PFATW: Festival of Lights

Welcome to post #2 of my Prayer From Around the World (PFATW) series!

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of attending the Diwali celebration hosted by Campus Ministry in collaboration with the Indian Association, the Graduate Student Union, and International Student Services. Admittedly, I went into the event knowing little to nothing about Diwali besides the fact that it is the Hindu Festival of Lights. But I like to think that I came out with a little more knowledge (and a bit of personal experience) about this beautiful celebration.

Diwali is a major festival in the Hindu tradition. It “celebrates the triumph of good over evil by commemorating the return of Lord Rama (a popular Hindu deity) from a fourteen year exile and the banishing of the demon Ravana. After the return of their king, the people illuminated the city with lanterns and burst firecrackers in celebration” (1). Thus, the celebration is referred to as the Festival of Lights. The word “Diwali” literally means “a row of lights” (2). Diwali urges participants to acknowledge, celebrate, and focus on the shining of one’s own spiritual light (1).

The event of Diwali itself occurs over a period of several days, but the main celebration takes place on the darkest new moon night of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November). This year, Diwali fell on October 22^nd in South India, Malaysia and Singapore, and October 23^rd elsewhere (2). The Prayer From Around the World Event took place a couple weeks later, but the same spirit and intent were present in the celebration. This event traditionally brings family and friends together in joyful celebration, and it certainly did so on Sunday.

The evening opened with a communal prayer of peace celebrating the good in the world. We then listened to the recitation of a beautiful prayer in the form of sung word, and then the social aspect began: traditional Indian food was distributed to all present, and we crowded LaFun ballroom with bodies young and old in colorful garb and loud, merry conversation. Later in the evening, a Bollywood-style dance party commenced.

During my last PFATW post, “Let’s Talk Zen,” I wrote about the importance of silence. Looking around the room during our shared meal during Diwali, I found myself reflecting upon a bit of an opposite concept: the significance of community in our faith lives. There is something wonderful and deeply human about joining in community with the ones we love in the simple celebration of life. Diwali acknowledges each individual’s light and goodness while simultaneously bringing people together in community. This reminded me of a quote regarding the nature of human community by Sister Thea Bowman:

“If each one of us would light a candle, we’ve got a tremendous light.”

Breaking bread: it comes in many forms, whether we partake in the Eucharist on Sunday, share naan at a Diwali festival, dine as a family around the table, or have a conversation over sandwiches at South Dining Hall.

How will you break bread this week?

Sources

1: http://campusministry.nd.edu/about/events/

2: http://hinduism.about.com/