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is spoiled. That is the problem in America -- the joy of being rich is becoming less and less. The poor are wearing the same type of clothes as the rich, driving the same type of cars, living in similar houses. There is not much basic difference between the rich and the poor. The fun of the rich is getting spoiled. The rich are feeling troubled due to it. They are searching for new tricks, which only they should be able to enjoy.
We are in God, hence there is no call, no invitation in it for the ego; there is no challenge, no motivation for the ego. How then can the longing for the divine arise?
The longing for the worldly things arises due to their distance and due to their challenge and calling. The longing for God arises from the failure of worldly things. Let this be understood. When you have run in all the directions and are defeated everywhere; when you have achieved everything and it has all proved worthless; when your search for things is complete, and with the completion arises their negation, everything comes to a zero; then only arises the longing for God. All things appear gold from a distance, but they all prove to be a lump of mud as they reach your hands. The longer the distance, the purer the gold. As it starts coming closer, it starts becoming more impure. Even more close, and it starts turning into clay.
There is the story about Midas of Greece. There is a great satire in it. Midas was blessed with a supernatural power; the gift from the deity was that whatever he touched became gold. We are all the reverse of Midas, whatever we touch becomes a lump of mud!
But it is very interesting.... Even Midas was in great trouble -- how can there be any end to our troubles? Whatsoever Midas touched became gold. He touched his wife, she became gold. He touched his food, it became gold. He picked up a glass of water, before it reached his lips it became gold. Poor Midas! He was in great difficulty. You cannot quench your thirst with gold. No matter how much we may talk about "a body like glittering gold," no satisfaction will arise from such a body. No matter how much a lover may praise the body of his beloved as "a body of gold,"
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