India, Nov. 7 -- For an oil lamp to burn, the wick has to be partially immersed in the oil. If the wick is completely drowned in oil, it cannot bring light. Life is like the wick of the lamp. You have to be in the world and yet remain untouched by it. If you are drowning in materialism, you cannot have joy and knowledge in your life. By being in the world, yet not drowning in the worldly aspect of it, we can be the light of happiness and wisdom.

Diwali is a time to feel our connection with the entire cosmos. In this creation, the macrocosm and microcosm are interlinked. There is one consciousness present in everything, every living being and every object. We are part of a Samashta Jeevan, which means that an individual is connected to th...