Daily Meditation: Monday, May 18, 2026

Trials - tell yourself, ‘This is not happening to me, I am only a spectator’

05/18/2026

Understand that everything in life is simply appearance and illusion. That is why, when faced with difficulties and trials, you should tell yourself, ‘In reality, this is not happening to me. It is happening to someone else; I don’t know who, but it is not me. I am just a spectator, and I am invulnerable.’ Take the example of an actor in the theatre. Every evening he plays a scene in which his mortal enemy pours poison into his glass and kills him. But if you were to meet him after the show in the pub just down the road, you would see this actor sharing a quiet drink with his killer, not in the least worried that the latter might have slipped some poison into his glass again. So why not understand that, relatively speaking, these same comedies play out in everyday life? Instead of taking certain unpleasant situations so seriously, say to yourself, ‘This is only play acting. When the show is over I will see things in a different light.’ If you get used to reasoning this way, the trials you have to undergo will not affect you so deeply.