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Why is Diwali Celebrated

When Hindus light diyas and burst firecrackers on Diwali, we are enlivening core Hindu principles. Diwali honors the power of Jnana (spiritual knowledge) to dispel Ajnana (small-minded ignorance) and the victory of Dharma (righteousness) in the face of Adharma (unrighteousness).

“The dharma of fire is the same wherever it is: in a poor man’s house, in a rich man’s house, in America, in Antarctica, or in the Himalayas. It gives light and heat. The flame always points upwards. Even if we keep the lamp upside down, the flame will burn upwards. The message is that our mind should be focused on the Atman, the Self wherever we are. The lamps remind us of our dharma to realise our divine nature.”

– Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Our ancestors encoded the core principles of our tradition (like Jnana and Dharma) into stories about our past. These stories have been shared for generations. There is a rich diversity of these tales, often connected to local or regional histories across Bharat (India), which reverberate across the global Hindu diaspora. There are several such stories associated with Diwali. The most popular ones are: the homecoming of Sri Rama, Devi Sita, and Sri Lakshmana at the end of their fourteen-year exile, after defeating the evil King Ravana; the celebration of Devi Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth; and the victory of Sri Krishna and Devi Satyabhama over the evil King Narakasura.
 
Just as the small flickering pinpoints of light from Diwali diyas dispel the vast darkness of a moonless night, so, too, does a small spark of spiritual awareness enliven dharma and reveal the pervasive small-mindedness that creeps into all of our lives, the six-fold vices of desire, anger, covetousness, lust, jealousy and greed.

Contemporary Relevance

By maintaining the vibrancy of these stories in our contemporary lives, we are not only honoring our ancestors, but are enlivening the ideals and principles embedded within them. The stories are conversations across generations, and while they are philosophical contemplations, they needn’t be heavy or somber. Colorful, joyful Diwali celebrations give our spirits a chance to rejoice in wisdom, in the company of those that we love. Hindus believe that the source of life is love and bliss, and our festivals reflect this!

“Every lamp that you light is symbolic of virtue or quality within you. There are infinite virtues in every human being – some are vibrant and others lay dormant. The quieter values in you are like unlit lamps. When they are lit, awakened, that is Deepāvali. Don’t be satisfied with lighting one lamp; light a thousand! If you have the value of service in you, don’t be satisfied only with that. Light the lamp of wisdom in you, acquire knowledge. Awaken all the facets of your being, and recognize the infinite light in the people around you.”

– Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Diwali is a celebration of core Hindu principles and recognizes that we are all on spiritual journeys while also living in the complex, confusing, often difficult material world. Diwali provides a rich and meaningful pause to turn inward and invoke the light of wisdom in our hearts so that we can navigate our lives and our worlds with higher consciousness.. The tensions and victories represented in each of the stories told about Diwali mirror what happens in our own lives and within us. Diwali is often described as the victory of good over evil, but it’s not about reducing an individual to a good person or a bad person. Every individual has the potential to illuminate the good qualities in them; people are complex and contradictory, and there is infinite possibility in taking the time to pause, turn inward, and examine one’s choices and actions in the light of spiritual principles.
 

“On this Sacred day of Deepavali (Diwali) at dusk when darkness intensifies, all homes are illumined by lights, tiny mud pots with oil wicks. I appeal that this day is a day of prayer and expression of love. Get out of your homes in the evening and embrace every other individual in society not because they are Hindus but, because they too are small flames of the same light Divine. This Pure Divine light can impart a joyous sense of perfection in the ways of men & women. Diwali is a day dedicated to inner purity and noble character.”

- Swami Chinmayananda
There has always been an ebb and flow of difficult periods in human history, taking the form of war or disease or natural disasters. These challenging times can exhaust us – individually and collectively – and drain our resources, especially our prana (life force energy). It can feel like the universe is churning, and we are getting tossed around in the churn. During these times, when we feel low prana and disoriented, even simple tasks appear difficult and our efforts can feel futile. This can have a negative impact on our relationships, our work, and our sense of hope. It is precisely in these dark times that we need to take a pause to disrupt the isolation and cycles of thoughts that pull us down. Coming together – whether in real life or for a virtual Diwali celebration – to assemble in spiritual knowledge and celebration brings us into the present moment, away from our anxieties about the future and ruminations about the past. It builds up our prana. reminding us of the abundance that Mother Nature provides for us and of the massive scale of time of existence, within which our current troubles are but a small portion. Diwali provides us with a sense of abundance, of expansiveness, of our collective journey, and reminds us that it is in the darkest of times that the sparks of light appear the brightest, and that a row of lights – Deepavali – represents the collective harmony of our highest virtues.
 
The festival of Diwali is ancient, but it is also timeless, resonating as much today as it did thousands of years ago.

Diwali, the day we invoke and worship the Mother, some as Ma Lakshmi, others as Ma Kali. Diwali, the day we remind ourselves, once again, to turn toward the Light, to remove the darkness and dullness within. Diwali, the day, we recall and rekindle, once again, our inmost aspiration to open to the Divine Light. Light of Truth, Right, Good. Light of Love and Harmony.

- Sri Aurobindo