Really lovely, thanks Happy Diwali.
2009/10/15 Shenoy, Sheshagiri B <[email protected]> > ** > > Good Morning > > Wishing you, your family and friends a very happy and prosperous Diwali. > May God Bless you all with lots of love, happiness, wealth and good health > for years to come. > > Best wishes, have a nice day, and a good extended weekend with Diwali > celebrations > > Given below is significance on Diwali which is celebrated all over the > world and attached please find Diwali sweets recipe for your preparation and > distribution. > > From all of us here, have fun > > BSS > > > > Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest an the brightest of all Hindu > festivals. It's the festival of lights (*deep *= light and *avali* = a row > i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which > literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with > its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a > different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration > of life, its enjoyment and goodness. > > The Origin of Diwali Historically, the origin of > Diwali<http://hinduism.about.com/od/diwalifestivaloflights/Diwali_Festival_of_Lights.htm>can > be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important > harvest > festival<http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/Hindu_Festivals_Holidays.htm>. > However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali. Some > believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord > Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother > Kali <http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa051202a.htm>, the dark > goddess of strength. Lord > Ganesha<http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa083000a.htm>, > the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also > worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. In > Jainism<http://hinduism.about.com/cs/jainism/index.htm>, > Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira > attaining the eternal bliss of *nirvana*. Diwali also commemorates the > return of Lord > Rama<http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa033101a.htm>along with Sita > and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and > vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of > their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the > kingdom with earthen *diyas* (oil lamps) and burst crackers. > > *These Four Days* > Each day of Diwali has it's own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first > day of the festival *Naraka Chaturdasi* marks the vanquishing of the demon > Naraka by Lord > Krishna<http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa082000a.htm>and his wife > Satyabhama. > *Amavasya*, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of > Lakshmi<http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa100900a.htm>, > the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of > her devotees. *Amavasya* also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his > dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali > was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to > dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and > wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — *Kartika Shudda Padyami*that > Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given > by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as *Yama Dvitiya *(also > called *Bhai Dooj <http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa102800a.htm> > *) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes. > > The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers All the simple rituals of > Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes > with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to > the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and > prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an > indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware > of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more > scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects > and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains. > > The Tradition of Gambling The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a > legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played > dice with her husband Lord > Shiva<http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa022001a.htm>, > and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper > throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is associted with wealth and prosperity > in many ways, and the festival of > 'Dhanteras<http://hinduism.about.com/od/diwalifestivaloflights/p/dhanteras.htm>' > ('dhan' = wealth; 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days before the festival > of lights. > From Darkness Unto Light... In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali > lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each > Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this > simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light > that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us > closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India > and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of > fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the > globe<http://hinduism.about.com/od/diwalifestivaloflights/a/globaldiwali.htm>. > Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of > South-Asian identities. If you are away from the sights and sounds of > Diwali, light a *diya*, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, > concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul. > > Mythical Origins of Diwali > > There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold > that they celebrate the marriage of > Lakshmi<http://hinduism.about.com/od/hindugoddesses/p/lakshmi.htm>with Lord > Vishnu <http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/p/vishnu.htm>. In > Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of > Kali<http://hinduism.about.com/od/hindugoddesses/a/makali.htm>. > It also commemorates that blessed day on which the triumphant Lord > Rama<http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/p/rama.htm>returned to > Ayodhya after defeating > Ravana <http://hinduism.about.com/od/durgapuja/ig/The-Making-of-Ravana/>. > On this day also Sri > Krishna<http://hinduism.about.com/od/lordkrishna/a/krishna.htm>killed the > demon Narakasura. In South India people take an oil bath in the > morning and wear new clothes. They partake of sweetmeats. They light > fireworks, which are regarded as the effigies of Narakasura who was killed > on this day. They greet one another, asking, "Have you had your Ganges > bath?" which actually refers to the oil bath that morning as it is regarded > as purifying as a bath in the holy > Ganga<http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/a/ganga.htm> > . > Give and Forgive > > Everyone forgets and forgives the wrongs done by others. There is an air of > freedom, festivity and friendliness everywhere. This festival brings about > unity. It instills charity in the hearts of people. Everyone buys new > clothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase new clothes for their > employees. > Rise and Shine > > Waking up during the 'Brahmamuhurta' (at 4a.m.) is a great blessing from > the standpoint of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work and > spiritual advancement. It is on Deepavali that everyone wakes up early in > the morning. The sages who instituted this custom must have cherished the > hope that their descendents would realise its benefits and make it a regular > habit in their lives. > Unite and Unify > > In a happy mood of great rejoicing village folk move about freely, mixing > with one another without any reserve, all enmity being forgotten. People > embrace one another with love. Deepavali is a great unifying force. Those > with keen inner spiritual ears will clearly hear the voice of the sages, "O > Children of God unite, and love all". The vibrations produced by the > greetings of love, which fill the atmosphere, are powerful enough to bring > about a change of heart in every man and woman in the world. Alas! That > heart has considerably hardened, and only a continuous celebration of > Deepavali in our homes can rekindle in us the urgent need of turning away > from the ruinous path of hatred. > Prosper and Progress > > On this day, Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books > and pray for success and prosperity during the coming year. The homes are > cleaned and decorated by day and illuminated by night with earthen > oil-lamps. The best and finest illuminations are to be seen in Bombay and > Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with > thousands of lamps placed all over the steps of the big tank. > Vaishnavites<http://hinduism.about.com/od/vaishnavism/Vaishnavism.htm>celebrate > the Govardhan Puja and feed the poor on a large scale. > Illuminate Your Inner Self > > The light of lights, the self-luminous inner light of the Self is ever > shining steadily in the chamber of your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. > Withdraw the senses. Fix the mind on this supreme light and enjoy the real > Deepavali, by attaining illumination of the soul. He who Himself sees all > but whom no one beholds, who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and > the stars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is > Brahman, He is the inner Self. Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in > Brahman, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul. > > The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do > lightnings shine and much less fire. All the lights of the world cannot be > compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in > this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali. > > Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yet the hearts of the vast > majority are as dark as the night of the new moon. The house is lit with > lamps, but the heart is full of the darkness of ignorance. > > *O man! Wake up from the slumber of ignorance. Realise the constant and > eternal light of the Soul, which neither rises nor sets, through meditation > and deep enquiry.* > > *May you all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of > lights enlighten your understanding! May you all attain the inexhaustible > spiritual wealth of the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the material > as well as spiritual planes!* > > DISCLAIMER: > Notice : This e-mail and any attachments may contain information which is > confidential to the addressee and may also be privileged. If you are not the > intended recipient of this e-mail, you may not copy, forward, disclose or > otherwise use it in any way whatsoever. If you have received this e-mail by > mistake, please e-mail the sender by replying to this message, and deleting > the original and any printout thereof. > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BETTER PERSONALITY GROUP" group. 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