An old, wise man was sitting with his student in a room filled with glowing lamps.
Some were large, others small. Some shone brightly, while others gave off only a faint light.
“Look at these lamps,” said the master. “Each one is different. Just like us humans. Each of us has our own shape, our own story, and our own time in this world.”
He pointed to an old lamp whose light was already flickering.
“One day, this lamp will stop shining. Its filament will break, and its light will go out.”
The student nodded thoughtfully.
“But tell me,” the master asked, “when this lamp goes out, does the electricity disappear too?”
“Of course not,” replied the student. “The electricity keeps flowing.”
The master smiled.
“You see, that is exactly what we humans so easily forget. We believe we are the lamp. We identify with our bodies, our appearance, our age, and our personal stories. And that is why we fear the day our light goes out.”
He paused for a moment.
“But the ancient wisdom teachings of India tell us something different. They teach us that, in our deepest essence, we are not the lamp, but that which makes it shine.”
The student gazed at the many lamps for a long time.
“So, are we not as different from one another as we always believe?”
“No,” replied the master. “The lamps are different. But the same electricity flows through them all.”
Then he added softly:
“And perhaps this is the greatest realization of our lives: We are not separate from one another. We are different expressions of one and the same existence.”
The student remained silent.
A little later, he asked, “And what happens when we die?”
The master smiled.
“The lamp goes out. But that which made it shine was never limited to that one lamp.”
Then he stood up, switched off one of the lamps, and said:
“Do not be afraid of the lamp going out. Recognize the light while it is still shining.”
🥰
