How to Light a Little Candle

July 10, 2022 Open Religion No Comments

Lighting a candle in a church or any other temple can be a meditative moment with profound value.

The meditative direction can be on ‘emptiness’ – less evident to many – or it can be a contemplation on something or someone. It’s all OK ― in principle. However.

No God in the entire Universe understands conceptual stuff.

For instance, you might burn a candle to pass an examination, to get pregnant, or to have your stepmother heal from cancer.

Certainly, the mere conceptual asking is useless. If you ask any of these – by contemplating on it – your heart may be heard, not your head.

Then comes the feasibility of what you’re asking.

Clearly, there is a gradation concerning this in the three examples above. It’s up to you to give it a try ― if, as I alluded to, your trying is wholehearted.

So, how does it work?

Who knows where it ends, but some knowing is possible in where it starts. That is: vertically, in the direction of your core. That is not necessarily your heart.

I call it ‘deeper self,’ just to put a name on it. It is heart and mind in-depth.

So, YOU work

Lighting a candle, remember this. In the best of cases, the candle itself is a symbol of you-as-total-person. Take the examples:

In the case of the coming exam, that is precisely what you need.
In the case of a wanted pregnancy, there is a lot to say about it ― scientifically, including by your humble writer.
In the case of cancer, well, there is little proof one way or the other. Pretending more is a sign of arrogance.

How-to light a little candle?

Five tips:

Make your mind as free as possible. For this, you might look into the candlelight and imagine – any way you want – that you are there and feeling excellent. It’s a miracle!
Be as respectful as you can. For this, you need to trust the happening. You know that somehow, something deep is coming to you. It doesn’t need to be the very thing you’re asking. Maybe, it’s something much more worthwhile and related.
Be patient. Preferably, you may spend some time patiently, close to your core and the candle. More important is the quality of your patience. I call this ‘infinite patience’ in a few moments, minutes, hours. With quality, it’s time well spent.
Be grateful. If you don’t receive the present you’re asking for, also after much burning, be grateful anyway. This is not a trick, even when it helps.
Be humble. This is to say, let your ego be humble. Otherwise, it’s a fence that prevents any deeper happening.

I wish you the most profound experience.