A venerable sage came one day to the court of King Janaka. In those days, there was no electricity. The king was curious to know about the source of light from the sage.
“Revered master,” the king asked, “What lights a man’s way in this world? What is its source?”
“Why, the sun lights a man, of course. For, with the sun alone as light, a person sits, goes out, does the day’s work, and returns,” replied the sage.
“True! But what happens at night?”
“O King, the moon becomes the light for the world.”
“But what happens during an eclipse or when the moon has set?”
“Then fire is the light, O King.”
Janaka agreed. “That is true, but when the sun and moon have set, and the fire has gone out, then what lights one’s way in the world?”
“Great king,” said the sage, “at that time, the voice becomes the light. By the sound of voices, men sit, or find their way, and return home. For, when it is so dark that one cannot see, one can still hear sounds, and move toward them.”
“But what on a silent night?”
“Then the Self, alone, is one’s light, Your Majesty. For then one must sit, or go out, do one’s work, and return, all with the help of the Self alone.”
Janaka, who was a king interested in spiritual matters, wanted to know more about the Self. “Which is the Self?” Janaka asked.
“The Self, Your Majesty, is the Knowing One, here among our various parts—the Inner Light within the heart. It is He who sees this world of our waking state. It is He who sees the world of dream. And, in the dreamless sleep, when we think that we are not seeing, the Self is there, seeing.
“There can never be an end to the seeing of the Seer. He is eternal. In deep sleep, you seem to know nothing, but in truth, the Self goes on knowing, for can there ever be an end to the knowing of the knower? No. He exists forever.
“In the space within your heart lies this One Controller of All, the Master of All. It cannot be destroyed. It does not attach Itself to anything. It is not bound, does not suffer, is not injured. Good and evil do not affect It.
“When a person clearly sees this Self inside as God, the Lord of the past and the future, then he has nothing to fear. This is the undying, fearless Brahman. Fearless, indeed, is Brahman, and he who knows this becomes the fearless Brahman.”