Focusing on Inner Light

ANYONE, spiritual teacher or not, who focuses on the inner light within, whether in one's self or in others, focuses on the goodness within us all.

The focus is not on the clouds that cover up the goodness, but the goodness itself.

We have many examples of people like this in our lives, people who may not hold a title of spiritual teacher, and we can look towards them, especially when we we have a tendency to focus on the clouds (harmful tendencies, etc) in ourselves and others.

There is always light on the other side of darkness. Who do we know that focuses on the good in other people rather than dwells on their evil or harmful qualities? This is a quality, an ability, a skill a power, that can be measured in degrees from each person to the next.

A friend, a sister, a neighbor; we can see in each of them where they focus. We can surround ourselves with people who focus on the goodness within others. We can move away from those who focus on the 'badness' that cover up people's true nature.

Evil does not define even the most misguided, it's a cloud that covers the beings of love that we are.

In the yoga sutras, evil tendencies come from three conditions of the mind (Section II, Sutra 34):

1. Greed (Lobha)

2. Anger (Krodha)

3. Delusion (Moha)

These specific conditions of the mind, or Purvaka, do not define the nature of the mind, but do determine the cloudy conditions within it that affect how one may think, feel and act habitually.

We can all strive to "eradicate that which shadows" our own inner light, and strive to see the inner light of others no matter what, no matter how annoying or evil they appear to be.

Note:

What is an "aspirant" ?

In Sankskrit, the aspirant is the "Sadhaka," one who strives to accomplish a specific goal, and in yoga that ultimate goal is liberation. Liberation from....experiencing life as though one is bound to the material world and defined by it; the goal is full freedom from illusion; the goal is True Self-realization.