Nisagadatta Maharaj;'The World is Like Photography'

 Maharaj: " People would scarcely believe if I said that life in this world is like photography. Those who trust the Guru's words as Truth, might believe in it and appreciate this analogy. The photography starts from the day of conception, nine months prior to birth. The child's parents are first chosen to pose for this picture, followed by the picture of the world and of the entire Universe, including the stars and planets. It is as if these pictures assigned the fate of the child. It doesn't stop there. All that could be seen with the eyes, heard by ears, felt by the sense of touch and smelled by the nose, are captured.

How is this photography conducted? The child is too innocent and helpless to understand or perform it all. In fact, the Cosmic intelligence, a quality of Sattva, which is called Hiranyagarbha, takes care of the process that is known as 'birth'. A Chemical in the Sattva does the job. Then this life force is separated from its source(the parents) and becomes an independent entity in the world. The stars and planets in the heavens, though far flung, are part of this photography and do influence the life of the child. The phenomena of fate is accepts as the child's destiny.

The wise one who is destined to be a Mahatma, an evolved being, believes in the words of the Master and realises that he or she is untouched by the events that belong to the so-called fate and the manifestation of the universe. He knows that the twelve signs of the zodiac are of the universe and 'fate' is of the world and not his. That what is born is Sattva. The food essence has been consumed, but that's not me. Nothing in the creation is hidden from God, and yet, He is not in anything. It is His light that provides life to the entire creation.

In the dream state, we see ourselves running about in a dream life. Understand, that even this waking universe has arisen from our sense of being. Our mundane existence is short-lived. That which supports our life is also not permanent. Those who think of being blessed and expect to live happily ever-after are deluded. He is wise who knows that what is born is Sattva.

The five elements and the three gunas add up to make a figure of eight, the day of Lord Krishna's birth. The greatness is of the Consciousness in every human form, which is the result of the combination of the five elements and the three qualities. "