Every act, thought or feeling is supposed to have its opposite in phenomenal life. The world, therefore, is comprised of opposites. Life is impossible without reference to opposites. Words carry no meaning without reference to their opposites. So, opposites signify duality; they comprehend the subject and object in all realms. Opposites are an extreme manifestation of relativity.

The first move away from truth was the development of the ego, with its sense of separateness from the ultimate subject, the “I” principle. Gradually, it began to expand into realms of objects, actions, thoughts and feelings.

The chains and shackles that bind one to this world are attachments; loves, hates and all material desires. This is a desire world and we are here by desire.

However, no one can be a slave to the world and master of the universe. To entertain desires is to acknowledge bondage to the material world. To realize truth is to become the master of the universe. It is said that blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Purity of heart means freeing yourself from earthly desires and the objects of this world. To become spiritual one must do this.

When you succumb to worldly temptations and enjoyments, you lose everything of true value. When you really learn to enjoy the truth and live the truth, you will no longer be able to desire worldly pleasures. The major attachments we have are greed, hatred and jealousy.

Become your own true Self and realize your own divinity. This is the goal of life. Do not pray for more light. Free yourself of all worldly desires and you become the light.

The world has as much reality as a person’s ego. Until one can conceive of the unreality of his ego, he cannot conceive of the unreality of the world. As soon as one understands the unreality of his ego, he understands the true reality of the universe, but not before. A dream is as real as a dream, but unreal as objective reality. The universe is real as a manifestation of the Atman, or Self; but unreal outside of the Self.

Most people wish to know what they will be when they die. What is important is to find out what you really are before you die. What you will find is that you are deathless and eternal; that Self which is pure Being, pure consciousness, pure bliss. It is the mind that creates the illusion of a separate individuality. In deep sleep the mind is stilled and one is one with the Self, only in an unconscious way. What we want is to realize that we are one with the Self, only in a fully conscious way.

The true nature of the mind is that the mind is only thoughts; it is a form of energy that manifests as the world. When the mind goes forth, the world appears and the Self is not realized. When the mind sinks into Self, then the Self is realized. What happens is that the individuality is never lost. It is expanded to infinity. What we really are is pure bliss consciousness.

When the realization of the Self comes, the “I” thought is destroyed. Shankara said that a man sees a coiled rope and mistakes it for a snake and is frightened. When he finally sees that it is only a rope, his fear leaves him. The reality of the Being is the rope. The illusion of the serpent is the objective world.