Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Hope and light are in your hands this Diwali: Spiritual Leader

By His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati


IT IS so beautiful to be celebrating this divine holiday of light together.

Diwali is not only a holiday, but can also be truly a holy day if, in addition to lighting the lamps, if we can become the light. Unfortunately for many people, their own endless desires and expectations extinguish the possibility of true light in their lives. The constant experience of wanting more and more blocks us from living in awareness of the fullness of our divine existence.

The practice of gratitude, being grateful to the Divine for every minute and every moment, for every experience, for every breath, is a powerful tool to bring about deep joy, peace and light in our lives.

However, most people have it backwards. They think, “first I’ll get what I want and then I’ll be happy and then I’ll be grateful.” This is backwards. First you must be grateful, then you will be happy. Then whether you get or don’t get the object of external desire, it won’t impact or diminish your internal light.

But how do you do this? How do you remove the incessant clamour for more and more in the mind? The key is the opposite of what you may think. The best way to remove the bottomless ‘want’ and ceaseless desires from our lives to give more, serve more and sacrifice more.

One of the most common Hindu rituals is a yagna fire. Devotees sit in a circle around the sacred fire and place offerings into the flames. With each offering, the priest chants, idam namama (not for me, but for You). The purpose of this is to remind ourselves that everything is for God. We must offer every thought, every action, and every breath at His feet. We must give more and want less.

This festival season, during the auspicious occasion of Diwali, let us take this mantra of selfless service to help us be the light we want to see in the world. Let us resolve to not only light the lamps outside but to be the light ourselves. Instead of asking Maha Lakshmi for the bounty of wealth, let us instead ask how we may restore the natural bounty of the world.

Puja and prayer does not only mean that which we do sitting in our mandirs; it is how we live our lives. Arpan (offering) is not done only in the middle of a religious ritual, it also teaches us how to life our lives as the sangam (sacred confluence) of arpan (offering to society for the welfare of all), tarpan (offering to our ancestors and elders) and samarpan (surrendering to the Divine). Let every minute and every moment be an opportunity to perform puja for Maha Lakshmi. Let everything we do be an offering to Her.

This Diwali, let us truly commit ourselves to treading lightly and non-violently upon the planet and to realising that the earth is our home, and all those with whom we share it are our family. As we shower gifts upon our immediate family members and friends, let us pledge to protect and preserve our air, water and soil as the most important gift to our extended global family. Through what we eat, what we buy, how we shop, travel and live, we are either agents of positive transformation or agents of destruction.

On Diwali we celebrate the vanquishing of evil demons by the Divine. Let that happen within our own minds and lives as well. Let the Divine light within us conquer the demons of greed, ignorance, illusion and separation from our minds.

Each lit diya not only brings individual light, but it also can be used to light others. One single burning candle can light innumerable other candles, this is the beautiful meaning of the lamps we light in Diwali. On this Diwali, instead of throwing fireworks into the sky, causing air and noise pollution, let us become fireworks, illuminating this world through the goodness of our deeds and the selflessness of our actions.

We can begin with planting trees, picking up litter, going vegetarian at least a few days a week. Then we continue with switching off our lights, buying organic and fair trade, protecting our girls, women, and natural resources. From here we become truly a flame of light that helps propel our world forth into a new era. Make the resolution, and launch a new era of light in which all may bask. Hope and light are in your hands during this holiday season.

If we can take a pledge this Diwali – to give more and want less – then the lights of our lamps will continue to burn not only for a few hours but bring forth the inextinguishable light within. On this holy day of Diwali, I pray that you will take this opportunity to reflect upon your life and take a pledge to commit your lives – every word, every thought and every action – to being the light and bringing the light you want to see in the world.

More For You

Singh and Carter were empathic
leaders as well as great humanists’

File photograph of former US president Jimmy Carter with Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, on October 27, 2006

Singh and Carter were empathic leaders as well as great humanists’

Dinesh Sharma

THE world lost two remarkable leaders last month – the 13th prime minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, (September 26, 1932-December 26, 2024).and the 39th president of the US, Jimmy Carter (October 1, 1924-December 29, 2024).

We are all mourning their loss in our hearts and minds. Certainly, those of us who still see the world through John Lennon’s rose-coloured glasses will know this marks the end of an era in global politics. Imagine all the people; /Livin’ life in peace; /You may say I’m a dreamer; / But I’m not the only one; /I hope someday you’ll join us;/ And the world will be as one (Imagine, John Lennon, 1971) Both Singh and Carter were authentic leaders and great humanists. While Carter was left of Singh in policy, they were both liberals – Singh was a centrist technocrat with policies that uplifted the poor. They were good and decent human beings, because they upheld a view of human nature that is essentially good, civil, and always thinking of others even in the middle of bitter political rivalries, qualities we need in leaders today as our world seems increasingly fractious, self-absorbed and devolving. Experts claim authentic leadership is driven by:

Keep ReadingShow less
Why this was the year of governing anxiously

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer at the state opening of parliament in July after Labour won the general elections by a landslide

Why this was the year of governing anxiously

THIS year was literally one of two halves in the British government.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer each had six months in Downing Street, give or take a handful of days in July. Yet this was the year of governing anxiously.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Debate over assisted dying raises risks for medical staff’
Supporters of the ‘Not Dead Yet’ campaign outside parliament last Friday (29) in London

‘Debate over assisted dying raises risks for medical staff’

Dr Raj Persaud

AFTER five hours of debate over assisted dying, a historic private members’ bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. This is a stunning change in the way we as a nation consider ending our lives.

We know from survey research that the religious tend to be against assisted dying. Given Asians in the UK tend to be more religious, comparatively, it is likely that Asians in general are less supportive of this new proposed legislation, compared to the general public.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘It’s time for UK-India ties to focus on a joint growth story’
Kanishka Narayan (centre) with fellow visiting British MPs, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma (left) and other officials

‘It’s time for UK-India ties to focus on a joint growth story’

Kanishka Narayan

FOUR months since my election to parliament, I had the opportunity to join my parliamentary colleagues on a delegation to India, visiting Delhi and Jaipur for conversations with our Indian counterparts, business leaders and academics.

I went to make the case for Indian investment in my constituency and across the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Ministers must unveil vision for bridging societal divides’
(From left) Professor Ted Cantle, Sunder Katwala, Sara Khan and John Denham at the event

‘Ministers must unveil vision for bridging societal divides’

Sunder Katwala

“SOCIAL cohesion is not the absence of riots.”

John Denham put that central point pithily at the ‘After the Riots’ cohesion summit last week.

Keep ReadingShow less