The festival of lights, Diwali, will be celebrated over the next five days in India and other parts of the world. Stories, meanings and festivities vary by region and culture. It is an auspicious time – each day representing a different aspect of the holiday. It is a celebration of victory in its triumph of good over evil, freedom, of endings & new beginnings; welcoming prosperity and well being. Harvest is celebrated and the new lunar year is ushered in. Lamps and candles are lit.

The illumination is significant. Light is a comfort to man, but it also dispels the darkness of ignorance and fear. Lighting a lamp represents knowledge. It is also the light of community and compassion — light is a shared experience. Light is a symbol of our human experience and its evolution from survival to illumination. Ultimately, the festival symbolizes awareness of the inner light. Wordsworth said, “his high endeavors are an inward light that makes the path before him always bright.” For the Evolving Martial Artist, the true goal lies beyond the battlefield or the ring…we fight for the light. May we all find our way.

Happy Diwali to all of our friends celebrating.

Toni Josephson