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one thing always -- that there is no cause to be anxious in life, and all causes are just excuses. If you decide not to be anxious, then nothing will make you anxious; there is nothing worth it. Life is such a fleeting phenomenon that is going to disappear one day. Why be bothered too much about it? We are only here for so few days. Just play the game and remain aloof. If one can remain a witness, aloof, distant from things, then anxiety is not possible. Anxiety comes into existence only when we become identified with small things. And they all pass.
There is a famous Sufi story: A great king wanted a special ring to be made for him. The ring was made...
The message of the story is: this too will pass. This was engraved on the ring, because the king had asked his goldsmith 'Engrave such a message that will be helpful to me in all kinds of situations -- good and bad, failure or success, life or death.' The message had to be one single message, but it had to work in all kinds of situations.
The goldsmith was very worried:'Where to find such a message which can work when you are in pain and which can work when you are in pleasure? There is advice which will work when you are suffering and, naturally, there is advice which will work only when you are happy; but happiness and unhappiness are contraries, so how can one message work for both?'
The goldsmith was driving himself crazy -- the time was coming closer and closer and the king was asking for the ring.
Then he went to a Sufi master and told him the situation and asked 'What should I do?' The master said 'Just engrave the ring with this small sentence on it "This too will pass away." And tell the king that whenever he is in any need to read this, to meditate over it.'
And that's what I would like to say to you. Situations arise when one feels anxious. Silently repeat inside 'This too will pass away.' And just see: immediately you will feel a kind of relaxation, a calmness, a quietude; in fact it has already passed away.
All these are just on the surface, all these situations; your depth remains untouched. Remain the centre of the cyclone....
Just sitting silently
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