Diwali has just gone. We got in for Chhat Parva that is a Vedic puja where the milk is offered to Sun God after almost four days of fast. And that has also gone. Let us have some lessons from some of the symbols that we use.

Does a candle lose anything by lighting other candles? Apparently, it does. It is no longer the only torch in the neighbourhood. It seems to have lost its exclusivity. But this loss is temporary. Moreover this loss is minuscule in comparison to the gain that follows for this candle, by its being a part of a well-lit neighbourhood. Its solitude is now replaced by the camaraderie of torches around it. Its environs are now brightly illuminated. The loneliness is gone and it is light al over. And this candle has the satisfaction of having made all this possible. And the sun provides the example in infinitely bigger way. Perhaps that is the reason than Vedic seers gave so much of importance to it.

Neale Donald Walsch, in Conversations with God, says: “A true master is not the one with the most students, but one who creates the most masters. A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders. A true king is not the one with the most subjects, but the one who leads the most to royalty.” In fact you can’t receive without giving. Omanshu Sharma, a naturopath, tells me that you cannot inhale deeply unless you exhale strongly. This isn’t just a logic that applies to the process of respiration. It is almost a cosmic cyclical law which governs all our transactions. Wealth creators all over the world know that money grows with circulation. This law governs not only the field of wealth but also that of ideas. This thought finds its echo in Gurjief’s words when he says: “Whatever I shared is still mine, the rest I have lost.”

The only rider here is that one can’t share unless one has. And to have one needs to accumulate. So your accumulation and sharing should form a cycle. Accumulate-share-accumulate-share and so on.

I have heard a story about a corn farmer in Canada, who won all the quality awards, year after year. Researchers who went to study his methods and to check out what differentiated him from the other contestants were amazed by their findings. They found that he shared all his best practices with his neighbouring farmers. When asked, why did he do so? He answered, “Because corn is a cross-pollination product. So it is important that the pollen grain coming to me from the neighbouring farms should be of good quality. It is for this reason that I share all my secrets with my neighbours. See how much I benefit.

So let us SHARE.