There is a saying from old times, "It's easier to be a saint in the mountains". It suggests that it's easy to appear spiritually advanced when not faced with challenges or people bringing you down. You may seem calm, patient, wise, loving, altruistic, and embody many virtues. But appearances can be deceiving. Spending all day secluded in a cave or at home reading, preaching, meditating to draw in more Light or to clear your already cluttered mind, isn't the sole path to enlightenment. I'm not saying one shouldn't listen to their inner voice and meditate; there's a great need for it, but it should be done optimally. Throughout history, there have been supposedly "wise" ones who dedicated their entire lives to finding the reator, enlightenment, self-improvement, and transcending all bodily desires by retreating into seclusion.
I wonder, haven't these individuals ever thought to ask themselves, "Since I must detach myself from all worldly things and people, why did God throw me into this world in the first place?" "What are my challenges?" "What have I gained beyond knowledge by shutting myself in a room?" "Have I truly attained You in this room by isolating myself from everything and everyone?"
Is there a man who, by isolating himself, has acquired virtues like love, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, patience, trust? If so, what was the need for the experiences, the hardships endured in life? By fleeing from living, one evades pain, people, and all suffering, but also love. They live rejecting all the challenges offered by the Creator through everything and everyone in this world. In the end, they die with nothing gained, filled with a pride of considering themselves wise, yet unable to apply their knowledge in life. They depart, only to start again in another life, from where they left off...
A person should remain as a traveler building an inn on the path. They should strive to give all the goodness, beauty to this world and all humanity. They should progress by living life in all its colors, not shying away from people, hardships, and suffering, while also paying attention to the dependencies that hinder their path. Love isn't attachment. These two shouldn't be confused. On the contrary, dependency limits love, while a love above all attachments is the strongest Light, showering upon us to nourish us like rain nourishes plants. Love is freedom and neutrality; it's being able to be impartial. These two will be the wings allowing our souls to fly. The only condition to transcend all circumstances is to change our perspective. Our power of change lies solely within ourselves, and once we achieve change within ourselves, our entire world changes. This change occurs practically through the change in our behavior. In fact, our thought patterns influence our behavior, and our behavior influences our thought patterns. This is essentially consciously influencing our subconscious. "Either appear as you are, or be as you appear," by consciously assuming the state we desire, we shape our perspective and character accordingly, completely under our control. Eventually, the behaviors we initially assumed as a role become ingrained in us, we acquire them, and they become habits. These habits become ours, unnoticed, and become our second nature. With taking control, our environment shapes anew with our changed perspective. But this time, the ball is in our court. Life's hell can turn into heaven, from agony to joy, with just a change in perspective. I'm not talking about enduring everything with patience. I'm talking about how a person can save themselves from their current pain and hardship by simply looking at it from another angle. Then, nothing can trouble them, there will be no problems in their life. A person who cannot do this drowns after swallowing gallons of water in the waves of life. A person who has mastered the game of life, who has learned to respond to blows with blows, can be a good swimmer. Such a person learns not to be too sensitive, becomes indifferent. They don't care much about life's blows because they know they'll hit back. And then there are those who can walk on water; these are the men who have taken life with all its bitterness and sweetness, and managed to rise above it all. One of the two important tasks of a man who has acquired wisdom and love is to increase and spread the love inherent in our nature, and the other is to strengthen desire so much so that the heart doesn't easily get hurt, our ego doesn't take over. The secret lies in maintaining balance in life. That's why a person should be both loving and gentle as well as strong as steel in life.
