In our miseries and struggles the world seems to us a very dreadful place. But just as when we watch two puppies playing and biting we do not concern ourselves at all, realising that it is only fun and that even a sharp nip now and then will do no actual harm, so all our struggles are but play in God's eyes. This world is all for play and only amuses God; nothing in it can make God angry.



Do not mix in the fray, hold yourself as a witness and go on working. My master used to say "Look upon your children as a nurse does". The nurse will take your baby and fondle it and play with it and behave towards it as gently as if it were her own child, but as soon as you give her notice to quit, she is ready to start off bag and baggage from the house. Everything in the shape of attachment is forgotten, it will not give the ordinary nurse the least pang to leave your children and take up another children?.

Even so are you to be with all that you consider as your own. You are the nurse, and if you believe in God, believe that all these things which you consider yours are really His? We must inform our minds that no one in this universe depends upon us, not one beggar depends on our charity, not one soul on our kindness, not one living thing on our help. All are helped on by nature, and will be so helped even though millions of us were not here?. This is a great lesson to learn in life, and when we have learned it fully, we shall never be unhappy, we can go and mix without harm in the society anywhere and everywhere. You may have wives and husbands, and regiments of servants and kindgoms to govern, if only you act on the principle that the world is not for you and does not inevitably need you, they can do you no harm?.

As soon as we identify ourselves with the work we do, we feel miserable, but if we do not identify ourselves with it, we do not feel the misery. If a beautiful picture belonging to another is burnt, a man does not generally become miserable, but when his own picture is burnt, how miserable he feels ! Why? Both were beautiful pictures, perhaps copies of the same original, but in one case very much more misery is felt than in the other. It is because in one case he identifies himeself with the picture, and not in the other . ?

You and I try to be one with Him, but plant ourselves upon nature, upon the trifles of daily life, on money, on fame, on human love, and all these changing forms in nature, which makes for bondage. When nature shines,upon what depends the shining? Upon God and not upon the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars. Wherever anything shines, whether it is the light in the sun or in our own consciousness, it is He.. He shining all shines after Him?.

Swami Vivekananda

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