One’s Own Light – In Gita Verse 10.8 I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
Who is wise according to Krishna. The person who is – light unto oneself.
Let’s understand from this Hasidism story:
You attend to your own growth – TO WALK WITH ONE’S OWN LIGHT:
The young rabbi said: ‘DURING THE HOURS WHEN I DEVOTE MYSELF TO MY STUDIES, I FEEL LIFE AND LIGHT, BUT THE MOMENT I STOP STUDYING, IT IS ALL GONE. WHAT SHALL I DO?’
THE RABBI OF KIZHYN REPLIED: ‘THAT IS JUST AS WHEN A MAN WALKS THROUGH THE WOODS ON A DARK NIGHT, AND FOR A TIME ANOTHER MAN ACCOMPANIES HIM WHO HAS A LAMP, BUT AT THE CROSSROADS THEY PART AND THE FIRST MUST GROPE HIS WAY ON ALONE. BUT IF A MAN CARRIES HIS OWN LIGHT WITH HIM, HE NEEDN’T BE AFRAID OF ANY DARKNESS.’
I met you on the road; I have a lamp. Suddenly, you are no more in the dark. But the lamp is mine. Soon we will depart, because your way is your way and mine is mine. And each individual has an individual way to reach his destiny. For a while you forget all about darkness. My light functions for me as well as for you. But soon the moment comes when we have to part. I follow my way; you go on your own. Now again you will have to grope in the darkness and the darkness will be darker than before.
So don’t depend on another’s light. It is even better, you grope in darkness – but let the darkness be yours! Somebody else’s light is not good; even one’s own darkness is better. At least it is one’s own, at least it is your reality. And if you live in your own darkness, even the darkness will become less and less dark. You will be able to grope. You will learn the art, you will not fall.
Blind people don’t fall. Try walking with closed eyes; you will be in difficulty. Even a hundred feet you cannot walk but the blind man can walk the whole distance. The blindness is his. With closed eyes, you are borrowing blindness. It is not yours. Even darkness of one’s own good. One’s own errors are better than other people’s virtues, remember this – because the mind is always tempted to imitate, to borrow. But that which is significant cannot be borrowed. No, you cannot enter the kingdom of God with borrowed money; there is no way. You can’t bribe the guards because there,
There are no guards and you can’t enter from a thief’s door because there are no doors.
You have to walk and through walking create your path. Ready-made paths are not available. That’s what the false religion goes on teaching to people: ‘Come. Here is a super-highway. Be a Christian and you need not worry. Then we take all the burden, then WE are responsible.’
Jesus says: ‘Be yourself.’ The Pope of the Vatican says: ‘Follow Christianity.’ All Christianity is against Christ, all churches are against religion. They are the citadels of anti-religion and anti-Christ, because those who have known have emphasized that you should be yourself. There is no other way of being. All else is false, dishonest, insincere, imitation, ugly. The only beauty possible is to be yourself, to be yourself in such purity and innocence that nothing foreign enters in you.
Walk in your own darkness – because through walking, groping, by and by, you will find your own light also. When you have your darkness the light is not very far away. When the night is dark, the morning is close – just reaching.
Once you become dependent on borrowed light, you are lost. Darkness is never so dangerous as borrowed light. Knowing is good, but knowledge is not good. Knowing is yours, knowledge is others.
‘THAT IS JUST AS WHEN A MAN WALKS THROUGH THE WOODS ON A DARK NIGHT, AND FOR A TIME ANOTHER MAN ACCOMPANIES HIM WHO HAS A LAMP, BUT AT THE CROSSROADS THEY PART AND THE FIRST MUST GROPE HIS WAY ON ALONE.’
Krishna says the person who knows himself is wise and the wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
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