Thursday, November 4, 2010

Know the Light Burning Within You

Fw: There are lights everywhere except in the minds of men....Let us light the Inner lamp this Dipawali



Our brain is a grand receiver of various frequencies from the Ocean of Consciousness that we inhabit. The problem is that we start believing that the various thoughts are us.That's a folly. Thoughts are merely traffic of this grand Ocean.Whereas the real Self, the Charioteer within,lies buried within reams of Maya and false consciousness.
If we will just start with this working hypothesis of ignoring the many thoughts arising in the mind,and fervently wishing that whatever work is on hand we are doing brilliantly with the utmost ease, and which also promotes the common good,we'll start connecting with that great Charioteer within, and then we'll awake to a new life and freedom.Our harsh judgements about people and things in this world is the cause of many of our unhapiness.
There's a saying that if we always do what we are doing, we'll always get what we have been getting.We are all earnest peoples moving heaven and earth for happiness.And, somehow, that peace and happiness always seems to elude us. Friends, that brilliance can only begin with identifying the real bottleneck. Only then we'll be taking that first step.
This is dedicated to our first step on this auspicious Diwali.

Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Prof V K Chilana
To: Prof Vipin Chilana
Sent: Thu, November 4, 2010 1:07:56 PM
Subject: There are lights everywhere except in the minds of men....Let us light the Inner lamp this Dipawali!

There are lights everywhere except in the minds of men.......
Let us light the Inner lamp this Dipawali!


Lighting The Inner Lamp


Shri Nath Sahai


The sun rises every morning. It lights up my house, my surroundings – everyone, everything, animate or inanimate. My mind and heart, however, remain clouded by ignorance and doubt. I recollect Herbert Read’s words: “There are lights everywhere except in the minds of men.” And mind is a jungle of cravings, greed and material desires. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a good occasion to re-examine ways to remove darkness from within.
Both Krishna and Rama are central to Diwali celebrations. While Krishna overcomes demon Narakasura, Rama overthrows Ravana. Hence the importance given to Naraka Chaturdasi and the return of Rama to Ayodhya. The celebration with lights symbolises the removal of darkness of ignorance.
During Diwali, diyas or oil lamps are lit inside the house as well as outside. That is, you get illumined from within, and also spread the light of awareness outside, so that one lamp lights another to dispel darkness everywhere. This is in keeping with the philosophy of caring and sharing.
The festival speaks for plurality; it celebrates diversity that is ubiquitous everywhere in the world, reflected in the various traditions and cultures, faiths and beliefs. While in northern parts of India communities celebrate the safe return of Rama to Ayodhya after having dealt successfully with Ravana and his army, signalling the dawn of light and positivity, it is also an occasion to welcome prosperity in the form of Goddess Lakshmi into the house, a sign of the good times ahead. For Sikhs it is the day of return of their sixth Guru Hargovind Ji from captivity; for Jains it is the day of Lord Mahavira’s nirvana; and in Bengal, it is time to adulate Goddess Kali, a manifestation of the Female Principle, Shakti.
The mind is capable of shutting itself in, closing its doors to enlightened living. But by consciously opening the mind, we let in freshness of understanding and the light of wisdom, thereby expanding our horizons and broadening our vision. Light is symbolic of the purity of agni or fire that is essential in our progress towards attaining to enlightenment.
Another symbolic ritual that really refers to cleansing the mind is the tradition of taking dip in the Ganga, washing off past misdeeds and negative thoughts to emerge fresh and receptive to wisdom and knowledge, to nurture fresh hope and make new commitments. While cleaning the external dirt, we need to also remove internal stains as well, for it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi enters only those homes that are clean and illuminated. By discharging the inner dirt that has accumulated with anger, lust and greed we make room for divine attributes that will enhance the quality of life and enable seekers to find the Truth.
We live in a world terrorised by violence and deceit, corruption and cunning, fundamentalism and atrocity. However, it is never too late to exorcise the ghosts of the past and forge a new world of understanding, love and joy, by spreading the light of wisdom from insight and connecting to all with love and gratitude.
“Which else shall beautify a home/ But the flame of a lovely lamp/ Which else shall adorn the mind/ But the light of Wisdom deep,” wrote a poet, and the verse sums up beautifully the spirit of the festival of lamps.

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