Chinmaya Mission's Swami Abhedananda: 'every day can be Diwali’

AS DIWALI approaches, Swami Abhedananda of the Chinmaya Mission South Africa shares profound insights on the festival's true spiritual essence, highlighting how the Mission's 'Nourish to Flourish' initiative exemplifies Diwali's principles of inner light and selfless service.

As homes across Durban prepare to shimmer with light this Diwali, Swami Abhedananda calls on the community to look beyond the glow of diyas and the sparkle of fireworks -toward a celebration of inner illumination, selfless love, and righteous living.

Speaking in a telephonic interview from Cape Town, Swamiji shared that the true meaning of Diwali lies not only in festivity, but in rekindling the light of dharma, humility, and gratitude in our hearts.

“Diwali is significant because it is the victory of Bhagwan Ram over Ravan - a reminder that dharma, or righteousness, is always victorious.”

The lighting of lamps represents the victory of righteousness and clarity over confusion and illusion.

Each diya, he said, was a reminder of the divine spark that resided in every being.

He said that light should be nutured through selfless action, devotion, and introspection.

He cautioned that the modern world, with its growing focus on material gain and status, risked losing sight of this deeper spiritual essence.

“When money becomes the centre of our life, when power becomes the centre of our life, we are sure to break the society,” he said.

“The essence of a person or a community is not in its wealth but in how much seva (service) we do. The value of serving our parents, our teachers, the contributors to our life - that is what we must live for.”

Swamiji reflected on the enduring lesson from the Ramayan: that truth and righteousness triumph, not because of material power, but because of steadfast principles.

“Bhagwan Ram did not have anything - not even shoes - yet he won. This world will always honour the one who lives with ethics, morals, and devotion. Luxuries cannot give peace of mind; peace comes when God is with me, when I have nothing to hide, when I have been true to my role, and when I give more than I take,” he said.

Swamiji called on devotees to move from attachment to love, from expectation to acceptance, and from getting to giving.

“Please go live in the world but don’t be of the world. Convert attachment into love, expectation into acceptance, and getting into giving. Then every day will be Diwali.”

He elaborated that true love was never possessive or demanding but expansive and giving. “We suffer more not because of lack of money, but because people restrict their love. Let us accept more and expect less. Learn to live with imperfections. When we accept others as they are, we expand - and only then can we become giants in our hearts, capable of loving the downtrodden and the weak. It is not the survival of the fittest, but the acceptance of the weakest.”

Swamiji highlighted this spirit of acceptance and compassion through the Chinmaya Mission’s Nourish to Flourish initiative, which recently celebrated one year of continuous service — providing over 200,000 meals to communities in need.

“Nourish to Flourish is a heart- expanding project. It teaches us that there is more joy

in giving than in getting. Every happy person lives for others; every unhappy person lives only for himself. The sun shines for the whole world, the trees bear fruit for others, the rivers flow for others. Likewise, our purpose is to give and to bring smiles.”

Reflecting on the role of spiritual organisations, Swamiji said they must be rooted in truth and humility before extending their influence outward.

“If my house is not in order, I cannot do anything outside. Let us first have the sound footing of our own truth, purity, integrity and divinity. When our roots are deep, only then can our branches spread wide to give shade and fruit to others,” he said.

He described the Chinmaya Mission as a flowing river of knowledge and compassion - an ever-growing spiritual presence guided by the teachings of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.

“The mission is like the Ganges. It flows with compassion. Through daily classes on the Ramayan, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads, it keeps the lamp of wisdom alive. One who has light within can light up the world. Our aim is to love all and serve all - to spread both food for the body and food for thought.”

Swamiji urged families to celebrate Diwali not just with lights and sweets, but through gratitude, unity, and renewed relationships.

“Let every youth touch the feet of their parents and receive blessings. Let husbands and

wives learn to sacrifice for each other. Let siblings, teachers, and students reconnect with gratitude. Diwali should be a day where the family, the community, and our own hearts are bound together with love.

“Let it be a day when we forgive, when we share, when we light the lamp of knowledge and devotion. Life is not what we get — life is what we give. What we get makes our living, but what we give makes our life.”

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