Hope you had a great weekend. Today is Diwali, commonly known as the festival of lights. But it has bigger reasons to celebrate. It is celebrating the victory of good over evil, it is the celebration of faith over fear, a celebration of a journey which every person takes in all walks of life, making decisions and sacrifices along the way to protect the interests of their family, true friendships, values and virtues despite of the temptations & challenges that come to test us. It is about selfless devotion & unity. Diwali is not just a celebration for Hindus, it is to celebrate Humanity as a whole. I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Rotary Family Happiness, Health, Prosperity & Abundance, today and for years to come. Happy Diwali! There's actually one more reason Diwali is a Big celebration worldwide, it is the time to indulge in Indian sweets and fried snacks completely Guilt Free, therefore in today's bulletin there are no Healthy Food tips .
Last Saturday, some of our Rotarians with their family members participated in the End Polio Walk. Sharing some photos hereinbelow.
Kindly note our next Regular Lunch meeting will be on 9th of November. Details to be announced in due course.
Friendly Reminder: The Hand Bag & Sunglasses Auction is on the 2nd of November at Club Lusitano from 7pm onwards. There will be over 80 carefully selected items to purchase, Free Flowing Wine, Soft Drinks & Snacks. Kindly join us for this fun & meaningful charity event. Please sign up here and bring your friends too.
Upcoming Regular Events: October 29th: YMCA Feed the Elderly
November 2nd: Handbag & Sunglasses Auction / Fellowship Night
November 16th: Regular Lunch Meeting
November 23rd: Regular Lunch Meeting For update on events, please scroll down to the bottom of the bulletin or visit our website here.
Weekly Knowledge Section:
DIWALI:
What is Diwali? The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, meaning "rows of lighted lamps".
Diwali is the five-day Festival of Lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. Diwali, which for some also coincides with harvest and new year celebrations, is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
What's the festival about? Each religion marks different historical events and stories. For Hindus, this is linked to the ancient legend of Lord Rama, who was deprived of his kingdom and sent into exile for 14 years. Diwali celebrates Rama’s eventual defeat of the evil spirit Ravana, and his triumphant return to his home. They also celebrate the day Mother Goddess Durga destroyed a demon called Mahisha. Sikhs particularly celebrate the release from prison of the sixth guru Hargobind Singh in 1619. But Sikhs celebrated the festival before this date. In fact, the foundation stone of the Golden Sikh Temple at Amritsar, the most holy place in the Sikh world, was laid on Diwali in 1577. The founder of Jainism is Lord Mahavira. During Diwali, Jains celebrate the moment he reached a state called Moksha (nirvana, or eternal bliss). Southern India celebrates it as the day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. It's the end of harvest season. The month of Karthik marks the end of harvest season in India and farmers offer their harvest to goddess Lakshmi for prosperity.
The business community considers Diwali an auspicious time to start new ventures. It also holds special significance for married couples and babies celebrating their first Diwali, as both sides of the family can come together. In India, it’s a five-day festival featuring different ceremonies each day, with the third day being the main event. On Diwali night, most people offer prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God representing good fortune and wisdom for the coming year.
As the religious ceremony comes to a close, sweetmeat offerings are placed in front of the deities, and small clay lamps known as diyas are arranged inside homes and outdoors, too. The aim is to attract Lakshmi’s attention and guide her towards these twinkling lamps to bestow blessings and prosperity for the year ahead.
"Be fearless and pure; never waver in your determination or your dedication to the spiritual life. Give freely. Be self-controlled, sincere, truthful, loving, and full of the desire to serve. Learn to be detached and to take joy in renunciation. Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all. Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then, you will achieve your destiny."
"Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists."
"For one who has conquered his mind, a mind is best of friends, but for one who has failed to do so, a mind is the greatest enemy.
"Do everything you have to do, but not with greed, not with ego, not with lust, not with envy but with love, compassion, humility and devotion."
"You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of the work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction."
"The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it."
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