Let’s celebrate in whatever way we can, within our means. Because there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
You may not able to see it now due to power cuts. But it should be there. Because that light is no one but you

Walking to the temple in the muddy lanes and tracks is not new. It somehow always rains on Deepavali Day. It has been like that for a long time. It rains during major human events. Maybe they are trying to hide away from the GPS or other Global Positioning Systems. Maybe Vishnu also used the cloud as a cover or vice versa.

We are amidst a crisis. A crisis after a long-drawn pandemic that shook the entire world…until many realised it was nothing but a sibling of the common cold. But the experience is unprecedented. So is the economic meltdown that waits and slowly unfolding already.  

These are unchartered waters for many to navigate expertly. The cracks are showing. In the UK last week we saw the world’s short-lived Prime Minister. Whether one likes it or not, the UK is the Financial Hub of the Universe - Since colonial times. Although it ceded military and naval slots to the US, it remained the world’s Finance Hub. And that hub is shaking. And when it shakes, the entire world shakes with it.  

What has it got to do with Deepavali, one may ask? If one may remember last week, many in the Plantation Sector agitated for wages paid in advance to celebrate the festival. Despite the current economic ‘Armageddon’ that we are going through, some plantation companies happily gave out the monies, while some responded in various ways - from giving and giving in parts. The Plantation Sector was drawn here as a sample because they live on the outer fringes of Sri Lanka’s society - one of the worst marginalised groups among us.  

Deepavali literally translates into Rows of Light. It is a Festival of Lights. There are so many Festival of Lights, across cultures globally. In the beginning, man was afraid of the darkness, the unknown. And God said let there be light. And the man was happy. So there are lights, the Vesak lanterns, the Christmas lights, the Hanukkah lights of Israel and Yalda lights of Iran and the Karthikai Theepam … and so many other festivals associated with light.   
However, each culture attaches a story to light the lamps and rejuvenate the sagging spirits of humanity. One says Deepavali is celebrated for one reason while another says it is celebrated for another reason. Reasons varybut Light remains the same.  One story says that Lord Vishnu annihilated a demon called Narakasuran on this day. Narakasuran is not a demon in a galaxy far, far away and once upon a time. He is no one else but our inner self - Both Godliness and the Devil are both in us. Aham Brahmasmi.   

Aham Brahmasmi is a Sanskrit mantra from the Advaita tradition, typically translated as “I am Brahman”. It is one of the four principle Mahavakyas, or “Great Sayings” from the ancient Hindu text, The Upanishads. Aham Brahmasmi is used within Hindu and yoga philosophy to refer to the unity of Atman (the individual self or soul) with Brahman (universal consciousness or the Absolute).  

 The direct translation of this term stems from three Sanskrit roots:  
Aham, meaning “I” Brahma, a name for the Hindu creator god which can also be translated as “divine” or “sacred” Asmi, meaning “am”. As such, another translation of Aham Brahmasmi is ‘I am divine,’ or “I am sacred”, thereby reflecting an understanding of one’s connection with a Higher Self.

Simple. So let’s celebrate. Every morning the cockerel celebrates the sun coming out on the eastern horizon. It is a small world across species as well.  
The question is should we celebrate, how much should we celebrate, when inflation soars and wages remain static.   

 But, hey, then one doesn’t need all the money in the world to celebrate. As we saw above, everything is just a transient experience. Life is just a collection of memories. Let this Deepavali be a memorable one despite the difficulties.  
Let’s light lamps rows of it...And power cuts feel good when you spend time in the amber lamps and crackling radios.  

Let’s fire up crackers, and light lamps and dress in colourful dresses and celebrate life. Simple people express their happiness through these activities. That’s it.  
So let’s celebrate in whatever way we can, within our means. Because there is always light at the end of the tunnel. You may not able to see it now due to power cuts. But it should be there. Because that light is no one but you.