Bring on the Light!
We are living in troubling times, no doubt. We see the pain and suffering wrought by racial and economic injustice, political polarization and disinformation. We see the ravages of climate change, the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. The whole world is on edge, watching and trembling. It’s very easy to lose hope, to become bitter, or to feel sorry for ourselves. None of these responses helps ameliorate the suffering of those who have been wronged, or who have lost their health, their homes or their loved ones. Nor, of course, do such responses help us.
The only way to help is for each of us to keep hope and do whatever we can to make the world a better place. Start small, but with a big heart. “Small things done with great love will change the world,” said Mother Teresa. She also said, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
To make a change in the world, you have to start with your own heart. You can’t do much for others if there is no love in your heart. You cannot value another human being if you don’t value your self. You cannot recognize the divinity in others if you don’t recognize your own divinity.
Swami Nirmalananda stated it this way in the April 2021 teaching article titled What is Love?: “Your love becomes pure and powerful only when you discover the perfection, wholeness and fullness of your Self.”
Love starts with knowing your Self. The power of that knowing is like that of a candle that illuminates the darkest of caves. Start with your Self, extend it to your family, then to your neighborhood, and share the light wherever you go. If each of us takes responsibility for the light in our own hearts, and keeps that light going, this whole darkened planet will be filled with light.
Ultimately, you must learn to bring the light to everyone. Just as the sun shines on all beings, no matter who they are — no matter the color of their skin, no matter their religion or beliefs nor what they have done or how much they have — so your light must shine on all beings. In this month’s teaching article Yoga & Worldly Life, Swami writes:
“Everyone matters. But no one person matters any more than any other person. Each and every one matters fully. This is the mystical perspective. You have this perspective when you are experiencing your own Self. The One Divine Essence shines through as every single being and every single thing. They are all lovable. They are all to be revered and respected. They are all to be protected and cherished.”
