The light in me honors the light in you.
Namaste & Sal Mubarak!
Today is the Hindu New Year. “Sal Mubarak” means Happy New Year in Hindi. It is also the 4th day of Diwali, which is the Hindu Festival of Lights.
For those that do not celebrate it - think of it as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all combined into a week of celebration, family, delicious food, prayer, and fireworks. People spend the days leading up to Diwali preparing food and cleaning their homes. The significance of cleaning is to create an auspicious environment to be blessed and filled with positive energy. Every evening during Diwali, we light oil lamps called diyas outside and throughout the home.
Why light diyas?
Here is a very brief overview of the story:
This tradition dates back to the Ramayan. The Ramayan is an ancient Indian scripture telling the story of Rama - the Prince of Ayodhya as well as a devoutly worshipped Hindu deity. When the time came for Ram to take the throne and become king, one of the king’s wives thought that her son should be heir instead, and exiled Ram to the jungle for 14 years. His brother Lakshman and his wife Sita accompanied him. During this time, they faced and overcame a number of battles. At the end of the 14 years, the entire city of Ayodhya lit diyas in the streets to help guide and welcome Ram home. They had been waiting for their humble king for all those years.
The moral of the story is that with a kind heart, good intentions, prayer, and perseverance good will always triumph over evil. The queen that banished Ram was acting with bias and greed, but out of respect Ram was willing to do whatever his family asked of him. Throughout the journey, he faced trials and tribulations but overcame them with the support and prayers of his family and devout followers.
I skipped over a lot of major details, so the full story can be found here: https://www.mapsofindia.com/fairs-and-festivals/diwali/story-of-ram.html
Just like the city of Ayodhya lit diyas to guide Ram home, about a billion people light diyas today to guide God into their homes - so that God may bless them and their families with good health, prosperity, and happiness for the upcoming year.
Along with being a guide - the diya’s light represents knowledge, hope, and unity. One of my favorite quotes is...
“Thousands of candles can be lit from the flame of a single candle, but the life of the candle will not shorten. Happiness never decreases by being shared” - Buddha
Diyas teach us to always act with generosity and kindness - not only because it is the right thing to do, but because you aren’t going to lose anything. You can share your light with others, and your flame will still keep burning.
What do I wish for in the New Year?
This is a time to show gratitude for all of the blessings we have in our lives. We pay respect to our loved ones and thank them for their eternal blessings.
In addition to being thankful for what we have, it is a time to look ahead and determine what we want to do differently. I have always loved New Years for that very reason. It is a new beginning, and although you never need an opportunity to set new goals or create “resolutions,” it is nice to have a holiday dedicated to marking the beginning of a new chapter so that we can all reset and re-evaluate.
My hope this year is that everyone is able to recognize and feel the flame that burns inside of them year round. This flame creates the spark you need to follow your dreams and achieve your goals. It is the same flame that helps you maintain a warm heart so that you may act with kindness, humility, and loyalty.
I will end with the fact that - we all have that flame. No matter your race, religion, gender, or beliefs. Namaste means “The light in me honors the light in you.” It is an ode to the fact that we ALL have a light. We all want health, happiness, success, and love in our lives. Let us spend this year focusing on what unites us - even with the people that may seem the most different. Honor the light in yourself, by honoring that of people around you.
I wish everyone a very Happy Diwali and an incredibly prosperous year ahead. May the light of the diyas keep burning all year long to guide you to happiness, health, and joy!
