Why do we light a lamp?

Nandakumar Kartha

Management Consul...

In almostevery Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of Lord.

Allauspicious functions and moments like daily worship, rituals, and festivals andeven social occasion like inaugurations commence with lighting of lamp, whichoften maintained right through the occasion.

Lightsymbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance.

Lord isthe ‘knowledge principle”, who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminatorof all knowledge. Hence light is worshipped as Lord itself.

Knowledgeremoves ignorance as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is lasting innerwealth by which all our outer achievement can be accomplished.

A flameof a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge asto take us towards the higher ideals.

A quality managementprinciple: Quality is such knowledge that take us to our desired goal. Thishighlight the difference between data and information.

A singlelamp can light hundreds more just as a knowledge can give it to many more. Thebrilliance of light does not diminish despite its repeated use to light manymore lamps. So too knowledge does not lessen when shared with or imparted toothers On contrary it increases in clarity and conviction on giving. Itbenefits both the receiver and the giver.

When to borrow one rupee and thenreturns back the balance to be paid is zero. Where as you borrow one idea andreturn another the cumulative benefit is TWO.

In qualitymanagement, mutual trust and sharing of ideas enhances the ability organizationfor continual improvement.

Once you have this knowledgeand then communicated to all concerned;lighting a lamp becomes a part of the organizational culture with itssignificance amply understood.

Which else shall beautify a home

But the flames of a lovely lamp?

Which else shall adorn the mind

But the light of wisdom deep?

- Swami Chimayananda