Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2-26

The light is you

Vivekakhyatihi Aviplava Hanopayaha|

The means of removing that Avidya or attachments to the people, things and happenings in life that are transient and come and go - is by identifying oneself with the ever- present awareness that helps you to discriminate between what is temporary and what is permanent. Awareness is like a floodlight on a football field. The light illuminates the field. Players come. Some win, some lose,some retire hurt, some abuse, audience cheer or swear. The light does not take part in all this. It just throws itself on what's happening. When the match is over, the ground becomes empty again and the light continues to reveal the empty ground. Similarly our awareness is theinner light that helps us to be aware of what we see, hear, taste, touch, smell and think during our waking hours, watch our dreams during the dream state and realise the next morning that we slept well in the deep sleep state. Identifying always with this awareness is the only way to come out of the ignorance of clinging on to the transcient things and fretting or getting excited about it. - Swahilya Shambhavi.
(Pic. Lamps lit by members of the Gayatri Parivar, chanting the Gayatri Mantra. - SS)