Why should we never detest or shy away from unpleasant experiences? Bhagavan lovingly reminds us and inspires us with a beautiful and practical example from Nature today.

If a person is always in an air-conditioned room, he can never know what coolness means. He must go, at least once, into the hot sun to realise the value of air-conditioning. No lamp can glow brightly in daylight. Night alone can reveal its value.  Many people come to Me wailing, "Swami! We are in great grief; we are suffering from deep anxiety." When I hear these words I know what is happening to them. I never had the experience of grief or anxiety. I know that these are but dream experiences. They are not real. Some people may praise you, others may blame you; both are unreal. When a well is sunk, soil that is dug out becomes a mound by its side. Some pay attention to the pit, others to the mound. I consider both with indifference. The soil that was the well has now become soil that’s the mound. This is the eternal see-saw. The sun sets in the West and the Moon rises in the East. These dualities are part of Nature. So long as you are here, try to practise equanimity!