To Light a Thousand Lamps - The Theosophical Society

174 / TO LIGHT A THOUSAND LAMPS
life is taken in hand by our higher self, and we find we are
led into situations that test us to the core so that we may
prove our worth and the depth of our aspiration — not for
self-benefit, but that we may bring light and inspiration to
others.
The higher self is our real teacher, our inner buddha.
This is a time-honored truth: it places responsibility for
growth, for inner advancement, squarely on ourself. We
have no one but ourself to blame for our fumbles, no one on
whom to shift our burdens. We are our own awakener, our
own savior, for we are the steps we must travel and the truth
we so long to find. Yet few of us feel adequate to fulfill the
demands of our dharma, or self-disciplined enough to meet
with equanimity the impact of daily karma. Trust is the
key: to trust karma is to trust ourselves and to trust that we
have the inner resources to handle whatever befalls. Having
made the choice to live mindfully, there can be no turning
back. We are not required, however, to take more than one
step at a time; this is our protection, for by meeting life’s
challenges one day at a time we gather strength and suªcient
wisdom for the daily need.
Once we grasp the fact that we are the path before us,
never again will we know that aching loneliness of despair,
for we shall have come in touch, if ever so fleetingly, with
our light-source. Should periods of despondency return,
they need not take firm hold, for a part of us, having
entered into companionship with our higher self, remains
en rapport with the larger fraternity of the spirit that touches
every aspirant on the path. In proportion as we allow
our buddha-nature to illumine our ordinary self will the