Happy Dīpāvali..!

(On 04-11-2021)

During this auspicious occasion of Dīpāvali, in the midst of colourful crackers enlightening the earth and sky, let’s remember these words of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, who reminds us about the importance of being realistic in the path of seeking for the highest Truth.

“It is necessary therefore, that advancing knowledge should base herself on a clear, pure and disciplined intellect. It is necessary too, that she should correct her errors sometimes by a return to the restraint of sensible fact, the concrete realities of the physical world. The touch of Earth is always reinvigorating to the son of Earth, even when he seeks a supra-physical Knowledge. It may even be said that the supra-physical can only be really mastered in its fullness – to its heights we can always reach – when we keep our feet firmly on the physical. Earth is His footing, says the Upanishad whenever it images the Self that manifests in the universe. And it is certainly the fact that the wider we extend and surer we make our knowledge of physical world, the wider and surer becomes our foundation for the higher knowledge, even for the highest, even for Brahmavidya.” [Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, The Life Divine, p. 11]

padbhyām pṛthivī hyēṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā

(Meaning: Earth is the footing of the innermost Ātmā of all beings. Munḍaka Upaniṣad. II - 1 – 4.)

Dīpāvali reminds us of the Light without a shadow, the brightest Wisdom without ignorance and the complete Ananda without the shade of suffering. All individuals on Earth seek this joy in their own way. However, in the quote above, Sri Aurobindo reminds us that it is not possible to gain the ultimate truth by being unrealistic and superstitious. “Being on Earth, while searching for the ultimate Truth” means to be as practical as we can in facing the real issues of life.

There is no doubt that joy (Ananda) is inevitable in life, but what exactly is joy? It is necessary to understand the real nature of joy. The message of Dīpāvali is to cast aside the momentary pleasures and seek the real joy. These pleasures are just like the firework crackers which explode with glitter and dazzle for a moment before fading away into the darkness. Real joy is nothing but the fulfilling of one’s personal duties with an attitude of utmost positivity and is the greatest form of worship. However, this does not mean that man should always be conscious about only material needs and fulfilling these. There are of course, several layers of higher needs for an individual, for example, the feeling of sublimity, self-respect, self-purity, confidence etc. All these various layers of experiences and realisations on the path towards the highest Truth are based on material discipline and the perfect execution of day to day affairs. Regulating the daily affairs upon the light of higher purpose is the method to gain the eligibility for such higher experiences and long-lasting joy.

Therefore, Dīpāvali reminds us of the necessity to lead a disciplined daily life for experiencing the highest and brightest Ananda within. Happy Dīpāvali..!