Light A Lamp For Spiritual Wellness

Sneha Patro Oct 25, 2022

Diwali cannot be imagined without diyas or a lamp as it is considered a symbol of auspiciousness. Though there are various source of light nowadays, be it decorative lights, bulbs, lanterns, etc, but lighting an oil lamp is the oldest of India's traditions. The lamp has religious and spiritual significance.

There are various legends of Hindu tradition that support this idea of lighting a lamp. One of the popular legends speak about the homecoming of Lord Rama after fourteen years of exile and therefore people celebrated the return of their King by lighting diyas in his honor.

Apart from that, lighting lamps in Diwali also has a connection with our wellbeing. It boosts physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.

AiR Atman in Ravi says, "When we light a lamp, it lights up the world around us. It eliminates darkness. It makes everything look bright and beautiful. It emanates happiness and gives us hope. One is able to see things, and we are no longer in darkness."

Spiritual Wellness

The oil lamps also known as diya, divaa, deepam, deep, etc is to emphasise invitation of positivity in the house.

AiR Atman in Ravi said, "In spirituality, this is what enlightenment is. Enlightenment is to bring in the light. It is about switching on the light within. As the Buddha said, ‘Appo Deepo Bhava’. We have to be our own light. It implies going inwards, it implies going on a spiritual quest to realise the truth. It means eliminating the darkness of ignorance that we live with. Because we live in ignorance, we are unable to realise the truth and we suffer."

The truth is that we are not the body, mind and ego that we appear to be. We are the Soul - a Spark Of Unique Life. We are a part of SIP, the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. This is the truth we must realise. The realisation of the truth liberates us from all misery and suffering. It leads us to Moksha, freedom from the Karmic cycle of death and birth. It leads to a state of everlasting biss, divine love and eternal peace, he said.

It is said that a lamp whether lit with oil or ghee connects us to spirituality as it provokes positive energy within and around us that joins us to the Supreme power. Diwali becomes a season when majority of the Indians light lamps drawing positive energy to the whole surrounding. Also, it removes negativity or any kind of negative energy.

Physical & Mental Wellness

According to scientists, cow's ghee has the capability to drive down microbes. In such a situation, when ghee comes in contact with fire in the beacon, it makes the atmosphere pure. Lighting of diyas make the house pollution free. The spread of ghee from the fire purifies the ambience.

Also, there are several harmful germs, bacteria, virus in the air that gets killed during Diwali as number of lamps are lit.

AiR Atman in Ravi said, "Lighting a lamp makes one feel happy, joyous. It fills us with hope, courage, confidence. It makes us believe in all that is good. Of course, it can invite physical or health benefits, provided we understand the significance of lighting a lamp. Just by lighting lamps, we cannot change anything for the better, we cannot invite good things. By lighting a lamp, it is not that we will suddenly attract physical or health benefits. It is about eradicating the darkness we live in. It is about overcoming the negativity that surrounds us. It is about controlling and transcending the mind that makes us miserable, that fills our life with darkness. If we understand all this, and work towards it, we will definitely invite physical or health benefits."

How to maintain Spiritual Wellness?

AiR Atman in Ravi says, to maintain spiritual wellness, we must understand what Diwali actually is. Of course, it’s a joyous festival where we wish everyone happiness. But Diwali is not about feasting or bursting crackers or wearing new clothes, eating and distributing sweets and gifts. A lot of people pray for prosperity and wealth. Why? What is the point in praying for more and more money when we have to leave everything behind? How much do we need? We do not realise that by bursting crackers, not only are we harming our environment but affecting the lives of thousands of birds and animals who are terrified of crackers. We do not know that each of these beings is a manifestation of the Divine.

Diwali is about dispelling the darkness — the darkness of ignorance that we live with and bringing in the light of the truth. It is about self-realisation and God realization. It is about realizing that we are the Soul, we are all a part of the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. To maintain spiritual wellness, reflect, introspect and contemplate the meaning of Diwali. Contemplate happiness. Spend time in silence, meditate. Learn to still the mind. When we still the mind, we kill the mind. It is the mind that makes us miserable. When we kill the mind, we are in the state of consciousness, and in this state, we can be enlightened. Practice discipline, dispassion, detachment. Go beyond praying to God to passionately seeking, desiring God. Don’t give in to the cravings of the senses by eating and drinking. Give as much as you can to the needy. Share your happiness and blessings with the underprivileged, knowing that they are all Divine Souls.