I think it is beautiful how a deepam (diya) brings all the five elements of nature together. The red earth that is made wet with water is molded into shape. The wick in it is immersed in ghee to fuel the fire. Smoke fills the air and perfumes the surrounding. The fire sways in the breeze, but the void that surrounds the fire keeps it burning.

The void in itself is thought to be pure and bright (parishudham pariyodhatam). It elicits the feelings of pain and pleasure, and neither-pain-nor-pleasure.

It is just like when we play with fire - if we put our finger in it and let it stay, we will feel pain. If we gently sway our finger through the fire, we will feel pleasure. If we do so long enough, our mind will empty itself of all thought and become one with everything and nothing.

But, I have come a long way from appreciating the coming together of the elements in a deepam, to using a candle lamp. Now when the fire burns and the wax melts in the holder, or when it dies and the wax hardens, I am reminded of air turning into water, or water into ice, and think of how the same element is now in a different state of existence. I wonder if it is like my mind during meditation, changing between conscious awareness and deep inner peace. I also wonder what state of being our existence is in when we are alive in this world and what state it will be in when we pass away and are reborn again or enter other worlds.

Happy Deepavali and Happy Diwali! :)

May we all fire up and reach for the sky. Should we ever fall, may we do so brilliantly, bursting noisily into a million colorful flames and vanishing into nothingness!