You see a big lamp before you. Your own lamp is unlit. So you bring your lamp to the lamp which is already burning. And when you go away from that lamp, you have your own lamp, your own light. Wherever you go, from that point on, the light is with you. The state of jnana is the same for all. Anyone who realises the Self is in the same state of peace, which is beyond the mind.
Though the experience of the Self is the same in all cases,
it is true that some jnanis end up helping a lot of people, whereas others, who
are equally enlightened, may help fewer people. Some jnanis do not teach at
all. They live ordinary lives and are rarely, if ever, recognised for what they
really are.
Water can be in a well or it can be in a lake. It is the
same water, but one source can quench more thirsts than the other. A small lamp
can light up a room, whereas a big one can light up a whole street. Bhagavan
Sri Ramana Maharishi was one of those big, blazing lights that could light up a
huge area. He guided and brought light to many people.
Whichever light you go to, the light is always the same.
This business of the lamps is just an example. What I am trying to say is, only
a few people have the capacity to guide a large number of people towards the
truth. Realizing the truth is one thing, but guiding others towards it is
something else. All jnanis are not equally capable when it comes to guiding
others.
Annamalai Swami