My Most Memorable Divali
Vinai Tewari, Swaha Divya Ashram
Divali once more had arrived. Our village most popular in the island for festival of Lights promised to live up to its name. Preparations exceeded the years before, bamboo arches lined the streets for miles on which the lighted deeyas lay flickering in the gentle wind. Continuously, colourful decorations danced in the evening sky, creating a most beautiful canopy.
I was just eleven years old at the time. Although excitement prevailed I knew in my mind that something was missing. Divali is a time of family bonding, mother would occupy themselves in the kitchen while fathers and children prepare for the lighting the deeyas after Lakshmi Mata pooja was performed, of course. As usual Sashi and I lit deeyas and our mother diligently prepared delicious meethai for us. This year, however mom bought designer outfits for us, fit for royalty.
As Sashi and I finished lighting the deeyas and switched on the multi-coloured string of lights we had put up earlier in the day, Divali never looked so prefect but once more there was a wish in our hearts. Mom’s face told a sorrowful tale. I hurried to her and twined my arms around her and reassured her that we are a happy family. I felt a tear silently trickled down her face; she quickly brushed it away reassuring me it was because of my loving hug.
Just as Sashi and I returned to the yard, a somewhat strange man with a not so inviting face approached our gateway. He walked straight up to my mother, who was relaxing in the front porch. My mother sprang up and they both stared at each other. Sashi and I were confused for we were not accustomed with strange men entering our home. That was when it happened, mom called out, “Vinai, Sashi…come quickly!” the tone and urgency in her voice propelled us to the scene. She then exclaimed in most joyous manner, “Your father is here!”
For moments, we just stared in shock, trying to match his face to that last time we saw him. Dad quickly embraced us and we all broke down in tears. I felt so blissful our home felt complete. He told us that he was immensely sorry for leaving us and promised always to stay with us. Our joy knew no bounds; our hearts palpitated with love and excitement. We did not care about anything else except that our Dad was here. In our porch the two brightest deeyas shone. Mother Lakshmi surely blessed us with her presence and Shri Rama had returned. It was my most memorable Divali, one I will never forget.
The Lakshmi We Call Maa
Raajivve Sookdeo (14 yrs), Swaha Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali
I am one of the fortunate children to be blessed with a mother with qualities of Lakshmi. Firstly she is beautiful, and then she handles all the money in my home. She is also the one who saves for all of our family vacations and spends for my every need. She also says no if it is unnecessary and makes me work for all of my brand name clothes and shoes.
In Sanatan Dharma it is said that mother is the first teacher, ‘Matri Devo Bavah’, and I have seen the truth of this statement. Because our mother has started teaching us from in the womb, everything that we know is taught to us by our mother, be it directly or indirectly.
A Lakshmi is one who is there to ensure that I develop all the qualities necessary to become a well rounded human being. My mother has done an exemplary job of this. She is always willing to do anything that will be beneficial to me, no matter the sacrifice that she has to make.
I am, and will always be grateful to my mother for bringing me into this world. She has made my life very enjoyable and at the same time making sure that I develop into an all-round individual. One of the ways that she has nurtured me spiritually is by making me a part of one the best Hindu organisations in the country, SWAHA. Even newly born babies recognise the important role that their mother will play in their life and so their first word is always Maa.
Are we losing the light of divali in the modern world?
Ravi Sooknanan (17 years), Swaha Sukh Shanti Bhakti Mandali
Divali or Deepavali or the Festival of Lights is a five (5) days Hindu festival occurring in the months of October or November. It involves the lighting of deyas filled with oil or cow ghee and signifies the triumph of good over evil, the return of Lord Rama to the kingdom of Ayodhya and the emergence of the Goddess lakshmi from the ocean of milk during the churning of the oceans. However, more importantly, the lighting of the deya serves to create the awareness and celebration of the inner light in all devotees and believers of the religion. The lighting of the deyas and festivities associated with Divali are mainly of cosmetic value if the inner light is not similarly lit.
The inner light or Atma or soul is all about compassion, love, devotion spirituality and morality, not only to the lord but to mankind in general. When the inner light is truly lit as signified by the lighting of the deya, it brings inner joy, peace and oneness with all of creation. It energizes the individual to strive for Moksha or liberation from the cycle of repeated death and rebirth.
