Why is Diwali celebrated in India? In Indian culture, there is a spiritual cause for all festivals. One must therefore go beyond the outer aspects to see the true message.
The Importance of Self-Sacrifice so as to Obtain Everything
The Diwali Festival commemorates the crowning of Ram in Ayodhya after having been banished for fourteen years. When Rama entered Ayodhya, people spontaneously showed how happy they were. During his reign, there was prosperity, happiness, truth and good health for all. These changes were possible because Rama had sacrificed himself for many long years, far from his family, fighting demons in the jungle.
This shows that to succeed, one must make sacrifices. You must therefore make sacrifices if you want to realize God. Through devotion, you enter into communion with the transcendental state of the Master and you can also become spiritually developed to the point where you are as well-known and celebrated as your own Master. That is how Hanuman, because of his great devotion to his Master Rama, is today as celebrated or even more so than he is. If his devotion is great, the disciple becomes perfect and through the grace of his Master, he can do things as great as him, or ever greater.
Today, one sees few true sadhus (people who have renounced the world and seek God). They die their clothes, but are not real sadhus. The true sadhu is one who has surrendered to God and who, through his grace finds the solution to all his problems, and who is not materialistic.
It has been five years now since I no longer leave the ashram. Sacha Baba told me that I would have all I needed and that it was no longer necessary to look for anything whatsoever outside. And because I have always surrendered to my Guru, this is what has happened. God can give you everything, but you must first surrender to him.
Entrust the Master With all Aspects of your Life
You must be devoted to and have complete confidence in the Master. No aspect of your life can or must be hidden from God. The Guru sees everything in the life of the disciple and he takes care of him in every little thing as with the more important things. All aspects of his life, the most important as well as day to day situations must be carried out with his inspiration. He must not be left out of any of them.
Ever since I’ve been with my Master, I’ve never disobeyed, nor done anything against his will. One day, I had to leave Varanasi and go to Calcutta. Normally there were three trains I could take, and as usual I had decided to take the first one because usually there was more space. But that time, my Master told me to take the second one. So, confidently, I waited for the second train. When it arrived at the station, it was indeed packed, and there was no space. But as it stopped, a door opened just in front of me. Only one person got down from that door, and I was able to get on the carriage and take his place.
Cooperate with the Masters so as Not to be Crushed
Spirituality must be manifested by all, for God’s creation must become perfect. That is what saints work for, when they watch over humanity’s evolution, thus serving God. This evolution comes about in two ways : either easily and harmoniously when men cooperate with this transformation, or else difficulties will bring about this change. This is so not only for individuals, but also for nations.
Disciples in particular and humanity in general must cooperate with God and the saints for their evolution.
