Mahapurush Swami Shivananda, one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and the second President of the Ramakrishna Order, was a person who had scaled the depths of the Divine. His letters to devotees and spiritual seekers were treasured by them as unfailing blessings for the rest of their life. This book is a collection of the more important of these letters.
After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains--one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. These are states, and states must ever change; but the nature of the Atman is bliss, peace, unchanging. We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.
-Swami Vivekananda