Somebody can decide whether you are happy or unhappy? Is this not slavery? Somebody can decide whether you will be a pleasant human being or unpleasant human being. Is this not slavery? What happens within you? Somebody else determines. This is the worst form of slavery, isn’t it? Isn’t it so?

It is just that, because everybody is like that, it seems to be normal. It is not. Can you see me right now, all of you? Can you see me? Just point out where I am. Use your hands and point out. Can you see me? All you got it wrong. Now, this light is falling upon me, reflecting, going through your lenses, inverted image in your retina, now you know the whole story right? Where do you see me, right now? Within yourself. Where do you hear me, right now? Within yourself. Where have you seen the whole world? Within yourself.

Have you ever experienced anything outside of yourself? Everything that ever happened to you. Darkness and light happen within you. Pain and pleasure happen within you. Joy and misery happen within you. Have you ever experienced anything outside of yourself? No. So what I am asking you is: what happens within you? Who should determine how it should happen? Somebody else? Definitely, you should determine what should happen within this, isn’t it? So if you determine what’s happening within this, your whole experience of life will be determined by you, nobody else but you, isn’t it? The events around you may not be determined by you, but how your experience of life is on this planet is 100% determined by you.

Sudhguru