The modern world is much more focused on materialism, financial success and security and a proliferation of promiscuity, sexuality and sensual behaviors. The emphasis is on the body and not the soul, the outer rather than the inner light and materialism rather than spirituality. Religious zeal and core values of honesty, integrity, morality and truth are being eroded. Temples and congregations are dwindling in size. Devotees are pursuing the charismatic pundits rather that those that are best placed to help them
grow spiritually. Service to god, our gurus, our parents and our temples are being ignored as we strive for financial success and security. We no longer see ourselves as caretakers of our religion, our dharma and our traditions, as was demonstrated by our ancestors. It’s all about the increasing pursuit of western cultures and values. Too often and too easily we are being swayed by the attractions and the attractiveness of the almighty dollar.
The pursuit of materialism has far exceeded the pursuit of spirituality in the modern world. The age of Kalyug or the Dark Age is truly with us. The Light of Divali continues to shine as the truly committed devotee’s continue to fill the deyas with love. However the illumination from this light is slowly diminishing as righteousness is on the decline. We do have the means to arrest this decline through our scriptures and our gurus but the will power continues to desert us.
Are we losing the light of divali in the modern world?
Nirupa Manohar, Swaha Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali
Divali is the festival of lights which simply commemorates light over spiritual darkness or good over evil. The light if Divali or the light of spirituality consists of dharma(religion), vidya(wisdom) and charitra(good virtues) which we received from our purvaj or ancestors. Today’s youth are greatly influenced by the modern and westernized world we live in. There is a struggle to rekindle our dharmic values which our forefathers once planted in our fertile land. It is disappointing to say that our sacred Hindu religions being tarnished by the evolved generation whom are unfamiliar of the true essence of this annual observance hence I strongly confirm that we are losing the light of Divali in the modern world because the knowledge of Hindi is lacking via means of technology, east Indian apparel are being transformed and the attitudes toward Sanathan Dharma is gradually decreasing.
Sanathan Dharma stands on four pillars, satyam(truth), soucham(cleanliness), dayaa(compassion) and daan(charity). Soucham or cleanliness in this case, of speech and sound, illustrates how and what we should speak and listen to in today’s world. Technology succeeds in corrupting the minds of many people in terms of music, means of communication or television. Music however promotes to the vast decline of Hindi language, which is the mother of all languages, through songs and videos that are publicized through various media. Instead of bhajans that transmit positive vibrations youths and young adults have developed a habit of listening to chutney, soca, dub and other types of so called music that formalizes a negative impact on the individual’s behavious.
Siya Ram Mai Saba Jaga Jaani, There is the presence of Shri Ram and Sita in all and thus all should respect themselves and respect others. This is yet another great example of Sanathan Dharma that has been institutionalized however forgotten. East Indian attires such as sarees, shalwars and ghararas are being insulted and some are worn to the shortest and tightest, they are most revealing. Self respect for the body is deteriorating due to the fact that it is necessary to set a fashion trend. However it is capable to be in “style” without the need for vulgar and skin tight garments.
Finally, Sanathan Dharma or eternal religion is a critical battle against today’s society mainly because some individuals become rebellious meaning that they are confused as they are not provided with necessary impetus from parents, guardians and even some pundits, who are fooled by their own ego but are really unqualified an unfit to that authority, that they dislike their own religion. This lack of competencies and moral values prevent those individuals to acquire God’s darshan to free their souls from sansara, cycle of birth and death. We as Hindus should be obliged to have and to cherish this value system and over-power this dominant laziness.
There is still hope to receive the four goals of life which are artha(wealth), dharma(duty), kaam(leisure) and moksha(liberation) the ultimate goal to unite with the Divine. In the words of His Holiness Paramacharya of Swaha, “Every action we perform is like a pooja”, it is not too late to make amendments so that we can gain and not lose the light of Divali in this modern world.
Are we losing the light of divali in the modern world?
Rohini Hema Ramsumair (27yrs), Swaha Sukh Shanti Bhakti Mandali
In Hinduism, we believe that time goes in cycles. More specifically, this cycle, which depicts the ‘progression’ of humanity as a downward movement, is divided into four Ages. Hindus call these four ages of human civilization Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga.
In Satya Yuga, the first in the cycle, the four pillars of Sanatana Dharma: Satyam, Soucham, Dayaa and Daan are present in totality. Everyone engaged in only holy and virtuous deeds and there was no deceit, disease, vanity or evil intentions. In this Era of Truth, humans could not be classified as being either rich or poor for, according to the Mahabharata, “the chief virtue was the abandonment of all worldly desires”. Here, the Dharma Bull, that symbolizes morality, stood on all four legs.
