Jnana-Yoga - 3.16.

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CHAPTER - 3. MAYA AND ILLUSION -16.
( Delivered in London )

Thus it is that, as we emerge out of the senses, we develop higher powers of enjoyment, and at the same time we have to develop higher powers of suffering too. The nerves become finer and capable off more suffering. In every society, we often find that the ignorant, common man, when abused, does not feel much, but he feels a good thrashing. But the gentleman cannot bear a single word of abuse; he has  become so finely nerved. Misery has increased with his susceptibility to happiness.

This does not go much to prove the evolutionist's case. As we increase our power to be happy, we also increase our power to suffer, and sometimes I am inclined to think that if we increase our power to become happy in arithmetical progression, we shall increase, on the other hand, our power to become miserable in geometrical progression. We who are progressing know that the more we progress, the more avenues are opened to pain as well as to pleasure. And this is Maya.

Swami Vivekananda
To be continued ...

Sri Ramakrishna Mission-New Delhi -Satsangam.

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