Diwali is popularly known as the 'festival of lights' although it's true meaning is closer to 'the awareness of the inner light'. Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure and infinite - one's soul or atma. Diwali is the celebration of this inner light. Deeps (candles) symbolizing this represent the victory of light over darkness, truth over falsehood and knowledge over ignorance. It is this light that is said to remove all obstacles and dispel ignorance. It awakens the individual to one's true nature, not in the physical sense but the spiritual one. With this knowledge comes the awareness of the oneness of all things which leads to ananda or inner peace.
The song for today is not exactly a Bollywood classic, instead it's a song about Diwali from one of my favorite television shows - 'The Office'. Enjoy!
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6 comments:
OMG, I am laughing *so* hard right now. Thank you for starting my day off with this! And, Diwali Mubarak.
The Office is my favorite show too. That was a fantastic episode. Michael trying to kiss Pam in the car, Angela's freak out at the food and shoes, Dwight's surprise knowledge of Hinduism. So funny! Kelly passing off Ryan as a much more serious boyfriend than he thought he was. I heard "Kelly Kapoor" (Mindy Kaling) on the radio a few months back and remember her saying that her own parents were used in the Diwale episode.
All the best!
Sita-ji
I debated with myself about whether I should really go ahead and say this, but... I found your explanation of Diwali most illuminating! :)
Happy Diwali to you too. This festival is the best in Indian culture. A mix of joy, peace and happiness.
hahah...thanks for the chuckle.
Hope you had a nice diwali. Saal Mubarak, tamne badhane. :)
trupti
Saal Mubarak to all of you as well! I think my favorite part of this episode was when Michael described Diwali as the 'Hindu Halloween' :)
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