DIP POOJAN or DIP AMAAVAS

Today is the day of DIP POOJAN (worshipping the light, at no moon day). For some its Ashad Amavasya (Gataari, as they say, where people enjoy the no moon day by eating non vegetarian food and consuming liquor these days!). A question popped up in mind, that why the light is so important that it is worshipped? that too on no moon day? (when there is no light of even the moon). Is this only about the religious practices, a religious faith or Is it a philosophy of thought?

I’m trying to put forth whatever I felt as a psychology proponent.

DIP (here, let’s say lamp) helps us to seek light in the dark. This is the symbolic worship to express our gratitude towards the knowledge, hence the worship of light. But this is the part of rituals or tradition.

However, this principle can be applied to our mentality too! Competitive environment, partial and disparity and instability in social, economical and political context, lack of communication in relationships, expectations versus reality, addictions, aimless living, physical disease and complimentary to all this is everyday stress. All this becomes even more dark when the feeling of emptiness hits, despite of having enough!

Paul Ekman talked about six basic human emotions at the beginning of it. Among those, Anger, Sadness and Fear are three negative emotions which are said to be VIKAR (disorders) in Indian philosophy. When we are under the influence of these disorders, (vikar) it affects on our daily lives and the darkness in us becomes more severe!

When a person gets trapped in such mental darkness, he gets tuck in the cognitive triad of Aron Beck. Namely, hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness. To get rid of it, some psychotherapeutic techniques can definitely help us, which are also the light of knowledge!

1. Let us get introduced to ourselves once again with the help of Johari Window. (unknown to self and unknown to others) with the help of friends, family, relatives and psychologists, counsellors we can have this window wide open to get self-awareness.
   
2. Just because we get bore of the work, it’s not the right option to quit but if we try the same work in different way which will bring back our interest and will be of more potential, as said in the BHAGVADGEETA, “work done potentially gives us more happiness”.
   
3. In the book ‘Emotional Intelligence’ written by Danial Goleman, there is very beautiful statement of Aristotle at the very beginning, “Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody’s power, that is not easy.” Which means even if the negative emotion is as strong as an anger, if we learn ‘how to regulate it’ rather than ‘how to control it’, we will see the enlighten path of mental energy. 
   
4. After lightening the lamp, one has to look after the flame, to keep it from the wind; such care is also needed by the family of the individuals which helps him more, to come out of the darkness.
   
5. As the lamp enlightened on the doorstep also helps the outsiders, alike the light of rational thinking and behavior also helps to enlighten lives of others along with oneself.

Keeping in mind that all these things cannot be achieved fully all the time, one should at least practice them as much as possible to enlighten self-more and more!

Getting inspired by the DIP POOJAN or DIP AMAAVAS, let us destroy all the darkness within us! and may the month of purity and immaculacy, (Hindu month SHRAAVAN) become the month of physical and mental sanity!