Human beings cannot live without challenge. We cannot live without meaning. Everything ever achieved we owe to this inexplicable urge to reach beyond our grasp, do the impossible, know the unknown.
In this profound quotation, the mystery author characterizes mankind as craving the challenge of life. These challenges are what give our lives meaning. After all, if our lives were comprised solely of happy, positive, easy moments, we would not be able to appreciate them, having never experienced struggle. We therefore crave these challenges and struggles; it is part of the human condition. By overcoming these challenges, humans are perpetually achieving new things and creating a new, innovative world. Without struggle, progress would be impossible. The author therefore concludes that we must seek out such challenges and must celebrate both our triumphs and our losses—for it is our greatest overcoming achievements that make us human.
Dreams are real as long as they last.
In this telling quotation, the unknown author suggests that all dreams have the potential to become reality, as long as we are willing to see them to fruition. Dreams can become fact as long as we hold them close to our hearts and work purposefully to achieve them. To do that, however, we must believe in our dreams—we must devote our time and energy to seeing them through. This, consequently, is a commentary on human life. We must devote our time and energy to ourselves—to our dreams—if we wish to find success and happiness.
He who sees all beings in his Self and his Self in all beings, he never suffers; because when he sees all creatures within his true Self, then jealousy, grief and hatred vanish.
The author of this installment encourages his readers to see his or herself in all things and beings around him/her. By doing so, the author argues, one will be able to achieve a state of true compassion and empathy. When we see ourselves and our own experiences reflected in those around us, we are better able to relate to those persons, given that we have a point of connection with them. This author suggests that, if we can achieve a true state of introspective self—that is, if we can truly see ourselves in everyone around us—we will create a world that is compassionate, forgiving, and free from hatred.
You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will.
The narrator of this entry in the Upanishads writings proclaims that we are all fundamentally shaped and influenced by our deepest desires; these desires make us what we are. The narrator justifies this conclusion by explaining that our desires become are will. We are motivated by our desires and will act accordingly. As our actions define us—and as our actions are defined by our deepest desires—it is logical, therefore, to conclude that our desires drive us.
