Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-March.20.

'I' and 'Mine' – the Cause of Unhappiness

Rid yourself of all fear, in the firm belief that Rama protects all. He will surely stand by you if you deliver yourself up completely to His care; that wipes out all cause of worry. Considering Rama as the true and only giver, eschew all fear and anxiety. Never cease striving, harbour no fear, and never let Rama be out of your mind, whatever may befall. Assign all doership and ownership of your life to Rama, by surrendering yourself completely to Him in your heart of hearts; where, then, is the cause for anxiety and anguish?
Misery and sorrow spring basically from identifying one's self with the body. So far we have been doing everything with egoism, which is the root cause of sorrow. Despite our outward claims that we have abandoned all ego, the feeling persists deep in the bottom of the heart, and that is the seed of misery. Obstinacy and insistency, are symbols of inner pride of doership, and this is the cause of unhappiness. Any feeling of unhappiness in life is a sure sign of the existence of ego. There can be no sense of contentedness so long as your effort springs out of the feeling of 'I' and 'mine'. Selfishness is an expression of 'I-am-the-body' conviction, and leads to misery and ruin. Every effort made so far has only fed and strengthened the 'I-am-the-body' conviction, the source of pain and sorrow. One who entertains that conviction will never find happiness anywhere. It only leads to attachment to interests other than Rama or God. Never yield to this egoism which totally destroys peace of mind; for, sorrow reigns where ego resides. Elation at merit and fear of sin also arise from this sense of ego.
One who loses himself in passions and desire is in for great misery. Clinging to them destroys one's higher interest. The flow of 'desire' is endless, like that of a river. Desire is mitigated by neither indulgence nor suppression. We consider ourselves to be the body, and so cannot endure pain even for a moment.
I have no control over anything or any person that I call 'mine'; how, then, can I expect the world to conform to my will? We can perhaps gift away all things, but there still lurks the sense of doership and self-esteem, which is precisely what keeps us away from realization of God.
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