If we must be led, then we should seek the guidance of those who have light. The first place to look is within ourselves. Our mind can guide us. If we learn to reflect, we will get light to guide ourselves. The Bhagavad Gita (2.49) says, ‘buddhau uara iam-anviccha’ take refuge in your ability to think.’ If we can develop the capacity to reflect and think, we will get a lot of light from within ourselves. We will have a mind that is not carried away by fashion or passion and which can see clearly.
Reflection is aided by the power of concentration. Swami Vivekananda says: ‘In making money, or in worshipping God, or in doing anything, the stronger the power of concentration, the better will that thing be done. This is the one call, the one knock, which opens the gates of nature, and lets out floods of light.’ He states that the difference between animals and humans, or between one human being and another, is in the power of concentration. It is said that Newton could hold a thought for days until it unravelled itself and revealed new secrets, new light.
But that is not all. There is a subtler light that even the mind cannot see. Rather, this light is what illumines the mind. It cannot be seen by the mind, but it can be felt. This is the light of spirit.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad recounts a fascinating conversation between the sages Yajnavalkya and Janaka. King Janaka raises the question: what serves as light for a man when the sun and moon have set, fire has gone out, and speech has stopped? The spirit (self) serves as light, answers Yajnavalkya.
What is spirit? We cannot exactly define it, but we can say what it is not. It is not material, and it is not psychological. Again, in response to Janaka’s question ‘What is the spirit?’ Yajnavalkya responds: ‘The self-effulgent light within the heart.’
Source – Excerpts from an article titled ‘Lead, Kindly Light by Prof. Vijaya Kumar Murty published in Prabuddha Bharata magazine November 2006 issue.