In 1974 I went on a trip around the world with Swami Kriyananda. Our small group started the journey by flying from San Francisco to Hawaii. While there, we had dinner at the ashram of Subramuniyaswami on the island of Kauai. The meeting between Swami Kriyananda and Subramuniyaswami was a delight to behold. They were like twin souls, both having founded spiritual works and ashrams based on the deep teachings of India.
As we were preparing to leave, Subramuniyaswami said something I have never forgotten: “You have brought your light to this ashram, and we have added our light to yours. Now, as you travel, bring this light with you, wrapping the globe with strings of light.”
The image of wrapping the planet with strings of light has remained with me ever since. When we traveled from Kauai to India, we tried to follow this advice. As we met Paramhansa Yogananda’s brother and visited his boyhood home, we felt the blessings and shared our own. As we sat at the feet of Anandamayi Ma, I absorbed her grace and have shared it ever since. As we meditated in the great pyramid of Giza, I tried to absorb its high vibrations, and as we continued on to Rome and Assisi, with their long tradition of saints, I did my best to receive their light and to add my own. And now it has become a lifelong habit.
The Divine has ever conferred upon spiritual seekers the responsibility to share the light. This, especially, is what we all must do during this period when there are people and forces that are trying to darken this beautiful world. When there are terrorists or politicians who seek to extinguish every light that does not fit their ego-limited world view, it’s a time when those who love the divine light must redouble their efforts to relight those lamps.
How do we spread light? First, we need to find the light within ourselves. Light will appear in your forehead during deep meditation. Gaze into that light and absorb it into your consciousness. Swami Kriyananda told us to relate to others from our spiritual eye to theirs.
Again, in inner stillness, the light of love and kindness will begin to blaze in your heart. Feel it there, let it expand, until you feel it as God’s universal love. Then share it. Share it in your meditation by visualizing a loving light spreading around the planet, touching every country and every heart with its tenderness. It is helpful to keep a prayer list to focus your efforts. Devi and I have such a list on our altar and pray daily for people and places around the world.
Finally, take your light with you as you go about your daily tasks. Every day will present you with someone who needs love or encouragement. Every day you will see places where someone has cast a shadow by their hatred or negative judgmental attitudes. Be an agent for God. As the beautiful prayer commonly attributed to St. Francis* goes:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury: pardon;
Where there is error: truth;
Where there is doubt: faith;
Where there is despair: hope;
Where there is darkness: light;
And where there is sadness: joy.
This is not mere sentiment. It is a call to action. We live in a time when there are people who would purposely sow hatred, doubt, and darkness. We must not be idle while another child is maimed or another million are deported from their homes. It is a time to do our part to wrap this world in strings of light.
In joy,
Nayaswami Jyotish
* The prayer was not in fact written by St. Francis. An interesting tradition within the Roman Catholic Church states that it was written by William I (“the Conqueror”) of England.
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18 Comments
Beautiful and timely. Thank you, great soul~
Thank you Jyotish!!! This, as with every post from you and Devi, is just the inspiration I needed for this moment. It reminds me that Master is a living presence here on Earth today through his disciples and the light we share. .I’m preparing to drive across the country to Portland next week and will be spreading light as I go. Jai Gurudeva!
Beautiful!!! What lovely instructions on how to live daily life!!
Sharing our inner light with others is the simplest way to sow peace wherever we go and the most important thing we can do. “Be an agent for God” not by forcing ideas or energy onto others, but shining from within the light of our own souls. Thank you Jyotish for this beautiful reminder at this stressful time in the world.
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
Thank you for the blog :)
We shall as a children of God and disciple of Master will carry the light that it may spread all over the world for people to live in peace and harmony.
Joy
Prem
Pranam ji
Beautiful ,Gods thy Healing Light spread through self Manifesting Peace and Harmony, thus self stay Happy and at Peace.
With Gratitude
R Sundararajan
Thank you Joytish for the loving reminder.
Thank you,Jyotish…very needed words and I will.as you stated we all must do,double my efforts.This country is in grave danger,as are many others,of coming under the complete control of very evil men and forces of darkness.Deep prayer is very much needed now for this country, its govt. and for the peoples of other countries.Thanks again..sincerely,greg
Thankyou very much for the messages which encourage a lot for furthering the practixe. Thanx for the gift of PRAYER
Dear Jyotish,
Oh… so that’s what they mean by “string theory”. (haha)
We are all Light … in fact everything is. And we are tied together, like strings of light,
one to another, including to the earth and trees, rocks and animals, water and air.
Thank you for the call to arms!
May all Truth-seekers claim their power and shine resplendent, sharing Divine Light Everywhere!.
God Bless You!
DEAR JYOTISHJI, SUCH WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT WEAVING STRINGS OF LIGHT THAT KEEPS US ALL IN THE BALL OF LIGHT SHIMMERING IN ALL DIRECTIONS
This is inspiring.
Thank you dear Jyotishji for sharing. I have only lots and lots of gratitude for always receiving such timely guidance.
Thankyou for sharing this beautiful message, Jyotish Ji.
Om.
Kamini
Dear Jyotish and Devi
I have taken up this path only recently at a ripe old age of 72. Not to be deterred by late start I am doing the best I can, and in this effort I find the messages sent out by you very inspiring: spreading the light and fire, and practising karma, in this instant case.
I look forward to your messages and consider myself blessed that I am in touch with you and the institution that is Ananda, solely for what it teaches and tries to enlighten others.
I don’t have a teacher locally, but your illumined presence in my life from far away is more than what I deserve at this stage of my life.
Jai Guru.
AMEN
I WILL! NAMASTE
i have never believed in coincidence….when reading Yogananda it seems i am remembering what i had forgotten…sat nam