Deepavali

Today the Indian New Year, Deepavali, is celebrated. It is a celebration of lights. The triumph of Light over darkness. It is a good reminder of one of the greatest endeavors that a human can take: upholding the Light within. Specially during the times we are living it is a very important thing to do, not just for ourselves but for our surroundings and the whole world.

To uphold the Light means to align ourselves to a clear awareness of ourselves and the world, to knowledge that expands and enhances. This must be done everyday and sometimes every moment. It must become like the air we breathe and the food we take. At some point it naturally becomes that indispensable. This is true at a very practical level also. When we read about Light and lofty ideas like these we tend to check out. I find that these principles must eventually infuse every decision, every action, and every breath.

The more we are able to do this the more we are able to act in a way that benefits ourselves and all, by all I mean all beings on this planet no one and nothing is excluded. It can feel like a daunting endeavor but one that we all must take at some point. It starts with a first step whatever you want the step to be.

Kindle your Light.

I want to leave you with a poem by Aurora Levin Morales, a Puerto Rican Jewish Poet:

Red Sea

We cannot cross until we carry each other,
all of us refugees, all of us prophets.
No more taking turns on history’s wheel,
trying to collect old debts no-one can pay.
The sea will not open that way.
This time that country is what we promise each other,
our rage pressed cheek to cheek
until tears flood the space between,
until there are no enemies left,
because this time no one will be left to drown
and all of us must be chosen.
This time it’s all of us or none. 

Blessings

Jorge Nihal