Shine On! (According to the Upanishads)

Today I am grateful for 4-wheeled vehicles and their convenience. I am also grateful for ears that can hear the various sounds coming from those vehicles as they pass by or as I drive.

Consider this quote:

As the Sun shines upon my heart, 

so may my heart shine upon others!

The Upanishads

I was not familiar with the Upanishads and erroneously thought they were a group of people. They are actually ancient writings. According to Wikipedia: The Upanishads are a collection of ancient Sanskrit texts that contain some of the central philosophical concepts of Hinduism, some of which are shared with Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

I consider myself an eclectic spiritual being and though I was raised and currently practice Christian denominations, I draw faith and spirituality from many sources. Really, most religions have more similarities than differences anyway, in my opinion. It comes down to respect and reverence shown to others and the earth. In some faiths, that also includes reverence to a certain god.  

The Higher Power or Great Spirit I refer to personally is like the Sun in many ways. Encompassing much more than me. Giving off light and life to those who put themselves in its path. So a spiritual path, and a path of contribution and good, comes from both seeking light and giving off light. 

I can do that by being around others who light the way, lighten my burdens, lighten the mood when needed, even as I try to do the same. I can do that by practicing gratitude, being a good listener, seeking to be of service.  

There are many ways to shine on. Go do some shining today! 

I will be taking a blog break and be back early next week. Have a good day, moment by moment.