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: Diwali. There are several beautiful lessons and meanings to be taken from this festival of lights. Read on to find out.

The crucial differences between Rama and Ravana

Both Rama and Ravana were kings; both were learned in the scriptures; both were charismatic; both were beautiful. What made Rama God and Ravana a demon? One difference is crucial: Ego! Whereas Bhagwan Rama’s heart overflowed with divinity, love, generosity, humility, and duty, Ravana’s heart was filled with avarice, hatred, and egoism.

It was not ignorance that led to aggression; Ravana was a great Vedic scholar. It was not laziness, ugliness or impotency which led him to aggression. He was powerful, dynamic, and beautiful. His own ego, arrogance and slavery to sensual desires led to his aggression and downfall. His insatiable desires led him to crave more and more power, more and more money, and more and more pleasures to fulfill his every whim. On the other hand, Bhagwan Rama was always humble, dharmic, pure and pious. Further, Bhagwan Rama was a master of his senses, not their slave. Ravana was ruled by kama and artha. Yet Bhagwan Rama teaches the world to choose dharma over artha and to choose moksha over kama.

This year as we celebrate Diwali, let us not only celebrate the joyous return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya and the vanquishing of evil by good, but let us also ask ourselves if Lord Rama has come to our own hearts. Have the forces of good, righteousness and humility conquered the evil forces of desire, arrogance and ego within us?

True lamps to light

Each year we line our homes with brightly lit dias. But we must remember to not only light the lamp in our mandir or the lamp in our home, but to also light the lamps in our own hearts. The dia we light on Diwali should not merely be outside. We must not only light the lamps of oil on our shelves, but we must also light the lamps of truth, piety, purity, divinity and peace in our hearts and in our lives.

As we revel in the holiday of light, let us make sure that the light of dharma, humility and divinity are burning within our hearts as well. Let us celebrate the presence of Lord Rama not only in Ayodhya, but also in our own hearts and our own lives.

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