Light Up From Within
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22
According to this biblical passage from the book of Matthew, Jesus spoke these words as part of his Sermon on the Mount, perhaps his
Jesus, in addition to other spiritual figures revered in cultures around the world, is often referred to as a source of “light.” For followers, this light might represent the wisdom, grace, inner understanding, or ability to illuminate various aspects of life not perceived by the common man. However, in the passage from Matthew, Jesus gives his advice on how each one of us can also become sources of this light.
But what does it mean to have a single eye? Below, Sadhguru offers his insight on the passage as well as methods with which one can “light up” from within.
Sadhguru: “Most of the time, people get caught up in the problems that exist right now. It is not that we should ignore the problems, we should not just close our eyes and wish them away—they will not go away—but if you get attached to the problem, you are the problem. You will not let the problems go because you feel your salvation, your satisfaction and pleasure depend on the problem. Once you start enjoying the problem, you are somehow constantly wishing there must be a problem in the world. Otherwise, what will you do?
But if every human being can light up within
What does lighting up the world mean? It has been expressed in so many beautiful ways. Jesus said, ‘If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.’ It means if you had only one eye instead of two, your whole body would light up. When we say ‘two eyes,’ we are not just talking about the visual apparatus, we are talking about the discriminatory mind, the right and the left, the
All the polarities in the existence are essentially created by your mind. If you transcend the limitations of your logical mind, suddenly there are no polarities—there is one exuberant existence. Transcending the limitations of the discriminatory mind traditionally is referred to as Samadhi—that means you have attained an equanimous state—you have become one-eyed. Once you have become one-eyed, you see everything alike.
When you are looking at your life only as a survival process, discrimination is a must. If you walk out on the street, you are like any animal in the forest, constantly looking who is okay, who is not okay, where is the danger, where is a friend, where is an enemy. If you live in that condition, survival gets taken care of. But if this discriminatory process exceeds its limits, everything in existence becomes regimented.
If you have become one-eyed, you will see you will light up; otherwise you will remain a blind person for the rest of your life. If you are looking for an external light source, you will always remain a beggar. Unless the source of light becomes within you, you will always be at somebody’s mercy. You will always feel inadequate. The idea of walking the spiritual path is to go beyond that inadequacy.”
| Named one of India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru speaks before millions annually around the globe, including to prominent leadership forums such as the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, TED, and the World Peace Congress. From groundbreaking yoga programs to projects for rural communities and the environment, Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation (www.IshaFoundation.org) serves as a thriving model for human empowerment, which is reflected in the Foundation’s special consultative status with the UN. |
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