Diwali is a time to drop everything and start afresh

India, (Gujarat), Nov. 3: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s address at Annam Brahm, an event that showcased 5,600 vegetarian food items. This initiative also brought to the forefront the unifying power of food. People of all religions participated in this event with the aim to showcase the unique cuisines from different communities. Sri Sri: “We are part of a Smashta Jeevan - An individual human being is connected to the whole universe, with all its life forms. Birds, animals and the life of people should be respected. When we care for nature, nature cares for us. It makes us complete and completeness is the basis of a human being. We need to take care of plants and animals. One of the most divine expressions is to plant a tree. Then we need to take care of people. Ladies while cooking should take out one handful of grains everyday and once a week or once a month should feed the poor. It is said that two to three hundred years back, there was not even one poor or hungry person in India. Such a complete and capable country we had. Once again we must resurrect this country to that state. We should all work towards this. Life without joy, Heart without compassion, Mind without imagination, And Intellect without intuition is incomplete. Life is all celebration. Celebration happens when all come together, and a society without celebration is no good. Gujarat is full of celebration. The amount of dance people do out here, one will hardly find anywhere else in the world. The whole of Gujarat rises to dance during Navratras. We are having Diwali. Greeting each other and singing with each other, we light the lamps on Diwali and celebrate. A single lamp is not enough, and we have to light the lamp in every field. Let the light shine on spiritual, social, financial and all other fields – This is the message for Diwali. While involving in daily activities, we do get upset with each other, we get upset and we make others also upset. But how long can you burn in that fire? Diwali is a time to drop everything and start afresh. That is why in this region, Diwali is immediately followed by the New Year. So, on this occasion my wish for everybody is to have the light of wisdom and spirituality in their lives, and the waves of joy keep rising in all hearts.   Today is Annam Brahma – the topic is food. It is said in all our Upanishads that Food is Brahma, and one should honor it. Like they say"Jaisa ann vaisa mann" – The state of your mind depends on your diet. Pure vegetarian food keeps our mind perfect, intellect sharp and body fit. That is why many scientists today are switching to vegetarianism. We are not even aware of the huge variety of food which is there in India. From Tripura to Kerala and Kashmir to Kanyakumari, whatever type of dishes people eat, are present here today. We offer prayers before eating. The food that we eat absorbs the vibrations. Respecting food means respecting farmers, we should always keep in mind that the one who is producing food should always be happy, because that is the origin of the thought cycle. This is our beautiful tradition, with such deep science behind. Food makes us experience the chaitanya (the consciousness), that is why it is called Brahman. India is famous for its contribution in seven spheres. First is the variety of clothing available. Then is the huge variety of food. After this comes Nritya andSangeet (Dance and Music) – India is being recognized in these fields also. Then comes tourism - Pravaas Udhyog, and the I.T Industry, and of course India is making its name in the field of Spirituality - Knowledge industry. Like this, India has made an extraordinary mark in these seven spheres. We have to popularize it. It is very important today. These things should be recognized as a world heritage.