Identification is Misery

In my childhood ...My grandfather-- who initiated me into Sufism,--always used to say "Identification is misery and Non identification is freedom".

And he told me the following story. 

I thought I understood but I didn't!!

It's only now when I have accumulated my own attachments and felt imprisoned by them that I have understood the story.


A great emperor asks his wise men to give him a mantra of such a type that it can be used in any dangerous, fatal situation – Any Advice is always particular, and he wants a mantra, an advice, the essence of all wisdom, so that it can be used in any situation whatsoever, whenever there is danger. The wise men are very confused, very disturbed, and in a deep anguish. They cannot find such an essence of all wisdom.
Then they go to a Sufi mystic and he gives a piece of paper and says, ”This should not be opened unless there is Really danger! And then the advice will be there.” So the king put the piece of paper under the diamond of his ring. There are many moments when the danger approaches, but the Sufi has emphatically said, ”Unless you feel this is really the last hope – that nothing can be more dangerous – only then open it!” Many dangers come and go, and the king always feels this is not the last; something more can still happen.

Even death approaches, and the king is just on his deathbed, but still he cannot open it, because he remembers still more is possible. But his wise men say, ”Now please open it. We want to see what is there.” But the king says, ”The promise must be fulfilled. Really, now it is irrelevant what is there; the mantra has worked upon me. Since having this mantra with me, I have not felt any danger at all. Whatsoever the danger was, I have felt still more was possible, and I have remained the host. I was never identified.”

Danger can never become the ultimate unless you are identified with it, and then anything can become the ultimate – just anything! Just anything ordinary can become the ultimate, and you are disturbed.All that you identify with .becomes you.

And the king said, ”Now I am not worried at all, whatsoever. The man is wise; the Sufi knows – I am not concerned about what he has written.”

Then, the king died without opening the ring. The moment he died, the first thing his wise men did was to open the ring. There was nothing; it was just a piece of paper... just a piece of paper – not a word, not a single word of advice. But the advice worked; the mantra worked.

So be centered in your host, and remember nothing is happening to you. All that is happening is just the guests, visitors; they will come and go. And it is good that they come and go; it enriches you, you become more mature.

But don’t follow them, don’t be involved with them. Don’t become one with them. Don’t fall in love and hate; don’t fall into identification.many seasons would come and go on your soul..they are not us.They are just circumstances..external circumstances.

They are not our identity.

One day we will all disappear in death-- just into nothingness, as smoke. Don't get attached to anything. This attachment takes you away from your real being; you become focused on the thing to which you are attached.

Your awareness gets lost in things, in money, in people, in power. And there are a thousand and one things, the whole thick jungle around you, to be lost in. Remember, non-attachment is the secret of finding yourself, then awareness can turn inwards because you don't have anything outside to catch hold of. It is free, and in this freedom you can know your self-nature.

So always Remain the host...welcome these guests but remember they would leave.And then the ultimate happening happens. Then the ultimate explosion becomes possible. Once the witnessing soul is known, you will never be the same again.

This is the whole secret of non-attachment: live in the world, but don't be of the world. Love people, but don't create attachments.

Know, but don't create knowledge. Love, but don't create desire. Live, live beautifully, live utterly, abandon yourself in the moment. But don't look back. This is the art of non-attachment

When you live like this... whole world disappears and you are transmuted into a new dimension of bliss. There is no BAD or GOOD....there is only events and you remain an entity separated from them.You don't have a story.You have no labels to define yourself.

This is the heart of Sufism.Non-identification is bliss. To fall in love and hate with the guest is misery. To transcend them, and to be centered in oneself, is bliss.

Identification is misery!