DIWALI: A CELEBRATION OF NIRVANA

Jains all over the world celebrate Diwali in remembrance of Nirvana of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara. We celebrate this occasion with lights and feel the absence of that enlightened light that departed us in 15th October 527 B.C. Lord Mahavir was a great warrior who conquered the inner enemies like Anger, Deceit, Pride and Ego. These are our permanent enemies always present with us. He who destroys these enemies is Mahavir.

Words are unable to describe the beauty of Lord Mahavir. His glow, his knowledge, his strength, his compassion, his inner peace were infinite. He was a living temple. The day he departed us and attained liberation the people felt darkness because the light was gone. It is mentioned in the scriptures that 16 kings, 9 Malla, 9 Lichachhavis along with thousands of people celebrated the day of Lord Mahavir’s Nirvana with lighting lamps. In the same day his chief disciple Indrabhuti Gautam Swami attained Omniscience, so that day was very special in Jain history.

The oldest reference of Diwali is a related word, Dipalikaya, which occurs in Harivansha Purana, written by Acharya jinasena. The meaning of Dipalikaya is “Light Leaving the Body”.

ततस्तुः लोकः प्रतिवर्षमादरत् प्रसिद्धदीपलिकयात्र भारते

समुद्यतः पूजयितुं जिनेश्वरं जिनेन्द्र-निर्वाण विभूति-भक्तिभाक्

(The gods illuminated Pavanagari by lamps to mark the occasion. Since that time, the people of Bharat celebrate the famous festival of "Dipalika" to worship the Jinendra (i.e. Lord Mahavira) on the occasion of his nirvana.)

The purpose behind this celebration is to remind the absence of Lord Mahavir. He taught us to overcome inner weakness, fear, anger, attachment, delusion because all these things bind the soul with the never ending cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Lord Mahavir also taught that each soul, whether it is human, animal, plant or one-sensed micro organism, each has potential to get rid of this endless cycle of rebirth. The human body is the supreme machine that can lead the soul to liberation and it is rare and very hard to being born as a human. One should never waste any moment of this precious human birth. Because if we will waste this rare occasion of being born as human then the soul will again go through countless births in the other form of body. So each moment one has to be aware. Every moment we are emitting bad vibrations to the Universe. These vibrations are full of lust, desires of mundane life etc are the cause of bondage and the soul attracts Karmic particles like a magnet attracts iron particles. When these vibrations reflect to us we feel bad and good happenings with us.

So it is important that in this occasion of Diwali one has to remember the teaching of Lord Mahavir and develop desires for Liberation.