After the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga followed. In this Age of Ritual, there was a decline in morality. Duties were no longer the natural laws of human behaviour but needed to be learnt. Ceremonies and sacrifices were performed only for personal benefit. Human civilization further depleted in the Dwapara Yuga; the Age of Doubt. The Dharma Bull stood on two legs, as there was a steady decline in righteousness and morality. Diseases and desires plagued humans and some even seeked release from ritual practices.
The Kali Yuga, the last age, was said to begin when Shri Krishna left Earth and returned to his abode. This immoral Age of Quarrels and Conflict, which we are currently in, is the darkest and most corrupted period. The Dharma Bull stands on only one leg. It is a time of malice when men kill eachother for selfish reasons. It is the Age where a truly ‘materialistic’ life becomes possible; where we become wholly creatures of the material realm. Our ego and pride fuel our every action and thought. Violence, war and greed become the order of the day.
We live in a so-called ‘modern’ world of highly advanced technology, which has brought about a lack of spiritual oneness with our Creator and compassion for our fellow men. Although Divali signifies the triumph of Good over Evil, Light over Darkness and Knowledge over Ignorance, it is becoming increasingly difficult to overcome these negativities. Is this technological progression actually worth losing our culture and religious beliefs?
Recently, good seems to be losing the fight against evil. Our hearts cringe in horror every time we hear of an innocent being brutally murdered or kidnapped. The Light of good seems to be diminishing within many of us because of our selfish and materialistic lifestyles. Ignorance, in the sense of spirituality and culture, has become more prominent within us. As time progressed, language became much simpler in that modern Hindi is now easier to learn than Sanskrit. Presently, knowing a second language seems more as a bonus for the business world rather than having a deeper connection with our ancestors. The human mind has become much simpler and materially oriented.
With the depletion of morality in this age, we are indeed losing the ‘Light of Divali’. However, based on the predictions of Kali Yuga, maybe this is how it is meant to be. Nevertheless, the ‘Light of Divali’ is not yet lost. If as individuals, we focus on the spiritual light within and perform the five daily duties with diligence and devotion, our karma would be balanced and light shall once again triumph over darkness.
Taking hinduism forward
Rayanna Sookoo, Swaha Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali
Hinduism is the foremost single religion of the Indo-Caribbean communities of the West Indies. It is the oldest religion that teaches people how they should live with each other. Hinduism has many auspicious periods such as Phagwa, Divali, Ramleela and lots more. The people who follow up in this religion are hindus and they worship god in many forms of dewtas and devies. In this twenty first century many hindus are less caring with their religion. They are calling themselves Hindus but when auspicious times are approaching they believe it is not important and thus, don’t take part. The only auspicious period they will take part in is probably their yearly pooja and Divali and still they don’t adhere to the three weeks fast prior to the due date. Those persons who care less about their religion are the ones who lack moral and spiritual values. This creates a domino effect and thus, leads to a breakdown in societal norms, high levels of crime and social deviancies. This breakdown is evident in Trinidad and Tobago today as we see it in our daily newspapers and neighbourhood.
The question may be asked, how can Hinduism be used to curb these social issues? In this twenty first century, Hinduism is more stringent and more traditional. It brings to the forefront the manner by which individuals should live, in order to be accepted into society. In Trinidad and Tobago a non-profit organization named Swaha chose to revitalize Hinduism and bring some clarity to it, in an effort to get more youths involved, as a result, this effort has been striving seventeen years now. The organization has developed many mandirs throughout Trinidad and has also established international links, including one in India. Swaha has also broadened their horizons to create schools across educational levels to educate the youths of Trinidad and Tobago, both Hindus and non-Hindus. They have also embarked upon bringing communities closer and hence, started an annual family day, summer camps to assist students who suffer from summer slide and other fun activities for the entire family.
The people who attend these mandirs share a bond of love, respect and unity within themselves, their families and everyone who surround them. They go with two common goals, which is receiving blessings from the one above and keeping there temple beautiful like themselves. Again, this can have a trickle effect and flow over into society and make life enhancing changes to persons who are not Hindus or by extension Swaha members. Swaha also communicates through the internet with other devotees around the world and has even created a social group on facebook, in an effort to reach out the youths.
