Note: We invite you and your family to join the festivities of Divali celebration at Radha Madhav Dham on Saturday, October 29th. There will be new highlights this year. There will be a spectacular Laser Light Show in the back of the Temple at 9:00 pm, which is sure to enthrall and amaze everyone.
In addition, we are offering special devotional opportunities just for Divali. We will have a Sita Ram Abhishek near the Shiv Shrine. A Hindu pujari will perform the ceremony at a beautifully decorated shrine. You are invited to do the Abhishek pooja (for a donation of 21 dollars or more per family) and receive Panchamrit.
[The following Divali message is excerpted from a speech by a disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj]
The blessed souls. Today we are celebrating Deepavali, festival of lights. This Deepavali celebration has been celebrated for hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, and trillions of years because this is not just a social occasion--Deepavali was introduced by our Divine descensions Bhagwan Ram and Krishn.
Bhagwan Ram you all know from the Ramayan. He went to Lanka, conquered Lanka, killed Ravan, and came back to Ayodhya. He had been in exile for 14 years before going to Lanka so it was after a long, long time that Bhagwan Ram was coming back to Ayodhya. All the Ayodhyawasis (those who lived in Ayodhya) were so over-thrilled with joy, "My Ram is coming? My Ram is coming!" So they decorated their houses and lanes and everywhere with light. The whole of Ayodhya was glowing with light. That was Divali celebration.
So Bhagwan Ram comes. There were millions of people, all anxious to see Bhagwan Ram at the same time. Bhagwan Ram had a little problem...but it's no problem for God. Amit roop pragate tehi kala. Yathayog mile sabahin kripala. (Ramayan Uttar Kand 5/3). The kripa shakti (power of Grace) of Bhagwan Ram, with His kripa shakti, He met everyone simultaneously and everyone thought, "My Bhagwan Ram has met me first." It was just a Divine miracle. They were all contented. This was the Divali celebration. From that day on, every year in Ayodhya they celebrated Divali.
When Bhagwan Krishn appeared, He also celebrated Divali, along with all the Brajwasis, to mark the return of Bhagwan Ram to Ayodhya. You were just singing a Divali song, a Divali pad. In that song, it tells that on the Mansi Ganga--Mansi Ganga is a very big pond in Braj--Radha Rani and Krishn, They each came from opposite sides. Radha came from Barsana. Krishn came from Nandgaon. Krishn had thousands of Gwalbals with Him, His playmates. Radha Rani had thousands of Gopis. And they all had a diya of light in their hands. They all came and in the big huge Mansi Ganga, Mansi pond, from both sides they put the candles from their side. Imagine...all those candles floating on the water--thousands of candles from both sides. The whole of Mansi Ganga was enlightened.
But the candle bowls were not moving because it was a pond. So from their hands, they all just pushed the water like so to make some small waves. The candle bowls and lights began to move and...all over the water there were only deepaks, those candles--glowing. Just an occasion. So on every Divali occasion Krishn and Radha celebrated Deepavali in some new style.
Deepavali has two meanings, social and spiritual. Social means we socially gather, meet together, forget our animosity of past, develop new friendships, new relationships, new harmony in the family, with friends, in the nation. That's all social the occasion. We have two great festivals, Holi and Divali, and both are meant for developing your social good will, social welfare, social harmony--all of that.
The spiritual meaning, however, is very deep. And it's for every soul of the world! You see, in your heart, people say, "His heart is very dark, not a good person. Oh, he is a very bright person, his soul is evolved." You all have an inner light--the inner light of God. So enlighten your heart with the light of God, that's the message for Divali. Enlighten your hearts with the light of God, that is Deepavali occasion. If you have that light, that Divine light in your heart, then you don't care, because you are always happy in every situation.
You see in your family life, social life, things come--ups and downs. Sometimes good days, sometimes bad days--they keep on coming good after bad, bad after good. It's nature. But if you are contented, you don't mind very much. So enlighten your heart with the love of God. Divine light, Divine love comes after complete heart purification. To receive that state, you have to do some devotion. So devotional love and Divine love they are two states. Devotional light and Divine light. So enlighten your heart with the devotional love of Radha and Krishn.
Why Radha and Krishn? You can choose other forms if you want. There are many forms of God: Durga, Shiv, Karttikeya, Ganesh, whatever you like. I said Radha Krishn because all our rasik Saints described that Bhagwan Radha and Krishn are the original form of Divine love. All other forms of God are incorporated in these two forms, Radha and Krishn. It's your own personal choice. But love is the common factor. You have to love God. Selflessly. Not with any selfish motive. Loving God selflessly is called devotion, that is bhakti. And with this devotional love you have to enlighten your heart. Then you will feel peace in your heart and mind always. That's the message which at every Divali we give.
And at Radha Madhav Dham here, we always teach devotion to the loving form of God. So come close to God, bring peace into your life, and be happy forever. In this way, with these festivals of light, the Deepavali festival with a social meaning and the Deepavali festival which has a very deep meaning, in this way, try to come close to God. Enlighten your heart with devotional love. That's my message to all of you. You all have my blessings.
Now we will do chanting for a few minutes. RRadhey Radhey Govind, Govind adhey. I told you that you need to develop your Divine love for Radha and Krishn or any form of God you like. How to develop that love, that I will tell you now. We teach a very simple form of devotion--very simple. No posture. No breathing technique. No making any thing. Nothing to do. Very simple. God has imbued all of His powers in His names, in His personal names: Radha, Krishn, Govind, Gopal, Shyam, Ram. Remember those names with love and you are on the path. That's it. Very simple devotion.
So we'll do chanting of the names: Radhey Radhey Govind, Govind Radhey. When you go back home, remember this chant in your heart and think this chanting is going on in your heart while you are sleeping. And do this every night. And you will see, your heart is getting enlightened with devotional love for your beloved God. Radhey Radhey Govind, Govind Radhey.
Jai Shree Radhey!
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