Message given as the Welcome address at the Deepavali Fuction of the Shree Bhagavata Vedanta Gurukula (The Vedanta Society) on 04 November 2007 at the Ottawa Civic Hall.
Deepavali, literally translated means “a row of Lights” and is commonly referred to as the Festival of Lights. Rooted in the intangible heritage of the Hindus and associated with the momentous victory of Lord Rama and Krsna over the forces of tyranny and evil, Deepavali is currently assuming and must assume a renewed moral significance that not only expresses the triumph of Light over Darkness but also the exultation of Truth over untruth, Justice over Injustice and Freedom over Oppression. Therefore, Deepavali can be and must be seen as a Festival belonging to a common humanity which has the universal ingredients to cultivate social cohesion towards nation building and global reconstruction.
While celebrating Deepavali as a joyous and pompous occasion, we are compelled to reflect on the truths that confront us in the form of poverty, the plight of the hungry, the scourge of global terrorism, communal and ethnic violence, homelessness, violence against women and children etc. These social realities persuade us to contemplate critically on the meaning of this pomp and joy associated with Deepavali and it morally commissions us into selfless duty towards transformation. There can be no real victory to commemorate in Deepavali as long as there is an absence of a resolve in our hearts to make a difference in the lives of the poor, for their lives are not a product of their choice but an outcome of the decadent value systems that create such conditions.
We cannot justify our resolve to make Deepavali a Festival for humanity if we have not rooted it in the aspirations and ideals of the African Renaissance and the civilizational heritage of humanity. Deepavali ought to be enhanced from the level of just being a cultural festival to becoming a social force that can positively contribute towards social cohesion and nation building. Deepavali will be meaningless and purposeless if it does not nurture the values for establishing an ethos of freedom, equality and human dignity. We must exercise deep consideration on how we celebrate Deepavali and the extent of the impact of our lavishness on the minds and hearts of the poor and those who cannot find reason to celebrate because of their miserable plight. So the celebration of Deepavali must add dignity and self respect to our collective existence and never be an expression of our sectarian joys and aspirations. Deepavali belongs to the civilizational heritage of humanity and it must progressively be embedded in the social conscience of every person as a Festival celebrating Global transformation towards a world order of peaceful co-existence, non-violence and selfless duty. We know for certain that the poverty, the plight of the hungry and undernourished cannot be transformed through the distribution of food hampers alone, but by creatively sharing the gift of our skills and knowledge with those that are in need.
The world order today is threatened by systemic violence and the scourge of terrorism. Everyday, hundreds of people are loosing their lives through acts of terror and crime which creates the picture of the growing disregard we as humans have for life. The message of Deepavali is clear that every life is precious and sacred because we all in some way or the other believe that it comes from a Divine source. In the new world order that we seek, let the light of Deepavali conceptualized as Truth, non-violence and selfless duty shine in our lives through peace and love. Deepavali must engender a moral vision for human life that is dedicated to forming a conviction, whether religious or not, to engage with pride and compassion in every act that would contribute to make the lives of the poor, the sick, the vulnerable and the old better. Deepavali must become a moral force that should inspire an activism against poverty and violence, and inspire a culture of a better way of life for all.
With these words I take this opportunity of extending to each one of you a warm word of welcome and may the spirit of Deepavali fill each and every soul.
Brother Haridas Archarya
