(In Vivekananda Vidyapith we celebrated Diwali 2022 with prayers, a Diwali Song, Glimpses of the last year’s activities, and the exhibition of the students’ projects (grades KG – 12^th).  A couple of alumni asked me to post my thoughts that I had shared with all during the Diwali celebration. The following is the modified speech for the post.)

“Let me pray for the good of all: 

May all be happy,

May all be healthy,

May good come to all,

May no one suffer.

Om Peace! Peace be unto us! Peace be unto all living beings!

We are all very happy that after three years of pandemic lockdown and online celebrations, we are getting together in person to celebrate this important festival.   

The Diwali song which will be presented soon talks about a few simple but important things we do during Diwali time. We decorate our homes, pray to our God, meet and greet our friends and family, and wish all good health, prosperity, happiness, and inner peace.

Diwali is a festival of lights and a day of celebration of the victory of Rama over Ravana, good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and love over hatred.

Happiness, inner peace, knowledge, and victory of the good over the evil come when we hold on to the Truth, the Ultimate Reality, something that is permanent, unchanging, divine, our true identity, which we call Atman, or God, or Brahman.

What is God?  Once Vandana Aunty was teaching students in Vidyapith and this question came. She told students, ‘If you want to know what is God, you add one more ‘O’ in it.  God is Good. God is all goodness. In each one of us, there is something that is pure, divine, good, with full of virtues and love. But, we cover it with other thoughts. There is something good in us and if we listen to it, then it guides us on a righteous path. This is what we call conscience.

 Swami Vivekananda says in the Raja Yoga, “We hear “Be good,” “Be good,” and “Be good”. It is taught all over the world. Every child all over the world has been told, “Do not steal,” “Do not tell a lie”. But, nobody tells the child how he/she can help to do them. The child has to be taught to control his/her mind first”.

In order to control the mind, first we have to develop a passion to love goodness and live a decent life.  

Swami Vivekananda, in his lecture on “Hinduism,” refers to a conversation from the Mahabharata. During their exile, Queen Draupadi asked King Yudhishthira why he has to suffer so much even though he was the most virtuous and religious man. King Yudhishthira said, “Behold, my queen, the Himalayas – how grand and beautiful they are. I love them. They do not give me anything; but it is my nature to love the grand, and the beautiful; therefore I love them. Similarly, God is the source of all beauty, of all sublimity. God is the only object to be loved. My nature is to love God, and therefore I love. I do not pray for anything; I do not ask for anything. Let God place me wherever He/She likes.” Thus, we have to love God because God is all good, and all divine.   

Swami Vivekananda in the Inspired Talks says, “Love God, love God, love God.” In order to do that he says to connect all daily activities to God.  Getting up in the morning, and sitting on the bed we can do some prayer before other thoughts fill up our mind. The best prayer is the shlokas 13 – 19, of the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. They describe the characteristics of a devotee. If we recite them in the morning, then they will stay with us the whole day and guide us to live a virtuous life. For example, if we hate someone during the day, then our mind reminds us from the shloka, ‘A beloved devotee of God is the one who hates none’. We should take some time out in the morning and evening to do some prayer, or Japa, or meditation to connect ourselves with God. We can read something from inspiring books when we get time. We have to offer all our work to God. Thus, whatever we do, we do it with our full heart and focused mind because we are going to offer it to God. We want to please the God residing within. We don’t work to please anyone. When God is pleased all are ultimately pleased.  Thus, if we can connect all our daily activities to God (the embodiment of Goodness), then wherever we go that place becomes a place of pilgrimage, every word we speak will be inspiring, and our life will be a blessing to ourselves and to society. Then comes the victory of good over evil, then we imbibe the three aspects of the light; burning impurities, love for all, and acquiring knowledge that tells us what is permanent and what is temporary. Eventually, we get fulfillment, inner peace, and bliss. Then, every day will be a festival of light in our life.    

I wish Happy Diwali to all of you. I wish you happiness and inner peace.  

May God bless all of us.

Thank you.”