麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya

Good morning.

Today is Diwali; for those who celebrate, it is marked with a worship of the goddess Lakshmi, and of course with plenty of food and festive gatherings with loved ones.

The word 鈥楧iwali鈥� is derived from the Sanskrit word 鈥楧墨p膩val墨鈥� which means 鈥渞ow of lights鈥�. As we ready ourselves for another winter season, we witness the days growing shorter and darkness slowly encroaching on our afternoons.

One of the most beautiful aspects of Diwali, I find, is one that seems very obvious and yet is full of nuance. As the sun sets, many households will be lighting small lamps filled with oil or ghee all around their homes. Houses are filled, literally, with rows of lights.

The cheerful flickering of these tiny flames is a sight that brings great joy, not only because it is associated with celebrations of delicious food and joyous meetings with family and friends, but because it鈥檚 a reminder that even in times of darkness, each of us carries a light within ourselves.

In the Bhagavad Gita, a well-known Hindu scripture, Shri Krishna tells his dear friend Arjuna, that He remains as the light of knowledge within the hearts of those who love Him. He tells us that even when the world seems dark and we are unsure of our path, we can find our way if we have the light of love and knowledge in our hearts and minds.

How do we kindle this light within ourselves? The simple advice given is to spend time in the company of those who have it. To develop love, we keep the company of those who are not afraid to give love to the world around. If we seek knowledge of the Divine, we remain with those whose lives are surrendered to that.

With God鈥檚 grace, may we always be in good company. May our minds remain elevated through love and understanding.

Namaste, Hari Om.

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