Diwali
is celebrated on the day of Amavasya, but the festival is symbolized by inner
happiness, lighting or Purnima.
In
mythology, the moon is symbolized as cool positive thoughts.
Purnima
is marked by positive thoughts, whereas amavasya is predominantly marked by
negatives thoughts as during Amavasya. Since, there is darkness all around,
Amavasya is usually considered inauspicious. Diwali, however, is the only day
in a year where one experiences positive thoughts on the day of Amavasya.
Hence, it is believed that the festival of Diwali denotes inner Purnima and
outer Amavasya.
Diwali
is the only Amavasya where one does not do Shraadh pooja. Unlike other
amavasyas, when no new projects are started nor any new purchases done, on
Diwali Amavasya (falling in Chaturmas), it is considered auspicious to
start any new project. Even deaths on this Amavasya are considered auspicious
(unlike on other Amavasya days).
Diwali
celebrations also coincide with the end of Chaturmas, the four months of
negative state of mind.
The
purification process in Chaturmas starts with the first Navratra falling
on Amavasya. During these nine days, one undergoes mind, body and soul
detoxification by not thinking negative thoughts, doing positive things and
acquiring soul-based knowledge.
The
mind and body detoxification during Navratras end with killing of Tamas
(Kumbhakarna), Rajas (Meghnath) and ego (Ravan) and the victory of
consciousness (Rama) over the evil.
These
benefits do not lead to inner Moksha or happiness until 20 days, the day of
Diwali. To continue getting the benefits of Navratras, one needs to fast with a
positive state of mind every fourth day till Diwali.
On
Sharad Purnima, the fast involves thinking positive with a cool mind to get
health benefits. Four days later, Karvachauth again is observed as a fast and
worship of the Moon with positive thoughts and longevity benefits. Four days
later on Ahoi Ashtami, one worships the moon and the stars with positive
thoughts and acquires fertility benefits.
On the
day of Dhanteras one acquires a win over the fear of death (Yama). On this day,
the fast involves deeper meditation (Samudra manthan) to get all the benefits
of Samadhi.
At the
end of the meditation in the state of Samadhi, one gets in touch with the
consciousness or the God, the insight gets illuminated and a person experiences
bliss, a state of ecstasy of inner happiness and that is what is called
experiencing inner Purnima on the day of outer Amavasya and the festival is
celebrated as Diwali.
This
entire one month of purification of thoughts helps to combat the depression
phase that often sets in with the onset of winter.
Let us
all worship this Diwali is a state of positive mental state…
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma
Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of Medical
Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group
Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President
Heart Care Foundation of India
Immediate Past National President IMA
No comments:
Post a Comment