Now that equinox has passed, the days are growing shorter and darkness is drawing in. Read these words by the famous spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy about living in the inner light, to find inspiration in the time of gathering dark.

Originally from India, Sri Chinmoy was a well-known guru, athlete, philosopher, poet, musician, and lecturer. He died October 11, 2007.

Here are his words on light and darkness:

Light and darkness. Darkness makes us feel that we are nothing and can do nothing, that we are useless. Light makes us feel that we are everything, that we can do everything, that we can become everything.

When we live in darkness, our human life is a constant want.
When we live in light, our divine life is a constant achievement.

Light in the physical is beauty.
Light in the vital is capacity.

Light in the mind is glory.

Light in the heart is victory.

Light is the Creator yet to be fulfilled.

Light is the creation yet to be realized.

Light is the Voice of Silence in the inner world.

Light is the fruit of action in the outer world.

The secret of light is divine energy. From this divine energy comes another secret—life. The secret of life is inner discipline. The secret of discipline is confidence. The secret of confidence is the aspirant’s consciously surrendered oneness with God’s Will.

Why do we love light? We love light because it embodies life. Why do we love life? We love life because it embodies truth. Why do we love truth? We love truth because truth is the breath of reality’s realization.

Light is freedom. There is no freedom without perfection. There is no perfection without freedom. Freedom is the soul of realization. Perfection is the physical manifestation of realization.

The mounting light that glows within tells us that God is of us and for us. The dazzling light that glares without tells us that we are of ignorance and ignorance is ours.

When we use the outer light, we see how far we are away from God. When we use the inner light, we see how far we are away from ignorance. When we use the light of our fully awakened and fully realized consciousness, we see how close we are to ignorance, although not at all affected by it. When we use the light of the Supreme, we see how close we are to God, yet how unimaginably far from our divine manifestation.