Sage Dattatreya said,
The Sage's son continued,
Are you the body or other than that? The body is simply a conglomerate of different substances. Harm to any one of the constituents is harm to the whole. There is no moment in which each of the components is not changing. But the excretions do not constitute a loss to the body.
Those whom you called your brother and so on are mere bodies; the bodies are composed of earth; when lost, they return to earth; and earth resolves ultimately into energy. Where then is the loss?
In fact you are not the body. You own the body and call it your own, just as you do to a garment you happen to possess. Where lies the difference between your body and your garment? Have you any doubts regarding this conclusion? Being other than your own body what relation is there between you and another body? Did you ever claim similar relationship, say with your brother's clothes? Why then mourn over the loss of bodies, which are in no way different from garments?
You speak of 'my' body, 'my' eyes, 'my' life, 'my' mind and so on, I ask you now to tell me what precisely you are.
(To be continued)
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