In the pass women was only allow to work at home doing the cleaning, washing and cooking whilst the men were the bread winners. In our world today men and women are doing the same jobs and thus, should be treated equally. Hinduism ensures this, it is the only religion that views both genders equally, and both mother and father are worshipped and are viewed as equal partners. Recently in Trinidad and Tobago, our honourable Prime Minister Kamala Presad- Bissessar took the oath of office using the Bhagavad-Gita. It is the first time this has been done in our country and although it did not make headline news locally, it received international attention from Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in Nevada (USA). The honourable leader has set a high precedent for us as Hindus to follow, the Bhagavad-Gita emphasizes the need to serve the wellbeing of the world without any inclination of personal gain, thus do not be ashamed of who you are.
In conclusion, Hinduism is more vibrant than ever in Trinidad and Tobago and because of Swaha more and more youths are becoming involved and as a result becoming upright citizens. Our cultural differences are now becoming more appreciative and accepted by the wider public and as time progresses this can only soar to higher accomplishments. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, “The bearing of this religion on social life is, or has to be, seen in one’s daily social contact. To be true to such religion, one has to lose oneself in continuous and continuing service of all in life.”
Taking Hinduism Forward
Aditi Bisramsingh, Swaha Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali
Sanatan Dharma, which literally means ‘eternal religion’, is based upon principles such as truth, charity, cleanliness and compassion. These form the bedrock of morality and values. It has been said that Hinduism in one of the most ancient religions that still exists today. We must appreciate our religion for what it is and practise its most valuable teachings. We live in an evolving world that has far changed from what our ancestors knew it to be. How therefore can a religion this old possibly survive in the world of modern technology, thereby ensuring that its teachings and values are propagated? How can Hinduism survive in a changing world? And, more importantly, how can this great religion be taken forward?
The answer is simple. While today almost everyone’s lifestyle revolve around work and obtaining material things in life, Hindusim still finds its place because of its depthlessness, universality and dynamism. Hinduism in the only religion that existed in the past, still exists today and because of its philosophy, will survive the winds of change and still be there in the future. As a future of the past this way of life is yet very much alive.
The tenet of truth is embedded in everything eternal and, by means of this and other principles of Sanatan Dharma, Hinduism continues to replicate itself. It is ever so alive. These pillars continue to hold strong, to remain unshakeable. As such, changes in economic, social, psychological situations may sway the material world but truth continues to be rooted in its pristine form, firm and constant. No room is there for any distortion of the truth. Hence, could there be any compromising, any dilution of these philosophical bases, upon which our Dharma rests? I think not.
The way Hinduism continues to resonate itself is a clear demonstration of its permanence throughout the ages. Scientists, through their various experiments and hypotheses, have proven that Hinduism is and will always be the religion of the future. In today’s fast-moving technological world, the age where the computer is the pradhaan-instrument or the main tool of operation, Hinduism has already carved its niche. It is the epi-centre of knowledge on every field of Arts, Science, Technology and Business.
In the realm of science, Hinduism is probably the only religion which provides great support for science. It is often said that ‘Hinduism is the laboratory of science.’ Most of the modern day inventions can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures. While scientists around the world sit in their labs trying to solve problems through experiments, our Hindu scriptures have already unraveled these mysteries hundreds of years ago. Concepts of physics, engineering and countless other principles are outlined in many Hindu scriptural texts. One example is Devi Bhagavat Puraan which deals with ‘shakti’ or energy in its different forms. Learned pundits of today confess that this text is pure Physics.
Many scientific problems have already been solved through the teachings of Hinduism. Some of today’s groundbreaking feats are merely a re-discovery of what of our sages found thousands of years ago. Today’s discoveries are just a scratch from what our sages knew. Around 800 BC Sage Bharadwaj, the father of modern medicine, was also teaching Ayurveda, and developing aviation technology. He wrote the Yantra Sarvasva, which covers astonishing discoveries in aviation and space sciences, and flying machines – well before Leonardo DaVinci’s time.
Knowledge of botany (Vrksh-Ayurveda) dates back more than 5,000 years, discussed in India’s Rig Veda. Sage Parashara (100 BCE) is called the “father of botany” because he classified flowering plants into various families, nearly 2,000 years before Lannaeus (the modern father of taxonomy). Parashara described plant cells – the outer and inner walls, sap color-matter and something not visible to the eye. Nearly 2,000 years later Robert Hooke, using a microscope described the outer and inner wall and sap color-matter.
Indeed, Hinduism and its teachings permeate the breath of our very existence. This eternal religion stands tall, towering far above the modern world. It continues to resonate throughout creation, not depending on anyone to take it forward and will remain that which is sought by allm ankind. Hinduism will always be a religion of our past, present and future.
