, it becomes ultimately a totally subjective experience of life, the supreme realization of God.
The hope and the life of our world is to light the lamp of godliness in our own lives. Mindful of apparent darkness which seems to envelope us we must continue to pray for the light of God to appear. The light will shine within us. All the divine qualities of soul will arise by the power of divine light and truth to radiate their beams of loveliness and draw others to illumine their own divine lamps.
Such is the symbolic meaning of the festival of Diwali with a sublime message of the reality and power of light. (Diwali is from deep, or div—for light, from which comes our word divine.)
Diwali takes place on a dark night in October or November according to the lunar phase, marking the advent of winter. Houses everywhere are illuminated with myriads of twinkling earthenware lamps to welcome the saviour spirit of goodness, righteousness, truth and wisdom. The festival of light derives from the following message:
Narakasura, a demon king, has kept imprisoned 16,100 princesses. Naraksura is the personification of the three forces of darkness (unbridled desire, anger and greed) which lead us away from the light of perfection. He is the ego which seems to hold the divine self in its clutches.
Lord Krishna, in answer to the prayers of the princesses, proceeded to Prag-Jyotis-Pura with his lieutenant Satyabana who slayed Naraksura and freed the princesses. Thereupon, the princesses all requested to marry their saviour, Krishna.
Wherever darkness seems to hold the power of righteousness captive; wherever there develops a philosophy of life with wrong foundation; wherever the awareness of godliness wanes; whenever there is forgetfulness of the forces that make for the real happiness; whenever the forces of illlusiveness and self-destructiveness seem more alluring or formidable than divinity… our divine qualities (the princesses) seek to be saved by divine light (Krishna) as aided by the eternal power of truth (Satyabana). When He is prayerfully sought, God comes into our human life to free our soul, to draw us to oneness with Him. Prag-Joytis-Pura means the City of Light, a reference to Ajna, the chakra of subjective revelation.
The story is founded in the philosophy of creation itself: at a certain period of each cycle of creation the Eternal Dharma appears to be under a cloud. Life seems lustreless, darkened by adharma (that which is contrary to the cosmic good). The powers of light (true perception and right discrimination) of the people become subdued. The light of intelligence grows dim, dominated by the three tendencies of darkness: lust (kama), anger (krodha) and greed (lobha). When kama obscures enlightened desire, there is no chance for reasonable restraint. Unlimited indulgence prevails wantonly. When krodha darkens the higher will, compassion and forbearance give way to ruthlessness and rashness. When lobha clouds the expansive powers of light, selfishness plunders the earth.
Think of nations and civilizations of men in the times when the divine light seems forgotten. We lose our way into unrighteousness, unbridled selfishness and greed.
Then, when the struggle seems hopeless; when, as in the darkest hour before dawn deliverance seems impossible; when godliness and goodness seemed thwarted and submerged—light emerges. It is at such critical junctures that the light of divinity is reborn to guide humanity, to awaken the ignorant and to reveal the Eternal Dharma.
Our life in this world is a process of self-illumination. One must learn to meditate on the life of his soul from this point of view. Serve and guard the light, never allowing doubt, distrust, or despair to creep into your life. Bring the light of goodness and godliness to your own Prag-Jyotis-Pura and keep the lamp lit to draw others to their divine light. Try to see the same light in nature—the light that draws all life together, that emanates from one source and that leads, draws and guides all life onwards. We live in a universe of heavenly light, and a universe of heavenly light lives in us.
Swami Kamalananda
The Mystic Cross