A gift for you, a rare deepawali 2080 samwat lamp to illuminate your life from within!
- in eternal aum consciousness
- Nov 12, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2024
As we celebrate the festival of lights with friends and family, explore in this shubh deepawali, how the lamp is the manifestation of the panch koshas and how to light a lamp within: one side facing outwards after realisation of purpose of life to illuminate lives of everyone around and the other side facing inwards for the realization of true self to illuminate the one within.
Deepwali brings up images of lamps, kandils, fire crackers immediately. The sweets, celebration, get together, friends, family, shopping. laughter and love.
Let's explore what the Deepwali lamp means to you personally, in the journey of life.
Bharat, the land of seekers of eternal light, of santana Dharma.
Dwelling deeper, "deep" literally implies lamp. One who's light dispels darkness.
A thought came...What is the significant of Deepawali, the festival of lights, in a land where we pursue en"light"enment? Bharat, that is India, is not named after the king Bharat as is popularly believed! Our ancestors were too evolved...The sanskrit meaning of Bharat comes from bhaayam (not fear!) ratam iti bharatam. Bh dhatu indicates light. Ratam means pursuit. This is a land where we pursue enlightenment since ages.
We are a land of seekers and not blind believers. We question, debate, understand and experience, to then believe ones own experience, not someone's experience!
We have no 10 commandments, no 5 things to do, only 5 core principles of Satya, ahimsa, asteya, aparigraha and brahmacharya... to create the extremely diverse rivers of philosophies that merge into the one infinite ocean of sanatan dharma, the eternal duties.
Let's see the key components of the Deepawali oil lamp and how it related to the self and the five koshas and how a simple looking lamp holds a profound insight and absolute clarity.
Internal clarity of knowledge is the truth or Satya. Everything else is a story, an illusion or Maya.
1. "Diya". A cup of mud, that holds the oil and wick. The lamps mud container is the body. Annamaya kosha. Without the oil and wick the lamp is nothing. Without energy and mind, body is nothing. But to hold the mind and energy, body is needed!
The body of the lamp has to be strong to hold a large wick and oil. So good health, has a different perspective now!
Just after death, as body merges with the earth, the lamp, when it's use is over, is broken, burnt, old, merges with the soil.
2. "Tel". Oil that burns. Oil is the energy, translated to action that is drawn to the purpose. This is the Pranamyama kosha. Mobile, agile, the vital energy. When the prana is no more, the lamp light is gone. Only the body remains.
3. "Vaat". Wick that supplies oil to the flame. Wick is the mind, which has to be clear on its purpose. Thicker and stronger the wick, bigger the flame. This is the manomaya kosha. The domain of the mind. You need a strong and stable mind, to withstand the wind, water, mud that life throws at you. The ones that stand straight are out of the bed! (blames excuses and denials). Some lamps get dimmed partially, then regain their flame. Some get extinguished, only to be re ignited. This ever resilient analogy as kept santana dharma alive, inspite of 1,000 years of aggression, where other civilizations were converted into abrahamic religions in just a couple of decades. The wick of santana Dharma has retained its strength eternally.
4. Jyoti. Flame that ignites the oil into fire. Flame is the light of self. Inspite of different sizes and types of flames, coming from different lamps, the element of fire is the same. This is the vigyanamaya kosha of one consciousness, which is same everywhere.
When the physical existence of the Diya, tel and vaati ends, it's light continues in the lamps lit by it. This is the manifestation of consciousness that stays even with the body is no more and takes another form.
5. "Prakash". light that originates from the fire. Light illuminates the way for everyone is the manifestation of anadmaya kosha. In the light, which is the same element, one now sees the world illuminated. Though all lamps look different, they are essentially the same with the same fire element!
There is no bigger bliss than being able to add value to others lives, to see everything in the light of self awareness, as one, with many forms. This is what most of the enlightened beings do, uplift the masses, instead of meditating alone in the mountains. Excellent example is of the ram Krishna mission hospitals for charitable work, which have the ramakrishna math for inner clarity.
Life is like a lamp. Its purpose is to remove darkness from others lives. Whatever be the build of the lamp, bigger, smaller, the purpose is still the same. What will the lamp do, with all the light it can generate? It needs only a little light for itself. The light projects far beyond, with a propose to give.
