I remember one day a school teacher, very old, poor, living on a pension, won the lottery. His wife was scared, she thought: “This will be too much for the old man. Five thousand dollars is too much for him. Even a five dollar bill gives him so much joy that five thousand dollars can kill him.” She ran to the nearest church, approached the priest and told him everything that had happened. She said:
“The old man is not here now, but he is about to return, so do something.” Five thousand dollars... the very news of this will kill him!
The priest said:
- Don't be afraid. I know the human mind and how it functions. I know psychology. I'll come.
And the priest went to their house. The old man also arrived at the same time, so the priest began preparations. He said:
— Suppose you win five thousand dollars in the lottery, what will you do?
The old man thought a little, weighed everything and answered:
— I would give half the money to the church.
The priest fell dead. It was too much for him.
Even happiness will kill you because you are too involved in everything. You can't stay out of everything. Whatever comes to your door, misery or happiness, you become so involved in it that it knocks you down. You are no longer in your place. Just a light breeze blows into your house, and you are no longer there. What I'm saying is that if you don't choose, if you remain sensitive, attentive and aware that this is life, days and nights come and go, suffering and happiness come and go, you are only a witness. There is no clinging to happiness, no craving for happiness and no escaping from suffering. You remain centered, rooted within yourself. This is bliss.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru