Saturday, October 22, 2022

Diwali, Festival of Lights, Los Angeles (11/13)


This post covers five Diwali celebrations in the Los Angeles area, one on Thursday (Oct. 20), one on Saturday, Oct. 22, two on Sunday, Oct. 23, one on Monday, Oct. 24, and the largest on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. The first and last are FREE, but the other three request a voluntary donation.

Diwali: Celebrating Oneness Nov. 13, 2022
FREE: Diwali, India's "Festival of Lights" is a celebration of ONENESS or nonduality (advaita), with speakers from various faiths, cultural performances, experiential meditation, and a free vegetarian lunch. More

When and where
  • Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
  • Sanatan Dharma ("Eternal Truth") Temple
  • 15311 Pioneer Blvd., Norwalk, CA 90650
Art of Living, LA: Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022

Krishna the cowherd loves the flute
All are cordially invited to attend “Diwali: Festival of Lights’’ -- an evening of celebrating joy, music, culture, and peace at the historic Art of Living Dome in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, October 23rd. 

Diwali is an age-old festival of lights traditionally originating in India. It celebrates peace, prosperity, and victory of light over darkness, and harmony for all.

During this event held for the Los Angeles community, coming together to connect, celebrate, and welcome the light of peace and prosperity into our lives, joy will reign above all else.

Diwali? Originating from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, it literally means rows (avali) of lights (deepa). This Festival of Lights symbolizes the vanquishing of ignorance (darkness) by the knowledge (light).

There are four aspects of Diwali:
  1. Lighting of lamps. The lights on Diwali are symbolic of spreading knowledge.
  2. Firecrackers: When an explosion happens on the outside, the explosion inside is diffused. This is the significance of firecrackers.
  3. Distribution of sweets. Sweets dispel bitterness and are symbolic of a renewed friendship.
  4. Feeling the abundance. It is a day to feel grateful for all that we have.
The celebration will begin with a short breathing and meditation session to relax the mind and feel the peace and joy within. When true wisdom dawns it gives rise to celebration, and in celebration we may lose focus or awareness.

So let us celebrate this Diwali with knowledge and feel the abundance. For those who have will be given more! This event will have all the aspects of celebration, which includes:

  • Laxmi Puja (devotional ceremony to Lakshmi),
  • followed by lighting lamps (diyas/tealight candles provided): There is an opportunity to make a personal sankalpa (deep wish) and offering. Sankalpa is a deep intention, since every manifestation has an intention behind it. We have many desires or intentions, however not all intentions come to fruition or manifestation. The process of taking a sankalpa is an ancient Vedic technique that uses mantras to invite the energy of the universe to help strengthen and manifest our intentions.
  • Lighting lamps and dance performances
  • Meditation
  • Dinner (vegetarian Indian cuisine).
All are welcome, and anyone who comes for the event can witness the puja (sacred ceremony). Come celebrate the light of happiness, joy, and SELF. FREE-$51: Tickets (Eventbrite)

Things to do in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Festivals, LA Community Festivals, #dance #food #music #musical #india #diwali #lightshow #weekend_activities #diwali2022 #lights_festival
Organizer of Diwali Fest 2022: Festival of Lights operating in 152 countries, The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) is a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by the world-renown philanthropist and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (srisriravishankar.org). All of AOLF’s programs are guided by Sri Sri’s philosophy: “Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace.” The AOLF community is diverse and attracts people from all walks of life backgrounds and religious orientations. AOLF offers numerous highly effective educational and self-development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness, and well-being for all individuals. These programs, which include breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practical wisdom for daily living, have helped millions around the world to completely transform their lives. In addition to these courses offered globally, AOLF, working in collaboration with The International Association for Human Values (IAHV), has successfully implemented numerous humanitarian projects and service initiatives including conflict resolution programs, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all, and environmental sustainability. It has been said of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that not since Mahatma Gandhi has one person united so many people of different races, religions, traditions, economic and social status, and nationalities, creating a One World spiritual family across the globe. Sri Sri’s message is simple: “Love and wisdom can prevail over hatred and violence.” Happily, this message is not just a slogan but through AOLF has been and continues to be translated into action and results.
Self-Realization Fellowship "India Night," Saturday, Oct. 22
The Glendale SRF is a jewel of architecture.
(Glendale Temple) SRF is presenting Diwali, the Hindu "Festival of Lights," which signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance. Delicious Indian dinner, followed by "Chai and Chatter," a kirtan (singing), and a shortened version of Glimpses of a Life Divine, a documentary on the life of Paramhansa Yogananda. Doors open at 5:00 pm, dinner served at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $20. To reserve, please call (909) 621-5023. Lots of help needed for this event. Volunteer.

Diwali at Ananda Ashram, Glendale (10/20)
Swami Vivekananda in the US
FREE: Thursday night is the celebration of India's "Festival of Lights" called Diwali. Group meditation, showing connection to all the world's great religions, is the focus of this heartwarming holiday celebration.

“My idea is NOT to bring here a Hindu creed or a Christian creed or a Buddhist creed, but to take the best out of ALL and embody the universal aspect of all. That is my dream.”
-Ananda Ashram Spiritual Center Founder Swami Paramananda

Female gurus are blessings to the world.
"We dedicate a symbol which represents the ideal of unity and oneness of all world Teacher…to place before the people of this country [USA] the wisdom and truth from all lands, classics, and scriptures, in fact, from the whole world, showing their underlying unity and harmony" (1938).
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