Hi all, Wishing all a Happy Diwali. Diwali is connected with the goddess Lakshmi, the source of auspicious energies and prosperity. It is a festival associated with inner and outer transformation. Diwali is a day of physical austerity connected with cleaning the house thoroughly, filling it with fragrant and auspicious smellls and lights, putting all items in their proper places and getting rid of clutter. As the saying goes, 'A place for everything and everything in its place.' I think we need such a day in an year just for this purpose. I was amazed seeing the clutter in my room today, and have decided to devote the whole day to cleaning up everything, and putting all in order , to the exclusion of everything else. I credit Diwali for motivation and action in this regard. Cleanliness, being neat and tidy is considered a physical austerity in the Gita, which increases inner strength or the power of Tapas. I have perceived frequently that after cleaning and washing my house and room, I am able to meditate better or work better. Somehow the washing and cleaning seems to get rid of the stale prana or chi, and bring about fresh chi, which is considered auspicious and positive. I always associated festivals such as Diwali to be associated with getting rid of stale or negative energies (which inhibit prosperity) and bringing about fresh energies (which favor prosperity). I think knowledge of Feng Shui will help understand such festivals better. Mahatma Gandhi also associates the act of cleaning with increasing one's morale and positivity and getting rid of negativity and passivity. An unclean environment, if not cleaned, leads to a situation where one starts accepting circumstances. On the contrary, if one cleans up dirt in the surroundings he gets energised and then does not resign himself to existing adverse circumstances. ~ Mahatma Gandhi As I dislike regular cleaning, I use motivators such as above to drive myself. The outer cleaning , as well as focus on being neat and orderly, sets the foundation for inner cleansing as well. Virtue and virtuous conduct is considered synonymous with higher states of consciousness (which is positive and auspicious), while vice and vicious conduct is associated with lower states of consciousness which is negative and inauspicious. So the period of Diwali is considered to be a period of austerity where one introspects and reviews one's vices and focus on replacing it with virtues instead. Thus one removes impurities both externally and internally, resulting in joy, peace and auspiciousness.
