keep the candle burning - Spiritual story

Sivananda Parables by Swami Sivananda

Parable of The Boy and The Candle The father and his little son are sitting in a dark room. The son asks: "Father, I am afraid of this darkness. How can we remove it?" "Light the candle, son." The boy lights the candle. "Ah, now the darkness is gone, is it not Father?" "Yes, son," replies the father. The son blows out the candle. "Oh, it is again dark, father. I am afraid." "Light the candle, son." The boy lights the candle again. "Ah, now the darkness is gone." This way he lights and blows off the candle several times. Then the father tells him: "Son, so long as there is darkness, you should keep the candle burning. If you blow it off, the darkness will envelop you once again. But when the sun rises, you need the candle no more. Then you get light throughout the day from this supreme light of the universe." Similarly, the disciple approaches the Guru for instruction on Yoga and receives the Diksha. The disciple practises Sadhana for a little while and gets a little spiritual progress. Satisfied that he has attained the Supreme and conquered Maya, he stops the Sadhana. Darkness envelops him again! This goes on—"Yoga comes and goes"—till he learns to be steadfast in his Sadhana. Thus he keeps the darkness of Maya away till the Sun of Atma-Jnana arises in him. With the rise of the Sun of Supreme Wisdom, the darkness of ignorance vanishes for ever, and he basks in the sunshine of Sahaja Samadhi.