The boundless beauty of the lotus flower, radiating its life astonishingly amongst the most polluted of waters is a feat incomprehensible by most.  The existence of this simple flower has meaning powerful enough to electrify our minds, thus awakening the true identity within us all.  One of the most auspicious times of the year, for us as Hindus, has arrived as we observe Navaraatri and Divali.  The celebration of these festivals has been an unbroken tradition continuing over many generations. Today, though, in this age of Kali Yuga, the maya (illusion) within our society threatens to destroy our true identity. It is now, more than ever, should we all seek the vital, yet subtle, teachings of the divine lotus.

Divali is a wondrous occasion filled with the lighting of deeyas and fireworks, and making of delicious sweets and foods as we welcome Lakshmi Maa into our homes. We pray to Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of prosperity, to dispel the darkness of our ignorance and light the lamp of knowledge within our minds.  As we close our eyes and place a picture of Lakshmi Maa in our minds, what is it that we see? We visualize the epitome of splendor and magnificence, standing with four hands, upon a lotus flower that has its roots in a river bed.  This river bed symbolizes the ocean of worldly attachments that we all live in today.  The lotus extracts nutrients from the river bed, but more importantly, remains ever-pure.  This symbolizes the power of detachment and control that we must all have as we journey through life.  In other words, one could be placed in any type of environment, in any country around the world, yet still have the ability to retain one’s own true nature, one’s own true identity.

Here in America, we as Hindus are constantly fighting the battle to maintain our identity, but we must not waiver, we must awaken to the cause. This year of 2009, in the heart of this most auspicious and sacred time of Navaraatri, Divali, and Kartik lies carnival. Merely putting carnival in the same sentence as these sacred festivals reeks of disgrace, what then of our lives?  Carnival is a direct symbolic representation of the 5 temptations that should be avoided during this period: Kaama (sensual desire), Krodh (rage), Lobh (greed), Moha (attachment), and Ahankar (ego).  As Hindus here in America, we must put ourselves above these lower tendencies and recognize our identity within. One must try to act within the limits of our Dharma, which stands for righteousness, duty, and moral and social laws. This translates into the four goals of life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (genuine desires), and Moksha (liberation).  Now think back to the picture we envisioned of Lakshmi Maa, standing upon the lotus with four hands. Her four hands represent none other than these four goals in life. We all seek Lakshmi Maa’s blessings during this period, but we have to live such a life that she represents.

Every individual is composed of two sides: a spiritual side (atman within) and the physical side. We all are defined solely by nature and the path we take. Our spiritual side is the soul within, our connection with God.  Our physical self must recognize this purity within and make the right choices, and only when we recognize a true inner divinity will we awaken this inner spirit.  We should not let these worldly temptations define who we are and destroy the path to righteousness.  We have the key to God; we just need to mold it into the right shape by making the right choices, which will then enable us to unlock the door to infinite possibilities.

Therefore, during this period with carnival looming in the surroundings, we can simply see this as symbolic of the murky river bed.  Though we are living amongst these temptations, we must arise like the divine lotus that Lakshmi Maa stands on and radiate beautifully in the world.  We must have control and maintain our fast both mentally and physically. If we pursue life in the right direction, we will realize our true identity, and live a life setting great examples for others to follow.  Let us all awake to the cause and rise above the temptations surrounding our sacred festivals and live a life in mirror of the divine lotus.

Navraati and Divali Greetings to All!