From Alexandra David-Neel’s Initiations and Initiates in Tibet, via Birrell Walsh, author of Praying for Others:
Imagine, one of them said to me, that whilst the sun is shining, a man is obstinately determined to light a lamp, his lamp, in order to provide light for himself or for someone else. In vain it is pointed out to him that it’s broad daylight, and the sun is shedding its radiance upon all things. He refuses to benefit by this radiance, what he desires is a light produced by himself. Very likely this man’s folly is due to the fact that he does not discern the sunlight; for him it does not exist, an opaque screen prevents him from perceiving it. This screen consists of infatuation of self, of his personality and his works, reasoning as distinct from comprehension.
Anybody else been playing with matches? Got sunscreen?