Om Asato Maa Sat Gamaya – Lead me from Falsehood to Truth.
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya – Lead me from darkness or ignorance to light or knowledge.
Mrityor Maa Amritam Gamaya – Lead me from death to immortality.
For an oil lamp to burn, the wick has to be in the oil, yet out of the oil. If the wick is drowned in oil, it cannot bring light. Life is like the wick of the lamp; you have to be in the world yet remaining untouched by it. If you are drowned in the materialism of the world, you cannot bring joy and knowledge in your life.
Lamps are lit on this day not just to decorate homes, but also to communicate this profound truth. By lighting the lamp of wisdom in you, you light up hidden values and by acquiring knowledge you awaken all the facets of your being. When they are lit and awakened, it is Diwali. Don’t be satisfied with lighting just one lamp; light a thousand, for you need to light many lights to dispel the darkness of ignorance.
Another profound symbolism is in the firecrackers. In life, you often become like a firecracker, waiting to explode with your pent-up emotions, frustration and anger. When you suppress your emotions, cravings, aversions, hatred, you reach a bursting point. Bursting crackers is a psychological exercise to release bottled-up emotions. Let go of these emotions, so serenity dawns. You can experience newness when you discard these pent-up emotions. Diwali means to be in the present, so drop the regrets of the past and the worries of the future and live in the moment.
Sweets and gifts symbolize the dispelling of the bitterness and renewal of friendship. Celebration includes the spirit of seva or service. Share. In giving, we receive.
Light the lamp of love in your heart; the lamp of abundance in your home; the lamp of compassion to serve others; the lamp of knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance and the lamp of gratitude for the abundance that the Divine has bestowed on us.
[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar]