Light the Way

"The Kena Upanishad says that the Self "shines through the mind and senses," which is a poetic way of saying that it is the power of the Self which allows the mind and senses to function.  So the eternally conscious Self is what makes us conscious.  Essentially, it is light. 
    At times when our inner vision becomes pure enough to let us see through the layers of psychic debris that thickens our consciousness and make it opaque, we realize that everything is actually made of light.  We understand that we are light, that the world is light, and that light is the essence of everything.  This is why so many people's experience of touching the Self are experiences of light - visions, inner luminosity, or profound and crystalline clarity." 
-  Sally Kempton, Meditation for the Love of It, p. 40  

 Supreme Awareness (Chiti, Brahmin, Self, Supreme Auspiciousness) is most often explained using the metaphor of 'light.'  Light, and by comparison 'consciousness,' is illuminating, brilliant, bright, shining, luminous, allows us to see, provides visions, can be enlightened, shows the Way, etc.  Understanding is a function of seeing, looking, and insight.  Light is associated with life, growth, energy, and warmth.  Consciousness can be clear, focused, split up, diffused, shadowy, opaque, and magnified.  Numerous religions have considered the sun to be a divine being, or their gods and goddesses to give off light, energy, warmth, and to light the way for us.  Evil beings keep us in darkness, steal the light away, burn us up or freeze us, or are the Prince of Darkness.

Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Lore

Light, Fire, Sunshine

Morning, Daybreak, Dawn

Night, Darkness, Sunset 


The photograph below was taken at dawn on my walking path.