In Indian Culture: Why do we light a lamp?

Every night, almost without fail, my grandmother insists upon lighting a small oil or ghee (purified butter) lamp in front of our small altar of the Lord. We allow it to burn through the little cotton ball wick and never blow it out manually. Some houses, I've heard, even maintain the light of the lamp continuously--never letting it go out.

All auspicious moments such as daily worship, festivals, and rituals are begun with the lighting of a lamp, which is kept on throughout the occasion.

So, why do we light the lamp?

Light symbolizes Knowledge, knowledge that dispels Darkness, which symbolizes Ignorance.

The Lord himself is considered the "Knowledge Principle"; thus as He is the source of all knowledge and life, Light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge that we internalize helps us achieve greatness and is a wealth beyond paper money. Therefore, upon lighting a lamp, we bow down and give respect to the greatest form of wealth. Our thoughts and actions have a foundation in some sort of Knowledge (or lack thereof) and thus we light the lamp during auspicious occasions to keep witness to those thoughts and actions.

Now, if Light is so significant, why not just turn on the light-bulb or tube-light? That'll remove darkness too right?

By doing that, we removed the significant spiritual symbolism of a traditional oil lamp. As the Oil or Ghee in the lamp represent Vasanas (A good definition is in the post Bhagavad Geeta: An Introduction) while the wick represents the ego. As we ignite the wick with the light; knowledge burns away the vasanas and the ego as well.

While the oil and wick go down, the fire always burns upward; in this way we should use knowledge to take ourselves to higher ideals.

A single lamp can light hundreds of others, just as a single realized master can enlighten thousands. Despite sharing its light to other lamps, the original lamp loses none of its brilliance. In the same way, sharing knowledge will not result in the loss of that knowledge; on the contrary, upon giving knowledge, we begin to understand it clearer and it benefits all.

<- Why Do We : Introduction

In Indian Culture, Why Do we...?

Many years ago I got a little book that was no larger than a quarter of an inch thick, and it taught me more about my culture than I expected.

This book is In Indian Culture, Why do we... by Swamini Vimalananda and Radika Krishakumar.

Since there are so many misconceptions and outright ignorance about the Indian (and therefore Hindu) culture I've decided to do a series of blogs based on the information in this book since I believe it clears up much of the confusion about the little little things we Indians do.

Indian culture is very old, and yet because of its self-rejuvenating ability, it has lasted throughout the ages and even colonialism. There is a beauty and depth to various aspects of the culture. According to Why do we..., "almost every Indian custom and tradition has either a scientific, logical, historical, social or spiritual significance." Without this understanding, we begin following customs mechanically and thus they become misunderstood as superstitions whose meanings fade away.

I say the Indian culture is self-rejuvenating because old and obsolete customs are dropped away. Some examples given are human/animal sacrifice to a large extent, untouchability, etc. Thus as it prunes away practices that no longer fit the contemporary world, it can survive in the modern age while keeping its roots.

This adaptability is the reason why India is recognized  as one of the oldest living civilizations. This booklet goes over the customs that have endured over time and are an intrinsic part in many Indian households.

Swami Chinmayananda put great emphasis on the symbolic meanings found in Hindu teachings, and this book is dedicated to him, "who spent his entire life raising the dignity of Indian culture and philosophy in the eyes of the world."

Related Blog Posts:
Why Do We Light a Lamp?
What is Dharma?

What is Dharma?

When you learn about Hindu or Sanātan Dharma Philosophy you often learn about the concept of “Dharma”. Some call it “duty”, or a religious code of righteousness, but what is it really? The Sanskrit has a much more subtle meaning than simply “duty”.

According to Swami Chinmayananda, Dharma comes from the root dhar which means “to uphold, sustain, [and] support”. The term Dharma denotes (as opposed to conotes) “that which holds together the different aspects and qualities of an object into a whole.”

In terms of connotation, Dharma means something more than just “duty” or other simple meanings we give to it. Swami Chinmayananda says that the best rendering of Dharma that he has come across is “The Law of Being” meaning, “that which makes a thing or being what it is.” He gives the examples that the fire’s Dharma is to burn, the sun’s Dharma is to shine, etc.

Thusly, Dharma means “the essential nature of anything”. We must be faithful to our own true nature of the Divine within, and to be active and dynamic in this world we must be constantly seeking our Dharma.

This is why the philosophy of those who lived in the Hindu Kush (Named the “Hindus”) is called Sanātan Dharma. Sanātan means Eternal or Universal, and the best meaning of Dharma has been given. Therefore the Hindu philosophy encompasses all things in this world, living and inanimate with a philosophy of an Eternal Being that lives true to its own nature.

So think about it. What is your Dharma?

Related Posts:
In Indian Culture: Why Do We...
In Indian Culture: Why Do We Light a Lamp?

Hinduism: An Introduction

Part I: 330 Million Gods in One

When one mentions "Hinduism", the thought of many many Gods and Goddesses comes to mind.
This is a common misconception. 
Hinduism is not a Polytheism. It's not even a Monotheism. (It's technically not even called "Hinduism" but that's another topic altogether.)
It is, at its core, a Monism.
Confused yet?

Let's get some definitions aside, so we're on the same page:

• A polytheistic religion believes in many Gods that most likely have human-like qualities and personalities.
• A monotheistic religion believes in one God, but it also runs the risk of superimposing human characteristics upon that God.
• A monistic religion believes in a formless and nameless Supreme Spirit or God-Principle that, by definition, cannot have any human characteristics superimposed on it as it is the source of all things. Most obviously, it's seen in Buddhism, which took away the pantheon and rituals of Hinduism to return to the core beliefs. In this manner, Buddhism did bud off from Hinduism, which is why both describe this formless spirit. 

In English, I refer to this spirit as Pure Consciousness. It has also been called OM, the Supreme Self, the True Self, just Spirit, and a variety of other names that are all equally valid. In Sanskrit (the language of the Hindu scriptures), the Pure Consciousness is called Bhraman. Rather than being a describable God, it is an all-pervading God-Principle.

So why does Hinduism have the great big Pantheon?

One word: Symbols.

Each of the 330 million-some Gods are but a facet of Brahman. They are simply man's attempts to put a face and name on the Pure Consciousness that cannot be described by human language. Not everyone can wrap his mind around the concept of an all-pervading Spirit that is everything, thus the Hindus have the Gods that are easily understood. 

Each God and Goddess has a plethora of beautiful meanings that help not only connect us to the deities, but also advance on our respective spiritual paths. The best part of this symbolism is that what a certain deity holds, for example, can symbolize one thing for me and something completely different for you, and as long as it helps us progress further on our paths, it is good and true for each of us. There can be multiple 'true' interpretations and whichever helps you cultivate higher, nobler thoughts is the 'true' interpretation for you. 

I will be going through many of the major Deities of Hindusim and presenting the traditional and ordinary interpretations, but I'll also add my own interpretations as I try to delve deeper.