D I A L O G U E Vol. VII No. 3 July - Sept 2010 1. Divali – The Festival of Lights Fr. S. M. Michael SVD 2 Editorial 2. Inter-Religious Prayer Service for Diwali John Misquitta 3 Hindi Translation P. X. Swamy 3 3. Abhishiktananda – The Mystical Paradox Fr. Gilbert de Lima 6 4. News and Reports * Ayodhya Fr. S. M. Michael SVD 9 * Dialogue takes more than talking Archbishop Dominique Mamberti 11 * The Bird Course 2010-2011 Ferdinand Pereira 12 Celebrating the BIRTH CENTENNARY OF SWAMI ABHISHIKTANANDA O.S.B. Catholic Priest & Sannyasi 1910 Born Henri Le Saux in Saint Briac, France 1929 Ordained Priest, Order of St. Benedict 1934 Came as Missionary in India 1948 Founded an Ashram in Tannirpalli, along with Father Monchanin 1950 Founded Saccidananda Ashram, Shantivanam Changed his name to Swami Abhishiktananda and adopted the dress of a Hindu Sannyasi 1950-55 Spent time in the caves of the holy mountain Arunachala 1968 Left Saccidananda and became a hemit 1973 Died in Indore The Bombay Archdiocesan Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue President : Archbishop Oswald Gracias Chairman : Fr. S. M. Michael SVD Office Add. : Institute of Indian Culture, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri, Mumbai - 400 093 Telephone : 2836 8038 Email : [email protected] Members : Dr. (Mrs) Valerie D’Souza, Fr. Gilbert de Lima & Fr. Aniceto Pereira. Editorial DIVALI – THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Divali, the festival of lights, fireworks, rejoicing Another important aspect of Divali is Narak- and fellowship is the most joyful and most widely Chaturdashi. This is a commemoration of an observed festival throughout the length and ancient and revered legend which tells of a demon breadth of India. In many parts of India, king, Narakasura, who became all powerful and Christians also participate in its social festivities in oppressed the world. The gods appealed to Shri a spirit of fellowship with their Hindu neighbours Krishna for deliverance. Shri Krishna vanquished and friends. In this festival Christians find a lot of the demon king and brought deliverance to all. resonance with their values and meanings. Laxmi-pujan is another important aspect of Divali. It is the new moon light (amavasya). On this day, The actual origin of the Divali festival is shrouded the goddess of prosperity, Laxmi is invoked. A in the dense mists of hoary antiquity. Divali means beginning made on this auspicious day is believed many different things to different religions, but all to bring prosperity and success. Trading castes celebrate it with their own splendor and meaning. open fresh accounts on this day. For instance, Jains and Sikhs celebrate Divali but they have bestowed meanings to it that are in accord with their faiths. Religiously speaking, for Still another dimension of Divali is the celebration Jains Divali is the great event of the liberation of of Bali-pratipada. This is celebrated on the first day Tirththankara Mahavira, while for Sikhs it is the of the month of Kartik. It is the celebration of god great event of the release and return of Guru Vishnu's victory over the asura (demon) Bali. On Gobind Singh after his imprisonment. this day cows are honoured in a special way. An ecological explanation to the festival of Divali The climax of Divali celebration is the Bhau-bij is that, from the beginning of October the day (Bhai-bij). It is a celebration to strengthen the becomes markedly shorter and shorter and the family bonds. Bhau-bij celebrates the beautiful night becomes longer and longer in India. The sprit of brotherly/sisterly affection. Sisters on this warmth of the day is waning to the chill of the day do the aarti for their brothers, and brothers night. These ecological changes affect the people's offer presents to their sisters. rhythm of life. The hope of the day is giving way to the depression of the night. This is perhaps the Thus, the overall theme running in the celebration origin of Divali. Thus it is not a coincidence that of Divali is the celebration of light in the midst of this festival is celebrated on the dark half of the darkness and life in the midst of death. It is an month of Ashwin to the bright half of the month of experiential reality that the dark force of Kartik (October-November) in Hindu calendar. ignorance and delusion holds people in its grip resulting in all the chaos and evil that torment our In North India, Divali consists of five different festivals celebrated from the 13th of the dark half of world. It is God, the Lord of Light enlightens the month of Ashwin to the 2nd of the bright half of human beings to see clearly in the midst of the month of Kartik in the Hindu year. Regional darkness. variation in the number of days celebrated, in the explanatory religious stories, and the details of Thus in celebrating Divali we join the ancient ceremonies and customs mark the celebration of seers' earnings: