A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

"MyMAYA AND FREEDOM. 187law died, he inherited his property, and lived, as ha/ seemed to think, a very happylife with his wife andChildren, his fields and his cattle, his property and hishouse, and so forth. Then came a flood. One night theriver rose until it overflowed its banks and flooded thewhole of the village. Houses began to fall,men andanimals were swept away and drowned, and everythingwas floating in the rush of the stream. Narada had toescape. With one hand he had hold of his wife, withthe other two of his children, another child was on hisshoulders, and he was trying to ford this tremendousflood.After a few steps the current was too strong, andthe child on his shoulders fell and was borne away. A cryof despair came from Narada. In trying to save thatchild he lost his grasp upon one of the others he washolding, and it also was lost. At last his wife, to whom hehad clung with all his might and main to save her life,was also torn away by the current, and he was thrown onthe bank, weeping and wailing, falling upon the groundwith bitter lamentations. Behind him there came a gentletap.child, where is the water ? You went to fetcha pitcherof water, and I am waiting for you ; you havebeen"gone about half an hour." Half an hour !" Twelvewhole years had passed through his mind, and all thesescenes have passed by in that half an hour and this isMaya. In one shape or another we are all in it. It is amost difficult and intricate state of things to understand.What does it show ? Something very terrible, which hasbeen preached in every country, taught everywhere andonly believed by a few, because until we get the experiences ourselves we cannot believe in it. After all, it is allfutile.