Even if the richest man in the world has 5,000 shirts, he can wear only one at a time, eat 4 times a day and sleep in a 3x6 space! The needs of an individual are always limited.
A weak flame can not light others, as it itself is flickering. A strong one can, as it touches others lives. So many lives around us are not living to its full potential, are like dim lights, as they are not aware of their true potential, have a mind which is not aligned to the purpose, a mind, full of greed, doubts and fear.
When the lamp is lit with the purpose, it shines to give. Before that, it is only looking at other lamps around it, shining at different levels of brightness, struggling with a weak flame.
The lamp that gives, does not bother about the oil running out, as it will some day. It is satisfied that it could light up as many as possible, some of whom will take up the responsibility of lighting up others and so on. This way, the purpose, the vision, the mission continues. This is evident in an organisation, iwsa (Indian women scientists association), where the current torch bearers have continued the mission long after the founders have passed.
Just as we replace the lamp every day for Diwali, the existence of one body does not continue. The lamp is then lit by the flame from other lamps. This signifies the never ending cycle of start, continue and stop, repeat.
Hence the lamp itself signifies the panch koshas of existence, the cycle of life, the purpose, the inner truth.
There are two aspects to life in vedanta that need to be illuminated.
1. Vyavarika. The Material world related to dharma artha and kaama.
2. Paramarthika. Freedom. Moksha.
Both originate from the same light, that needs to shine within and outside. And illuminate the path for self and others, just as the flame lights up the world around the lamp and one can also see the lamp in its own flame.
Illuminating both the Worlds:
Once the purpose of life is clear, the vyavarika or the practical world is clear.
When knowlege of self is clear, that it is always free and the belief that it was bound is an illusion, the inner world is illuminated.
The lamp of Deepawali, not only signifies the return of a victorious Rama to ayodhya, but also symbolises the sanatana Dharma, the eternal flame, purpose, giving, the truth, dispelling darkeness of ignorance.
Illuminating the external world.
Read on how to get your life's purpose in 15 mins. When the purpose is clear, you don't need motivation, positive thinking, affirmations, nothing. The light of purpose shows the way ahead.
https://www.limaye.org/post/reignite-the-spark-in-your-life-by-discovering-it-s-true-purpose-in-just-15-mins
Imagine many lamps that are not lit themselves. They are merely reflecting the light of other lamps around them.
A lamp of a life driven by purpose, lights other lamps, so that they can carry forward the mission ahead. Imagine what would happen if all the lamps are lit.
Remember All the lamps that shine around you, adding to the brightness of your life. Be grateful to them. And forgive the ones that are yet to add any value, or are doing acts in ignorance.
Click here to see how the purpose of life is giving and not having.
Be the lighthouse!
Ancient lighthouses used Wick lamps! Just as a lighthouse shows the path to many ships, in a stormy weather, ensuring their safety, become a beacon of light, that shines in the toughest times to help anyone who seeks assistance at any level, in any region.
Dyneshwar Mauli says in pasaydan, the universal prayer. "Duritache timir jao, vishwa swadharma surye paho" ... Let the darkness be dispelled and the dharma of the self be as clear as the sun is.
Illuminating the inner self:
The knowledge of inner self can be attained by three simple resources. Mandukya Unpanishad, Nirvana Shatakam and Shiv Manas Puja. Click here to read and know more.
Once this knowledge is clear, you move from the triade of body energy and mind into the duality of self and bliss. Which is very close to the soul.
Lighting a lamp with awareness.
Next time, you prepare a deepwali lamp, light it, immerse yourself into the manifestation of your true self, as the lamp represents you, nothing else!
Alignment to our culture
This deepwali, may the festival of lights show you the path to self realisation, as you enjoy the festivities with friends and families. Shubh deepawali. (Not happy diwali). Samvat 2080. Please use our calender and our Sanskrit words to connect with our ancient culture and identity, which sustained for a 1,000 years of aggression.
What to do in this deepwali.
Study the deep meaning of our rituals, it's underlying principles, than just partying and calling it a mythology! You have a weeks time to reflect, make the best use of it.
Blessing
Blessing you with awareness of health in being, abundance of wealth in giving and happiness of acceptance of having while being in the eternal aum sound. May the light of deepawali be eternal in your life, illuminating the path ahead.
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