India, Nov. 7 -- Ayodhya was a city of peace and light with a name that literally means "no war". But the city became utterly dark when Lord Rama was exiled, and once again full of light and happiness when Rama returned after 14 years. The people welcomed their Lord by illuminating their homes and streets. This story has an inner significance. Each one of us must transform our own heart into an Ayodhya-an abode of the Lord that is a source of light, love, and peace.

There is a fundamental difference between the people of Ayodhya and the people of our times. The citizens of Ayodhya were fully aware of the cause of the darkness that enveloped their lives and the resulting agonising pain. They knew that the vacuum was created by the absence...