“If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your own path.”
A teacher must have written this quote. It’s a statement that most teachers would agree with. There is reward in showing the way to someone else. In helping others to learn, we not only strengthen our knowledge of the material, but we get to see a planted seed grow into a beautiful tree.
One aspect to look out for though, is we must be mindful of our expectations, and try to not have any. We should never expect something in return when we teach or help others. When we give out of generosity, we must give without expecting something in return. When we listen to others, we must listen whole-heartedly, without expecting reciprocation. In this practice, we find ourselves helping others with true compassion, instead of awaiting materialistic rewards or gratitude from others. In this practice, we reward ourselves knowing we have hearts full of compassion and true desire to help others.
When we light a lamp for someone, it will brighten our path. We are all together, on the same planet. What we do to one another affects ourselves as well.