What is it that dies? A log of wood dies to become a few planks. The planks die to become a chair. The chair dies to become a piece of firewood, and the firewood dies to become ash. You give different names to the different shapes the wood takes, but the basic substance is there always. If we could always remember this, we would never worry about the loss of anything. We never lose anything; we never gain anything. By such discrimination we put an end to unhappiness. (118-119) . Swami Satchidananda
About This Quote

The 12th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, said "What is it that dies? A log of wood dies to become a few planks. The planks die to become a chair. The chair dies to become a piece of firewood, and the firewood dies to become ash." The idea is that if we can remember that what we are is something that is impermanent, then we won't worry about losing anything. We don't lose anything; we don't gain anything. By such discrimination, we put an end to unhappiness.

Source: The Yoga Sutras

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