Weekly Contemplations to Ignite the Soul
No. 6: The Light
In the Atma Gita, Krishna is speaking for the last time to his devotee Uddhava on the eve of his death. Here he shares with Uddhava the path to non-attachment and freedom.
“When your mind’s light becomes steady and bright…
Your mind will be peaceful, absorbed in the Self
You’ll look on all others with equality
Beyond good and evil with ego dispelled
To nothing attached, you’ll then become free”
If these lofty results are conditioned upon achieving a mind of light, the spiritual seeker asks, “How do I experience this light?”
Spiritual Practice
Meditation: Candle Gazing
In deep meditation, light is not something you achieve with the act of doing. Divine light comes to us when we are clear, open and ready to receive. However, the following concentration practice is helpful in sharpening your focus and heightening your awareness of an image within.
Place a candle so that the flame is at the same level as your eyes. With a relaxed gaze focus on the center of the flame unblinking. After a minute or two, when you have found the center of the center, close the eyes and focus on the after image of the flame. When it disappears, open your eyes and again focus on the flame. Repeat this practice until you experience an urge to dive within.