The question is not how many deyas that illumine the outer world, but how illuminated is our inner self.
That is the crux of the issue that all mankind continues to ignore, to evade, in order to revel in ignorance, mass materialism and deceit.
We need to yield to the universal thought of the "reverence for life." And by so doing, we must adopt a new philosophy of life that requires individual salvation and the collective transformation of all mankind. We need to be our brother's keeper with sincerity and humility.
It will take generations to reach that goal, but we must press on. And nothing must be seen as deterrents. We need to recognise that there is a duality of purpose on this earth. The first is to ensure the spiritual release of our individual souls from bondage. The other is to uphold the cardinal principles of maintaining law, order, decency and truth in our society, as well as preserving and defending the environment.
As the minutes and hours tick away, the burden becomes even more critical and urgent. This is an assignment that belongs to all mankind. It is devoid of religion, politics or personalities.
More so, it demands that we use all our material, moral, intellectual and spiritual resources for the most serious spiritual undertaking since the birth of some of our avatars, prophets and teachers.
There is no doubt that ethical, moral and spiritual values and teachings have been lost. And this is to a very serious spiritual cost to us all. We have to take time and cultivate that spirituality that is an innate part of our being. This will be the route to spiritual realisation. All members of the human race are made by the Supreme Creator.
In our land, there continues to be concerns about standards of integrity, truthfulness, accountability and the consolidation of a society that follows the urging of the national anthem, "where every creed and race find an equal place."
Divali, October 29, 2016 will be the same as previous ones. There will be thousands of deyas in homes, mandirs and public places. That light must not be construed as a simple light. That light must be mirrored in our hearts and consciences throughout our lives. It must inspire us to uplift our fellow men based on the teachings of the great religions which espouse values of truth, integrity, love and social justice. Divali must fire the lights in our hearts every moment of our lives.
The great seer in the Upanishads wrote thousands of years ago: "I have seen that Great Being shining like the sun beyond the darkness. It is only by knowing this that we can overcome death, this is our bridge to immortality."
Happy Divali to the people of T&T, and indeed all mankind.
Paras Ramoutar,
Caparo