Lighting diyas at home is a part of my childhood. What is the science behind lighting diya? For decades, Hindu households light the diya or deepam every morning and evening. However, increasingly, there are many questions regarding why this practice is integral to the well-being of a Hindu home.
Significance of Lighting Deepam
Let's do a practice session. At sunset, switch off all the lights in your home - feel the energy inside your home. After all, everything is the same - your home is the same, the furniture is the same, your personality is the same. Sit in the darkness and decode the energy in your home - is it the same as during sunlight?
If you sit for a while and experience the darkness, you will feel a clear difference in your energy. Light a small lamp and then how does the energy in your house feel? This is your answer. [READ: Why Do Malayalis Light Nilavillaku?]
The Mother, revered as the one who carried forth Sri Aurobindo's spiritual and cultural legacy, was an incredibly gifted child. Growing up in France, her name was Mirra Alfassa and at a young age, she had mastery over intense spiritual practices including meditation. She has written on the significance of Light as follows:
"Like a flame that burns in silence, like a perfume that rises straight upward, without wavering, my love goes to Thee; and like the child who does not reason and has no care, I trust Myself to Thee that Thy Light may manifest, Thy peace radiate , Thy Love cover the world."
Benefits of lighting Diya
The benefits are hinted in The Mother's words:
- Light becomes an extension of one's search of the Self
- It helps you rise upward as a flame always does
- It brings you closest to your Ishta Devata as an expression of playful love
- Through Light, a seeker can manifest (this is really the magic here!)
- The result of lighting a lamp is to experience Devata as Peace within
- Through Light, we experience the Devata's love that protects the world.
Understand the nature of Darkness and Light - what do you naturally prefer?
What happens when you light a Diya?
Across the world, when there is sunset, there is darkness, which alters the energy of the seen and unseen world around you. Yet all it takes is a spark of light, a small diya is enough to extinguish the energy of darkness.
As per the teachings of the much revered Dada Vaswani Ji,
"In every heart, there is a point of Light shining. It is the Light Divine. You can see it only when you turn within yourself. Rishis of ancient India have described the human heart as a cave, deep inside is this Light which shines bright. It is a point of Light within. The day this Light pierces the darkness of the Heart and glows with its unique inner radiance, you will receive answers to your many questions. Once you have its wisdom, you will know the reason why you are here. You will know the purpose of your life. You will clearly see the goal and the path you must walk to attain it."
By lighting a lamp in your home, you bring light into your home and into the natural surroundings around you. You are manifesting positive energy.
In our daily life, we are constantly battling our egos as our life is centred on, "my family, my work, my targets, my desires."
Experience pure love and grace as you empty your mind of all biases, judgements and "Me-My-I" feelings.
Make your daily sadhana an ideal dwelling place for your Devata.
Watch the magic unfold but first and foremost, dissolve the ego!
As Sadhu Vaswani rightly said, "When the ego goes, God glows."
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