A young seeker wanted to have a religious experience. She had been fasting for some time hoping to receive a vision from God. At times it seemed she was seeing a sacred light, but other times it seemed she was just imagining things.

Finally, she came to Texas Buddha for help. She asked him how to know if her visions were real.

Texas Buddha answered, “A man who pokes himself in the eye will also see great lights and spots that appear perfectly real. But such lights illumine nothing, and the spots get in the way of what he is trying to see in his real life. Visions can illumine your deepest thoughts, but they often reveal nothing about the world which you and I share. In general, we should seek vision not visions. When your practice leads you to see a wider world and to feel a deeper love you will know you are awakening.”