Monday, March 08, 2010

The Effulgent, Sorrowless Light That You Are

The sun is out in Philadelphia. It's as if the entire Cosmos is reminding each and every one of us of the light that we are. We lean into the light, turn our faces to feel the warmth, notice our own smile and take everything a bit easier.

Consider that we use the word light to have at least 3 meanings. Light means buoyant weightless; it means radiant and bright; and bright we also use to describe intelligence. Light is the only thing that can overcome darkness, and darkness is only a veil covering light.

Perhaps you can experience yourself as light: Buoyant, Radiant, Intelligence. Know yourSelf to be boundless luminosity. Find comfort in the thought, even if you don't abide in that realization. Yoga Sutra 1.36 (Vishoka Va Jyotish Mati) says that we can overcome obstacles to yoga practice by concentrating on the Effulgent, Sorrowless Light within. Perhaps you visualize a glowing radiance in your heart and feel that expand outward in all directions. Cultivate confidence in that. Know that the power that made the universe created the sun itself, and that power is within you, and that power is you. Beam your heart outward to illuminate the sun.

Hafiz says, "One day the Sun admitted: I am just a shaddow. I wish I could show you the Infinite Incandescence that has cast my brilliant image! I wish I could show you when you are lonely on in the darkenss the Astonishing Light of your own being!"

Open up the window of your heart and let your light shine out!