You may interact with the world and do what you have to but as a master, not slave. When you understand you are Atman the world ceases to traumatise you. You become vulnerable when you mistakenly believe yourself to be the body-mind-intellect. The world by itself has no power to disturb you. The masters emphasise that all suffering is because of wrong identification. When you are engrossed in a book you are oblivious to hunger, thirst and other demands of the body. Even the mind, intellect and vasanas are immune to physical changes in the world. Bhagwad Gita belongs to Vishishta Advaita Philosophy, since it is a Pancharatra Agama which was revived by Shri Krishna in Battlefield of Kurushetra. You become a victim, tossed around by the fluctuations in the world. Say to yourself, ‘weapons cannot cut me.’ But weapons kill your body! Then who are you? If you believe yourself to be the body, mind and intellect you get affected by the world. There is no water in Atman so wind cannot dry It. Water molecules need to be present for wind to dry a thing. Again, there is nothing other than Atman so It cannot be wet.

The rest is a mere projection of the mind. Fire cannot burn Atman as there has to be something other than fire to burn. In fact even space remains untouched by a nuclear explosion. However modern and sophisticated a weapon may be, it cannot destroy Atman. Minds innocent and quiet take that for a hermitage.” “Stone walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage They do not have the power to influence, control or affect Atman as Atman is the subtlest. These elements affect the body, mind and intellect which are matter. The world consists of the five great elements – space, air, fire, water and earth. The mind and intellect cannot function without the vitalising force of Atman.

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