Festivals were the peaceful and uplifting holy days of our past, long before vacations were even invented. Unlike today’s sun, sangria, sea and sex glamorised by the advertising, whose focus is purely on fuelling desire, our festivals were quite the opposite. They were a time to rejuvenate mind, body and soul, not in a selfish way but as a collective community of spirits, seeking harmony and creativity to fire our imagination.
Dharmic festivals were handbrakes on life for recharging our inner self. Desire was replaced by sense and equanimity, where the pains of life were not drowned by alcohol but alleviated by chanting and prayer. Light and colour automatically fused to lift the spirits and temporarily immerse ourselves in the present.
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This is a particularly painful Diwali, with several wars ignited in various corners of the world, coming very visibly onto our screens. They make us feel fearful, helpless and hopeless at the same time. When my mother watched the children dying, she prayed that God would take her life instead of the children’s. She was willing to barter for a larger peace, because she was raised deep in the ancient rhythms of festivals. Compassion for her is what brings light into our lives, and cruelty only brings darkness.
This Diwali, let us light a diya of hope to alleviate all suffering. May we do so as a collective, with our friends and neighbours, sharing in the festive spirit. May we place our children and young people first and centre at the festival, keeping our leaders and elders behind. This reminds everyone that they are our true ambassadors of hope. Children are positive rays of light in the darkness enveloping the world. Let this Diwali be a festival of innocent kindness, generosity and peaceful co-existence.
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Professor Atul K. Shah [@atulkshah] teaches and writes about Indian wisdom on business, culture and community at various UK universities and is a renowned international author, speaker and broadcaster.