Lighting the lamp of hope
Children, we live in a world that is filled with selfishness. Most people are concerned only with taking as much as they can from others. What the world needs now are people who are more concerned with giving than taking.
If a few people who are prepared to spread the message of selflessness through the example of their own lives come forward, we can turn earth into heaven.
Once, a Guru was telling the disciples in his ashram about the variety in human nature. He filled four glasses with water. He dropped a stone into the first glass. There was no change in the water. The stone sank to the bottom of the glass.
He then dropped a clod of mud into the second glass. The mud dissolved in the water, making it murky.
He dropped a wad of cotton into the third glass. The cotton slowly soaked up all the water and became bloated.
He put a piece of rock candy into the fourth glass. The candy dissolved in the water, making it sweet.
Pointing to the four glasses, the Guru said, “They represent four types of people. Most people can be compared to a stone. They will neither improve nor will their lives benefit others.
“The second type is like the clod of mud. Not only will they do no good to society, they will also pollute the minds of those who come into contact with them. They pollute the minds of everyone in society.
“The third type is like the wad of cotton that has been dropped into water. They are totally selfish. They will strive to grab everything in the world for themselves and for their own enjoyment. They will hoard wealth but will never help others at all.
“The fourth type is like rock candy. They spread sweetness in the lives of others. Such people ought to be our role models. If we follow their example, our lives will also be filled with sweetness. Slowly, our sweetness will infuse the lives of others.”
You may wonder how one person can make a difference to the world. Even small acts of goodness touch many people. For example, when we smile, others smile in return. Likewise, the good deeds that we do will inspire others to do good.
Let us not waste any opportunity to perform an insignificant act of goodness. Just as countless drops of water become a river, the small acts of goodness that we do today will be instrumental in bringing about a major social transformation tomorrow.
Fire is the presiding deity of the spoken word. The qualities of fire are heat and light. However, in recent times, we have been emitting only heat and smoke instead of light. This heat and smoke now are choking us.
May we all be able to come together as one and light the lamp of knowledge, both internally and externally, thereby removing this heat and smoke. If we all stand together as one, we can achieve this. Let us do the right thing with self-confidence and with an attitude of selflessness and love.
You may wonder, “How can this dense darkness be removed if I light this tiny lamp?”
If each one of us lights a small lamp, the strength of the light will multiply and everything can be illumined. Similarly, this action should help us to ignite the light in each of our hearts.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian.