Deepavali

Deepavali is the most grandly celebrated festival of Malaysian Indians. It is a time for joy and giving and togetherness. It is a time of remembrance of the Upanishad prayer: “Asato ma sat gamaya,Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya;Mrityor ma amritam gamaya which means 'Lead us from the unreal to the Real; from darkness to Light; from death to Immortality.'

Light is the most important of the Deepavali symbols. Light brings warmth and illumination. By having lights in the house, one is reminded to always light up one’s own life and to bring light into the lives of others to be, in effect positive thinker. One is reminded to wake up from the slumber of ignorance and to pursue knowledge

The aim of Deepavali celebrations is to get man moving on the spiritual path and ultimately attain illumination, become one with God. One need not be a Hindu to do this. Every man can go about it his way, following the percepts of his own religion.

The Mythology

it was the day Lord Vishnu married Goddess Lakshmi

The marriage of Lord Vishnu to Goddess Lakshmi also denotes the merging of the Jivatma (individual soul) with the Paramatma (Universal Soul).

Naragaasuran
The message of the story : God-consciousness destroys the demoniac qualities exhibited by man in his ignorant and deplorable state. God eradicates man’s lower appetites and ignorance and lifts him up.

Mahabali
The message in this version is this: Mahabali represents ego and greed, especially the desire for power. The ego and greed visit and reside only in the hearts of material conscious and spiritually ignorant persons who have yet to see the light of God-consciousness or who have not attempted to light up their lives with thoughts of God by leading a morally upright life.

celebration of the return of Sri Rama to the city of Ayudya
This signifies the triumph of good over evil the coming of God-consciousness into the life of the devotee.

The Philosophy
The common factor in all these mythological tales is this : Man should constantly review his position. Is he exhibiting divine qualities or asuric (demoniac) qualities? Is he moving upwards to God or is he dropping down into the demoniac level in his thoughts, words and deeds? Man should constantly light up his life with God-consciousness. He must also bring love and cheer into the lives of others.

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