Baiji's Satsang: Diwali

This is a special post: it's the first one featuring a Satsang from Rammurti Baiji. It was graciously translated by Manu Patel.

"During the Bhajans (spiritual songs), I was watching everyone, to see how attentively everyone was listening. Some were clapping in rhythm, and some were calmly sitting with their eyes closed. It is important that Bhajans be absorbed completely so they will touch your soul and your awareness.

Next week (Nov. 8-12) we will be celebrating Diwali. In celebration of Diwali people will do puja (worship), they will decorate their homes, clean their homes, prepare food and celebrate with family and friends.

Just as we clean our homes, we can take the opportunity to also clean our minds and hearts. We have anger, ego, bad and harmful thoughts that need to be cleaned. The way to clean our mind and heart is to listen to Bhajans and Satsang with our full attention and feeling deep within us. Diwali celebration symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.

Something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite and eternal is our Atman (soul). The celebration of Diwali as the "victory over good and evil" refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging infinite. Diwali is the celebration of this inner light over darkness.

Anything done sincerely and with devotion and love brings good results. God looks after and thinks highly of devoted people. 

Diwali is celebrated in honor of the return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana from exile of 14 years, signifying the victory of good and the defeat of ego, hate, anger, temptations, and evil thoughts.

Once Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were walking on a path in the jungle when Rama stepped on a thorn. It caused him great pain, and Lakshmana pulled it out. Then Rama immediately urged Mother Earth to remove every single thorn from this same path and replace them with flowers because his Bharat would surely be walking the same path soon, and he did not want his beloved brother to be hurt. 

Then Mother Earth asks Lord Rama why he is so worried about Bharat. "Does he have more delicate feet than yours?" 

Lord Rama replied the thorns will not only hurt his feet, but also his heart! Why? Bharat will be heartbroken with thought that Rama and Lakshmana had just walked the path before him and would have suffered from the thorns. 

See how Bharat was a true devotee of his brothers Rama and Lakshmana? This great devotion is reflected in prayers and Bhajans for the return of Rama. 

While we're singing Bhajans, notice how we sometimes close our eyes automatically. We do that as God is within and not outside. Going within is where we have the power, awareness, love and devotion. The joy of Bhajan is pure and unmatched. Even Raja (royalty) and wealthy people always went to a remote place to experience knowledge of the Self and get blessings that wealth and power could not fulfill for them. 

Diwali is therefore a pointer for us to find real joy and peace within us by being devoted to Bhajan.