this most joyous festival. But in all these “Asatoma sad Gamaya … celebration there is darkness and light; death and Oh Almighty Lead me from Ignorance to Truth life. For example, Dhan-trayodashi (“row of Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya … lights”) is the beginning of Deepavali (Divali). In Oh Almighty Lead me from Darkness to Light Divali celebrations there is also Yama-trayodashi ( Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya!” Sacred to Yama – the Lord of death). The pious Oh Almighty Lead me from Death to Immortality. light oil lamps believing that this would bring them the blessing of a happy death, being spared by Yama of an untimely one. Intricate designs Happy Divali! with coloured powders (rangoli) are engraved in homes to ward off evil. S.M. Michael SVD July - Sept. 2010 u 2 INTER-RELIGIOUS PRAYER SERVICE FOR DIWALI Requirements : DeeJeMÙekeâ meeOevee l Involve your TRD cell to go personally and invite l Deheves Devlej-Oece& mebJeeo iegó kesâ meomÙeeW keâes YesefpeÙes, efkeâ the heads of various places of worship, and ask JÙeefkeäleiele ®he mes peekeâj Jes efJeefYeVe Oece&mLeue kesâ cegefKeÙeeDeeW keâes them to gather at the Parish hall/compound for this Deecebef$ele keâjW Deewj Gvemes keânW efkeâ Jes Fme ØeeLe&vee meYee kesâ efueS Prayer Service. heuueer kesâ meYeeie=n/Deneles ceW Skeâ$e neW ~ l A Samai prepared and decorated with flowers: Please inform those special guests who are invited l lewÙeej keâer ntF&, HetâueeW mes mepeer Skeâ meceF& : pees efJeMes<e DeefleefLe to light the lamp well in advance. ( Option: if they oerhe keâe Øeoerheve kesâ efueÙes Deecebef$ele nw, GvnW henues mes metefÛele keâj are not the same persons who will read the sacred oerefpeS (efJekeâuhe:Ùeefo Ùes JÙeefkeäle Oece&-«ebLe mes hee" keâjvesJeeues ve scriptures, they may be asked to be prepared to neW, lees Gvemes keâefnS keâer oerhe Øeoerheve kesâ yeeo Deheves Oece& «ebLe mes recite just one brief verse only on Light from their ØekeâeMe mes mebyeefOele Skeâ heo megveeves kesâ efueÙes lewÙeej neskeâj DeeSB ~ Holy Scripture after lighting the lamp. After Ùen heo megveeves kesâ yeeo Jes ceesceyeòeer Ssmee ner keâjves kesâ efueÙes reciting this one verse, they pass on the light to the Deieues JÙeefkeäle keâes os os) next to do the same.) l heefJe$e Oece&«ebLe (YeieJele-ieerlee, kegâjDeeve, yeeFefyeue) l Sacred Books of Scripture (Hindu- Bhagwad Gita, (ke=âheÙee OÙeeve oerefpeÙes : Ùeefo DeeJeMÙekeâ nes lees efpeme #es$e ceW Ùen Koran and Bible ) Please ØeeLe&vee meYee DeeÙeesefpele nw, JeneB kesâ Note: There is an option to DevÙe OeceeX kesâ ueesieeW kesâ Oece&«ebLe keâe use Sacred Scriptures of other GheÙeesie keâjves keâe efJekeâuhe nw - pewmes Religions if required- efmekeäKe, pewve, Ùentoer, ]pejesmeefš^Ùeve according to the area where Ùee yeewOo) efpeme mecegoeÙe keâe Oece&«evLe the gathering is being hee" keâes efueÙee ieÙee nw hee" keâjves conducted. e.g. Sikh, Jain, Jewish, Zoroastrian, or Jeeuee Gmeer mecegoeÙe keâe nes- (pewmes Buddhist. Readers for the yeeFefyeue kesâ efueS hee"keâ F&meeF& nes) Sacred Scripture from the community that the scriptures l meYeemLeue kesâ ØeJesMe hej ner, Hetâueceeuee originate, e.g. Bible - kesâ meeLe cegKÙe DeefleefLe keâe mJeeiele nes Christian. l Garland for welcoming of the Chief Guest at the entrance to venue ØeeLe&vee meYee PRAYER SERVICE heefjÛeÙe Introduction: ÙeneB DeeS meYeer ueesieeW keâe nce mJeeiele keâjles nw efJeMes<e ¤he mes nceejs Welcome to all of you gathered here, especially our cegKÙe DeefleefLe keâe~ Chief Guest. Deepe nce oerheeJeueer keâe heJe& cevee jns nw - efnvot, efmekeäKe Deewj pewve Today we celebrate Diwali - a significant 5-day OeceeX ceW heeBÛe efoveeW keâe meeLe&keâ lÙeesnej ~ meeceevÙe ¤he mes Ùen ØekeâeMe festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, also kesâ heJe& kesâ veece mes peevee peelee nw~ nce Deheves ceesnuueeW ceW osKeles nQ efkeâ popularly known as the Festival of Light. In our Iej, ØekeâeMe oerhe Deewj jbieesefueÙeeW mes mepeeS peeles nQ~ ueesie efjMlesoejeW mohalas, we see homes decorated with lights, diyas, and beautiful rangoli. People visit relatives and leLee he[esefmeÙeeW mes efceueves peeles nw Deewj Skeâ otmejs keâes ueñÒ Deewj neighbours, share mithai and ladoos. Padwa marks efce"eF& YeWš keâjles nQ~ hee[Jee mes efnvogDeeW keâe veÙee meeue Meg® neslee nw, the start of the Hindu financial year. But the most uesefkeâve, YeeTyeerpe meye mes hÙeeje efove neslee nw, peye YeeF& Deewj yenve July - Sept. 2010 u 3 loved day is Bhaubeej - when the bond of love kesâ yeerÛe Øesce keâe mebyebOe Deewj cepeyetle yevelee nw~ Heâšekesâ, veÙes keâheÌ[s between a brother and sister is further strengthened. Deewj efce"eFÙeeW kesâ keâejCe yeÛÛeeW kesâ efueS lees oerheeJeueer meye mes DeefOekeâ For children, fire works, new clothes and sweets make GlmegkeâleehetJe&keâ Øeleeref#ele lÙeesnej neslee nw~ Diwali the most eagerly awaited festival of the year.