Lightly Child, Lightly.

~ Live & Learn

What we are trying in these discussions, these talks here, is to see if we cannot radically bring about a transformation of the mind. Not accept things as they are. But to understand it, to go into it, to examine it, to give your heart and your mind with everything that you have to find out a way of living differently.  But that depends on you and not somebody else. Because in this there is no teacher, there is no pupil, there’s no leader, there’s no guru, there’s no master, no savior. You yourself are the teacher and the pupil, you are the master, you are the guru, you are the Leader. You are the Everything. And, to understand, is to transform what is.

You have to be a light to yourself …and not follow the light of your professor, the psychiatrist, psychologist or the light of Jesus or the light of the Buddha. You have to be a light to yourself, in a world that is utterly becoming dark.

— Jiddu Krishnamurti, (1895-1986) from his videos titled Be a light to yourself and You Have to be a “light” for Yourself

Notes:

  • Inspired by another quote by Krishnamurti: ““The mind must be utterly silent. Not asking, not hoping for experience. It must be completely still. Only then is there a possibility of that light which will dispel our darkness.”
  • Image via Inner Traditions
  • Prior “Lightly child, lightly” Posts? Connect here.
  • Post Title & Inspiration: Aldous Huxley: “It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.”

30 thoughts on “Lightly Child, Lightly.”

  2. AMEN

    I have just read this to Hero Husband (we are in a very taxing, difficult & tiresome situation) and although it was written maybe some 50+ yrs ago, it has a terrible actuality about it. We are often saying about not putting your light under a bushel (in certain matters) – I do like this approach very much. Economical & social situations prevailing today make it hard to follow that advice. What if finding and following YOUR light (contrary to running after a ‘tempting’ flashlight somebody else is shining at you….) leads (nearly) to one’s nihilation? It takes a lot of character & strength to do the right thing, even WHEN you know your light.

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  8. Love this, Dave. Know thyself. To thine own self be true. And of course, always, namaste. Some may think these are pithy and overused but have such layers of meaning…..

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  9. the darkness around us is deep….A Ritual to Read to Each Other (from williamstafford.org)
    William Stafford

    If you don’t know the kind of person I am
    and I don’t know the kind of person you are
    a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
    and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

    For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
    a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
    sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
    storming out to play through the broken dyke.

    And as elephants parade holding each elephant’s tail,
    but if one wanders the circus won’t find the park,
    I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
    to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

    And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
    a remote important region in all who talk:
    though we could fool each other, we should consider–
    lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

    For it is important that awake people be awake,
    or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
    the signals we give–yes, no, or maybe–
    should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

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  10. Taking responsibility for yourself, dealing with your own state of mind, deciding how you are going to interpret a situation…sometimes challenging, but wow, so empowering to the degree you can sort it out. Love this thought-provoking post, pal…

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  11. I’m not trying to live differently. I’m already doing what I want to be doing, treating others the way I want to be treated, and it makes me happy with myself. I’ll just continue to follow my own philosophy of life because it works for me, harms no one else, and does some good to others.

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