Happy Diwali to you and to all your nears and dears!

Diwali (the festival of lights) is celebrated on the fourteenth day in the dark half of Kartik (October - November), the new moon night. It is the darkest night of the darkest period, yet it is a celebration of light! This year, Diwali is on 17th October.

The time of Diwali is one of the most festive times of the year. It is the day of food-sharing, gift-giving, and diving into the inner most depth of our own being.

Diwali is heralded as the triumph of good over evil within an individual. On this auspicious day, the Supreme Reality is worshiped as Goddess Lakshmi, the giver of wealth.

Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word “Deepavali”, meaning a row of lights; Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row.  Homes, offices, shops, and streets are lined with bright diyas or clay lamps (cotton wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil). The diya burns to give light to others, sacrificing every ounce of its existence. From diyas, we must learn to burn FOR others with no selfish desire. Let us all burn like diyas – giving Light (knowledge) and support to others. Just as the brilliance of the diya does not diminish despite its repeated use to light many more diyas, so also knowledge does not lessen when shared with others.

Even though Diwali is a major Indian holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, its message is universal. It is really a festival of the light that dispels the darkness. What is the real darkness, which must be dispelled? It is the darkness within us, the darkness of ignorance of the self-luminous inner light of the Self, which is pure and eternal, called the Atman. Enjoy the real Diwali by experiencing the supreme light, which is ever shining steadily in the chamber of your heart.

On this day we clean every room of the house; we dust every corner of the room, we sweep behind bookshelves, vacuum under beds, and empty out cabinets. But, what about our hearts? When was the last time we swept out our hearts of all the dirt that has accumulated throughout our lives?

Bhagwan Mahavir, the founder of Jainism attained nirvana (enlightenment) on the Diwali day. Swami Ramtirth, the beloved spiritual master of millions of Indians, took both sannyas (monkhood) and samadhi (left his physical body) on the Diwali day.

Let us celebrate Diwali this year as a true "holy day," not as another frivolous "holiday."

On Diwali, may we all have a light shining in our eyes, a glow on our faces, and a song in our hearts that money cannot buy.