In our tradition, “lighting the lamp” is considered very auspicious and important. When a lamp is lit, it spreads the light around and removes the darkness. In that light we are able to perform all our activities. The light represents “knowledge” which removes the darkness or “ignorance” in us. So, when a lamp is being lighted, we are invoking KNOWLEDGE, and therefore we must face the lamp and not show our back to it.
If the “body” represents a “lamp”, the “flow of thoughts in the mind” represents the “oil in the lamp”, the “intellect” represents the “wick”, and the “divine consciousness or life” is represented by the “flame”.
Another beautiful representation is : The “mind” is the “lamp vessel”, “bhakti-devotion” is the “oil”, “shraddha – faith” is the “wick”, and “knowledge” represents the “flame”.
The golden yellow flame represents knowledge, the “steady” tip pointing “upwards” indicates that we must focus and concentrate on whatever we are doing & that we must always think higher and nobler..
A lighted lamp creates an enormous positive energy field around and thereby dispels the negativity in the environment.
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naadopaasana 