Tou létan alim enn lalampe, zamé pa teigne enn lalampe.
This used to be my father's favourite phrase. What he meant by this is, you must never dampen someone's hope or laugh off his dream, you must always aim to inspire and give hope to people.
The act of lighting a lamp is a truly inspiring one. For one thing, you can only light a lamp from where you are, the light of a lamp always shines in the present moment, here now, and it can only guide you to move forward, not backward. Brooding over past wrongs and mistakes is done in darkness while lighting a lamp is a positive and optimistic act, an act of self-belief and hope.
Moreover, you can never light a lamp that will shine only for yourself, the radiance of the lamp will shine for you and on those around you as well, from the ones closest to you to those living in the periphery. As such, lighting a lamp represents the ultimate gesture of sharing.
Spiritually, the real light is the light of truth and wisdom within ourselves.
We light a lamp every time we choose right over wrong, when we choose good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, hope over despair. When every thought and every action emerge from that inner light, the darkness is dispelled and the beauty of the world becomes visible and alive, bringing joy and comfort to you and all those around you.
Happy Deepavali to all those celebrating today!