The light exists in every human being; it only has to be kindled by self-realisation

Buddha, the enlightened was on his death bed. All his disciples were worried how difficult it would be to spend life without Buddha with whom they had lived and received guidance for around four decades. After such intimacy, imagining life without Buddha was just not possible. The disciples were all crying at the very idea of their master leaving them. Ananda, the chief disciple was asked by Buddha why they all were crying. Ananda said that since the master was not going to be there to lead and enlighten them, they were expecting darkness to descend on them. After following Buddha for nearly 40 years, the very thought that Buddha will not be leading them was a cause for great anguish and despair. Who now was going to show them the light of life. What would be their fate without BuddhaIJ To this Buddha said in a very sanguine manner: “Atma Deepo Bhava”: Be your own light.

This was said to be the last teaching of Buddha. But the fact is that this was the central theme of Buddha’s teachings. To find your own path, to guide oneself with one’s own light. Buddha experienced enlightenment on his own. Nobody did anything to enlighten him. In fact, being one’s own light is the essence of all teachings. But how can this be achieved given the darkness and gloom all aroundIJ

This is the question that bothers ordinary minds. But there is a need to understand that for those who, despite living day and night for four long decades with Buddha would not see light on their own, what difference it would have made if Buddha had lived some more earsIJ How long can one live on borrowed lightIJ There is a path to attain one’s own light; achieve enlightenment. Of course, a teacher is needed. But only to the extent that he shows the path. The journey has to be made by one self. Buddha’s lesson was this. Self-enlightenment through self-realisation. And for self-realisation there is a need to develop self-awareness. To understand the destructible nature of Maya that surrounds our lives. It is this Maya that camouflages the reality and continuously distracts us from seeing the light that is within us. Buddha had focused on the impermanent nature of this surreal world that we perceive to be real.

This is the reason why Heraclitus used the analogy of the river to explain the impermanence of the nature of this world. Shankara described this as Maya that is perceived due to ignorance or avidya. Heraclitus said that you cannot bathe in the same river twice. It is ever-changing, for every infinitesimally small moment of time. Nothing remains same. It is the perception that makes us believe that things remain same. Apparently they do but in reality they do not. It is our ignorance that is responsible for this false perception. And to remove ignorance we need that light, the light from within. This is what Buddha had meant by saying ‘be your own light’. The light is there in every person. Only it has to be kindled by realisation.

Mystic poet Kabir had explained this in very simple terms. It is paraphrased as: “Just as the oil of the sesame is in the small sesame grain, just as the fire is there in the flint stone, so also is your divine, your enlightenment in you. All you need is to awaken yourself.” That is: Be your own light.

The writer is a professor, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand). He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com