“Lead me to light, Lord.” This supplicating plea to remove darkness is a year-round global appeal but usually intensifies at Divali. In ready response, the myriad of festive lights brilliantly burst forth. So too do the flickering fireworks that shoot across the pitch-black skies, arousing momentary brightness. Not to be outdone are the many cultural celebrations that stretch far into communities, also aiming at appeasing our cries. Amidst the brilliance, though, the hovering darkness remains unfazed, unmoved by this external illumination. It appears to stubbornly anchor itself in our lives, clutching at the very core of our existence. This darkness is ‘agyaan’ or ignorance and needs inner illumination to dispel it.
Individually and collectively we seek this inner radiance. We worship the Divine Mother, seeking her blessings of wealth, light and prosperity. Added illumination we have seen, indeed, in recent times, with the mushrooming of cultural festivities of Divali, no doubt with the injection of administrative and public corporate funding. Such celebrations bring prosperity, fuelling sustenance and advancement of communities. They nourish economic and social stability of a people. Undeniably, the blessings of the Divine Mother! Yet still, Lakshmi Devi is absent from our lives. The question begs, “Where is your lamp?”
The wealth of material prosperity minus spirituality is deficient in removing the ignorance that gnaws away at our insides, while breeding other mental afflictions of egoism, attachment, aversion and the fear of death. A life directed by these afflictions is infested with the thieves of self-centredness and selfishness that run rampant within. Without spirituality, we are unable to sufficiently manage material wealth. We become spiritually impoverished, sinking deeper into the dismal abyss of ignorance.
To sustain the spiritual being and experience the power of knowledge, however, the elixir of piety and truth must be infused into material wealth. But the burning question is, “Do we really value spiritual wealth, the opulence of serenity and tranquillity of mind, of faith and endurance, and of the depth of character in renunciation of selfish actions, while having control of the senses?” Not many may respond positively, I dare say! Steeped in the morass of materialism, our senses are allowed to let loose, as greed supersedes need and self-respect, law and order have gone through the window of civil society. Who can deny the fact that spirituality has been banished from the lives of many individuals, groups and communities? Our nation is mired in the deep pit of ‘agyaan’ and is in need of Lakshmi Devi, representative of ‘gyaan shakti’ – the power of knowledge.
We need to inject spirituality into our material lives to conquer the creeping darkness. We need to empower our lives with true wealth. Only then can we experience the conditions that exist in civil society, qualities of principles, right conduct, proper ethics, positive behaviour and genuine concern for the wellbeing of citizens. Only then can we experience freedom, which is our true nature. We can transform our society by the choices we make. Each of us has such a responsibility and civic duty to perform. Some have exercised that right and the effect of so doing will be determined by the quality of life experienced. Some of us still have that opportunity to do so. The right choices free us. If not, the consequences of collective cumulative karma are ours to endure.
May Lakshmi Maataa’s blessings be showered upon our beloved nation. May spiritual wealth be ours.
