Shakespeare said in ‘As you like it’ – “All the world’s a stage. And all men and women only players. They have their entrances and exits....” Vedanta speaks of sakshi bhava or ‘witness attitude’ as a measure of spiritual growth. Objectivity is the key to success, happiness as well as growth. Maintain the attitude of an observer, never getting entangled. Be like a spectator in a boxing match. If you jump in the ring, you could get beaten by both the parties.

You are an actor in the drama of life. Play your role whole-heartedly, dispassionately, and exit gracefully when the time comes. At Kurushetra, Arjuna overwhelmed by emotion, asks Krishna, his friend and mentor for help. Krishna says,”The wise do not grieve either for living or for dead. All grief is because of the wrong identification and attachment.” You believe that the cause of your misery is out there in the world. You blame the spouse, friend, government and even the weather for your unhappiness. As long as you believe the world is causing you sorrow; you can never be happy.

You are able to enjoy a tragic movie because you know you are not a part of it. Had you been even remotely connected with the happenings in the movie, you would also feel the suffering. The world does not have the power to affect the spirit; but you think it does because of your involvement with the mind, body and intellect. Just remember that you are Atman and interact accordingly. Then you will remain a Sakshi – witness for everything, but never get involved. Only then you can have lasting peace & happiness.