Why is Diwali Celebrated? Be a Light Unto Yourself

 Be a Light Unto Yourself

Swami Chaitanya Keerti

For Osho-lovers around the world, the celebration is not confined to any particular day such as Holi or Diwali. Osho teaches us to live each moment of our life with a spirit of celebration, as it is a non-ending phenomenon of timeless dimension. But at the same time we welcome each festival celebrated by different people of different cultures, as our basic approach is positive. What really matters is positive and celebrative approach. We welcome Diwali and all other festivals with this spirit.

This festival of lights is very significant for all of us, as it can function as a reminder that we need to bring light into our life. Though there are historical reasons to celebrate Diwali - to remember Lord Rama's victory over Ravana, victory of Good over Evil, and celebrate with lighting the lamps and enjoying the firecrackers but that's not the main purpose of celebrating Diwali. People need to meditate and transform their lives, enlighten themselves and spread light all around.

Osho says: Two religions in India, Hindus and Jains, celebrate the festival of lights. They have different reasons; it is just a coincidence that something has happened on the same day in the history of both religions. Hindus celebrate it because Rama, one of the Hindu incarnations of God, was victorious over Ravana. He came back after fourteen years of wandering in the forests and the mountains to his capital, Ayodhya. And because he was coming back after fourteen years, the capital rejoiced with lights and firecrackers.

That is the Hindu reason. For Jains this is not the reason. Mahavira became enlightened on the same day, and Mahavira is the most important individual in the history of Jainism. Jainas are celebrating because Mahavira attained liberation. And he attained liberation in a unique way - Gautam Buddha became enlightened on a full-moon night. And except for Mahavira, anybody who has become enlightened has done so either on a full-moon night or close to it. Mahavira is unique in that he became enlightened on the night of amawas , no moon, and complete darkness. He is alone; there is nobody else who has become enlightened on the night of amawas.

  Osho adds: Mahavira became enlightened on the no-moon night, amawas . The full moon night is called purnima - the moon has become perfect, purna. And the no-moon night is when there is no moon at all, absolute darkness. Except Mahavira, nobody has become enlightened on amawas, no-moon night. Mahavira's name was not Mahavira - Mahavira means a great warrior. His name was Vardhaman. But because he became enlightened on amawas , no-moon night, he proved that he could go against the current. It was natural for everybody to become enlightened on the full moon night, but this fellow Mahavira tried to go against the normal order of things, and still managed to become enlightened.

In India, people have completely forgotten why every year on a particular amawas , no-moon night, they celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights. You must have seen people putting all kinds of candles, lamps, lights in their houses. This is the night when Mahavira became enlightened. Those firecrackers are in celebration of Mahavira. He certainly did something unique which never happened before and never happened afterwards. So it is perfectly right to call him Mahavira, a great warrior. A very strong man...otherwise it is almost impossible for anyone to become enlightened on the no-moon night.

Diwali simply means moving from darkness to light - Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya . And that's the message of Upanishads, the sages and all the enlightened Beings. Buddha says: Appo Deepo Bhav . Be a light unto yourself.