The Light Of Dhamma

It has been said that as we are all born into a dark world we all need a guiding light which can chase away the darkness. In Buddhism, the dark world is comparable to ignorance and the light which chases away the darkness is the light of wisdom. It reminds me of the story ‘The Man and the Small Candle.’ which can teach us something.

There was once a small candle carried by a man who was climbing the stairs of a lighthouse. On their way up to the top, the candle asked the man, "Where are we going?" "We’re going to the top of this lighthouse to give signals to the big ships on the ocean," the man answered. "What? How could it be possible for me with my small light to give signals to those big ships?", said the candle weakly, "They will never be able to see my light". "That’s your part. If your light is small, let it be. All you have to do is keep burning and leave the rest to me", said the man.

A little later, they arrived at the top of the lighthouse where there was a big lamp with a reflector behind it. Then the man lit the lamp with the flame of the candle and instantly, the place shone so brightly that the ships on the ocean could see its light. At this point, the candle could understand why the man had said ‘Keep burning’.
The moral of this story:

Even with what we take to be small ability and limitations, one thing we should bear in mind is that we all have the potential to illuminate the world and each other. All our abilities and expertise will remain as a small light if we are dismayed when we face obstacles. However, if we join each of our small abilities together, they can be big and strong and we will be able to overcome any obstacles in our life.

The Buddha said, “No light is comparable to the light of wisdom”. The light of wisdom awaits all those who learn and put into practice the teachings of taming the mind. It shines everywhere without discrimination, like the light of the Buddha’s Dhamma which never discriminates against anyone.