As the earth spins on its imaginary axis as usual, ushering in the month of aswini, the people inhabiting the region between the Hindukush and the Arakhan, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, prepares themselves to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.
Light has a special meaning and significance in human life. A devout traditional Hindu tends a permanent fire in his house. A modern Hindu keeps a lamp or a zero watt bulb burning in his pooja room.
The Lord, the Self of all beings is of the nature of light - jyotisvaroopah.
The early Vedic Rishis chanted: lead from darkness to light, from death to deathlessness. The ultimate reality, the consciousness, the Brahman is pure light. It is in the light of that consciousness everything that falls in the field of experience, including the sun and the moon, is illumined. He alone shines in his resplendent glory, and everything else shines after him.
Br. Bodha Chaitanya (Swami Bodhananda)
Written as the editorial of Chinmaya Jyoti by its editor, Br. Bodha Chaitanya — Swami Bodhananda before his sannyasa. Published by Chinmaya Mission.