Diwali

Today, you might be very busy in preparing for celebrations of Diwali in buying gifts, candles, crackers, delicious sweets, greeting friends and relatives etc. In the evening, everyone will be lighting candles etc and then get busy with crackers. But is this the way to celebrate Diwali according to Gurmat?

Read the below Shabad from Bhai Gurdass Ji’s Vaar:

ਦੀਵਾਲੀ ਦੀ ਰਾਤਿ ਦੀਵੇ ਬਾਲੀਅਨਿ||

ਤਾਰੇ ਜਾਤਿ ਸਨਾਤਿ ਅੰਬਰਿ ਭਾਲੀਅਨਿ||

ਫੁਲਾਂ ਦੀ ਬਾਗਾਤਿ ਚੁਣਿ ਚੁਣਿ ਚਾਲੀਅਨਿ||

ਤੀਰਥਿ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਾਤਿ ਨੈਣ ਨਿਹਾਲੀਅਨਿ||

ਹਰਿ ਚੰਦਉਰੀ ਝਾਤਿ ਵਸਾਇ ਉਚਾਲੀਅਨਿ||

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੁਖ ਫਲ ਦਾਤਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਮ੍ਹਾਲੀਅਨਿ ||੬||

(ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ, ਵਾਰ ੧੯, ਪਉੜੀ ੬)

Lamps lighted in the night of Diwali burn out. Stars of different variety appear and glow and disappear in dawn from the sky. In the gardens the flowers are there which were selectively plucked and their beauty disappears. The pilgrims going to pilgrimage centers are also seen and lose their gaiety. The imaginary habitats have been seen coming into being and vanishing. All these are momentary, but the Gurmukhs with the help of the Shabad nourish the gift of the pleasure fruit.(6) (Bhai Gurdass Ji, Vaar 19, Pauri 6).

But what do we do? Just waste large lumps of money in gifts, crackers, sweets, thus enjoying momentary pleasure and call it as our Sikh festival, without understanding its deep concept which is written above by Bhai Sahib Ji. Raagis also display the above message in incorrect form as they themselves have not understood their meaning.

Once on Diwali night, Singhs have done Deepmala by lighting hundreds of Deewas(Lamps). It was an awesome scene. On the other hand, Sant Baba Bishan Singh Ji Murralewale was in his deep meditation. Singhs asked Baba Ji to come outside and see the scene of hundreds of candles lighting. Baba Ji replied these lamps will burn out after some time and their emitting light will be no more. I have no interest in these lamps and light. I can see the light of number of Suns combined within myself and this light will remain forever. So, I will not be coming outside.

Baba Ji did not came out and kept on enjoying His Eternal Light inside him. So lets celebrate Diwali by enjoying Eternal Pleasure like him according to True Gurmat.