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long as you do not recognise the soul within this body. The man who does not know himself – his true self, who does not recognise the immortal flame within him, how can he realise the existence of the soul in others? If a man considers himself no more than a mere combination of the elements, to him his dear ones, too, will be just that and nothing more. The body is subject to the shocks and the repercussions of good fortune and misfortune; the man who knows himself to be a soul is free from these. To the man who recognises only his body, any bodily ailment or physical suffering seems to signify the end of the world, whereas to the man who sees himself as a soul, the whole world scintillates with kindred souls.
According to our ancient Indian traditions, a husband and wife should always remember that they were brought together not merely for the satisfaction of their physical desires, but that gradually, they must become fellow travellers on the road to salvation. If one of the partners suffers from an illness or becomes a cripple, the other should bear the burden — nay, should not even think of it as a burden.
But where there is no marriage of the souls, if one falls ill for a long time the other starts thinking in
