There is an Upanishad named Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It explains that the darkness in a person’s life is due to his own suffering. A person might have everything one can imagine and still feels miserable. Yet another person deprived of all materialistic luxuries also thinks that he is miserable. The Upanishad describes both these kinds of people as ignorant (abodha = unintelligent). The illusion of misery is a reality for them and so they feel there is darkness everywhere.

“Make the Divine light your companion. It will destroy the darkness of ignorance.”

Once a disciple approaches a saint.

He says, “I earned the highest academic degree, yet I am unhappy. I feel there is darkness everywhere.”

The saint says, “It’s dark now. Let us resolve this tomorrow. Tonight, you can stay here in one of the rooms of the ashram.”

The disciple comes back to the saint and says, “All the rooms in the ashram are dark. I am afraid.”

The saint doesn’t say a word. He calls out to another disciple and asks him to light a lamp.

He then turns to the first disciple and says, “Dear child, place this lamp in the room that is dark.” The disciple goes away with the lamp but returns after a while.

The saint asks, “Why did you return? I asked you to place the lamp in the room that is dark.”

The disciple says, “I carried this lamp to every room, but I didn’t see darkness anywhere.”

The saint smiles and says, “The light from the lamp got rid of the darkness. Similarly, the light/ the knowledge that comes forth from the intellect will get rid of the darkness of ignorance.”
The disciple says, “What should I do to get rid of the darkness of ignorance in me?”

The saint replies, “Dear child, rejoice in someone else’s happiness. Do not be envious or jealous. Love everyone. Only then will you experience joyfulness. This joyfulness, this divine bliss is the light. Try and see the reflection of the Divine in the mirror of your intellect.”

The disciple says, “Is there a way to do this?”

The saint says, “Yes. You will need to follow what I say. Sit calmly and with complete faith close your eyes. Relax your body, and don’t try to do anything deliberately. Focus your attention on your breath (I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am the Divine).”

The disciple obediently followed the saint’s instructions. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “You were right Gurudev. I had a wonderful experience. I am the light. I am the Enlightened Being.”