The lamp & the treasure

[1]

Yogi Ashwini [1]

Every being is a poorna ansh of the creation. All the forces that run the creation exist within the being. However, these energies are bound, due to the dominance of rajas in a being.
Let me explain with an example. Diwali is round the corner. On the days that lead up to Diwali, you will see people shopping, exchanging gifts, feasting and making merry. And on the day of Diwali each one would be waiting for Goddess Lakshmi to come to their house and shower wealth and prosperity on them.

Lakshmi is not a lady with a pot of gold who will walk through the open doors of your decorated house. It is the shakti on which creation is run. To invoke that energy calls for intense tapa under the guidance of a guru. The days leading up to Diwali must be accompanied with the observance of strict austerities and abstinence from all kinds of indulgence — food, sex, or luxury. These are means to purify the being so as to prepare the field to experience the shakti of Lakshmi.
The night of Diwali is a very powerful one. It is the darkest night of the year and marks the onset of new beginnings. It is the night of mantra-sadhana and havan under the sanidhya of the guru. A sadhak who has observed strict discipline is then able to harness the energy of Lakshmi within his being. For specific Lakshmi sadhanas and to gain maximum benefits this Diwali, get guidance from your guru.
The purpose, however, is not self-gratification.
Lakshmi is the goddess of material and spiritual wealth, however, her essence is in giving away this wealth for the proper functioning of creation. Likewise, when a sadhak invokes the shakti of Lakshmi within, the purpose is to channelise that energy, the immense spiritual and material power, to run the creation. In the process one imbibes the qualities of Lakshmi, detachment and selflessness, which are the key to self-evolution.
The true spirit of Diwali thus lies not in buying expensive clothes, decorating the house and eating sumptuous foods. It is in internalising the energy of Lakshmi and spreading the light of Diwali to millions, through selfless charity and service. When Rama, Lakshman and Sita returned to Ayodhya, all the houses were lit up. The moral is to not light up your houses and attract Lakshmi with this artificial light, but to be the force that can aid the Ayodhya of creation and attract divinity.
Om tamaso maa jyotir gamaya.