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The real spirit of the festival of lights
The Hindustan Times, New Delhi
25 October, 2003
Meditations | Swami Chaitanya Keerti

Diwali is the most significant festival for the people of almost religions of India, and especially the Hindus and Jainas. In his book Beyond Enlightenment, Osho says: "They have different reasons; it is just a coincidence that something has happened on the same day in the history of both religions.
Hindus celebrate it because Rama was victorious over Ravana. He came back
after 14 years of wandering in the forest and the mountains to his capital, Ayodhya. And because he was coming back after 14 years, the capital celebrated with lights and firecrackers and rejoicing. That is the Hindu reason.

For Jains this is not the reason. Mahavira became enlightened on the same day, and Mahavira is the most important individual in the history of Jainism. Jainas are celebrating because Mahavira attained liberation. And he attained liberation in a unique way.... Gautam Buddha became enlightened on a full-moon night.

And except for Mahavira, anybody who has become enlightened has become enlightened either on a full-moon night or close to it. Mahavira is unique in that he became enlightened on the night of amawas. He is alone; there is nobody else who has become enlightened on the night of amawas."

It is not important whether one attains enlightenment on full moon or amawas - what is really important is that we live a life of enlightenment. That is the message of all the sages and the Upanishads that declare Tamsoma Jyotirgamya - this is precisely the spirit of the festival of lights - to illumine our life of darkness.

Osho suggests to live our life with a sense of humour and have laughter in our life. He says: "Life has to be taken hilariously! Life is so full of laughter, it is so ridiculous, it is so funny that unless your juices have gone completely dry you cannot be serious. I have looked around at life in every possible way and it is always funny, whatever way you look at it! It gets funnier and funnier! It is such a beautiful gift of the beyond. I am against all seriousness.

My whole approach is that of humour, and the greatest religious quality is a sense of humor - not truth, not God, not virtue, but a sense of humour. If we can fill the whole earth with laughter, with dancing and singing! Open all the buds of your cheerfulness. Sing just like the birds. Dance to abandon, and you may be coming closer and closer to the reality because the reality is so festive. It is a festival of lights, day in, day out."