No man is really great unless he is unattached, unmoved by success or failure. Working with all his heart, with all his mind and power, as if his life depended on it, he remains unmoved, unattached and indifferent to the result. Work for work’s sake, because it is good to work, but don’t work for gain. Gain may and will come, but whether it comes or not, our equanimity should not be disturbed. Then we live a peaceful life, at peace with ourselves and with the world.
‘Whoever in the midst of intense activity finds great peace, whoever in the midst of great peace finds intense activity, he is a yogi, he is a great soul, he has achieved perfection.’
Man is great to the extent he is free. And man is free so far as he is unattached. To be unattached means to be free from the bondage of desires, not to be moved under any condition, pleasurable or painful. It has often been asked, ‘How is that possible? Can we go through this life without being affected by the conditions we meet? Is it possible for man to meet disappointment, sorrow and pain and preserve his equanimity of mind?’ And the answer is that though it is not possible for an ordinary man, it becomes possible in proportion to the extent man has realized the Truth. The bhakta takes refuge in the Lord and, resigned to His will, preserves calmness and serenity of mind. The jnani, knowing that life is but a dream, regards the events of life like his dream experiences.