In Europe, we have an idea of the Enlightenment as something in which an individual recognizes that he or she lives under constraints imposed by others. The task then is to overcome these constraints and place oneself under a greater law. A light comes on and shines into all the dark corners, to question what has not yet been reflected upon and questioned. This movement of thought is described with the metaphor of light as a torch. The light of the Enlightenment shines centrally into every corner.
Consciousness, however, is interactive. It exists only in interplay with other consciousness. A newborn needs the care of the mother or a substitute community. Language is learned only through communication. Empathy is possible only in community. Namaste is sometimes translated as “The light in me greets the light in you.” This greeting reminds us every day that we exist only in community. The metaphor of the torch now has an entirely different meaning here. The light is in us, not an external tool. The light is everywhere, not a central perspective. Light is an energy that shines in everyone. This inner light, which exists everywhere, is consciousness.
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