November 7

All the Beauty Queens, Where Are They Now?

Realize that nothing is yours. You didn’t come with anything and you are not going to go with anything. Things were given to you along the way. At a certain period things and people came to you. At a certain period, they might go again. It’s all just a carnival. We meet people and sit with them on a carousel for a while. Your neighbor might be sitting on a tiger, you might be sitting on a horse. You say, “Hey, hello,” and go around in a circle.

When the ride is over you get down, but your neighbor may still continue. Or he or she may get down and go somewhere else. Just think of the whole thing as a carnival. We just meet people; and as long as we are together we say hello to each other and try to be nice, try to be useful.

Nothing belongs to us. So what is this “mine, mine, mine” business? Many “mines” bring many explosions. Don’t identify yourself with your possessions. How many ex-millionaires are paupers now? How many great men who once ruled countries are now begging? What is permanent? Think about all these things. All the beauty queens, where are they now? What is there to be egotistical about?

Not only individuals, but even as a country, we have that pride. What are we so proud of? Nothing is ours. Who knows, one day there may not be even a trace left. Be prepared for anything. Don’t be attached to things. If they come, let them come. It’s all God’s business, part of nature’s plan. So remembering these things will take our pride away. We’ll learn to be humble. It’s always better to be humble, with our feet on the ground, so we don’t fall. If you try to rise up and you slip, you will have a terrible fall. The person who is sitting on the floor need not be worried about falling down.