Can't Trust The World

In the 28th Sarga of the Vairagya Prakarana of Yoga Vasishta, Lord Sri Rama is explaining the impermanent and ever-changing nature of the world to Sage Vishwamitra.
This world is either a falsehood or at least impermanent.
The huge valley, tomorrow a mountain will stand in its place.
The mountain, tomorrow it will be plain flat ground.
The body which today is adorned by silk clothes and expensive perfumes will tomorrow lie decaying in some distant pit.
The man who today is a celebrity will tomorrow be just a potful of ash.
The forest today will become a desert tomorrow.
The barren desert today will become a prosperous luxurious city tomorrow.
Not just these.
The tender child becomes a rough and tough youth after some time.
Then he becomes a weak ailing old man.
The glamor goes away.
The fanfare goes away.
The power goes away.
The wealth goes away.
The position goes away.
The powerful police officer retires, and he becomes just another ordinary man.
The world looks attractive, it is fascinating at times.
But it is like watching a beautiful dancer in a show.
She disappears when the show is over.
Your relationship with her is only for that much time.
This world is also like that dancer.
The fascination towards the world is momentary.
Or they are a few episodes that are momentary.

We have seen so many great empires vanishing.
Some of them, we don't even hear about them anymore.
They are not even there in the memory.
We will also be gone after some time.
Then, we will be there only in the memory.
After some time, even that memory won't be there.
In the world around us, new objects, beings, and events are appearing every day while the old ones are disappearing.
Humans die and are reborn as animals.
Animals die and are reborn as humans.
Even the celestials are cursed and become animals or trees or stones.
Nobody has freedom.
Even Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra have to follow the flow of time.
Everything is destroyed at some point of time.
In no time, a beggar becomes wealthy.
In no time, a rich man becomes a beggar.
The wise man doesn't get carried away by the fancy of what he sees around him.

The sky is sometimes blue and calm.
Sometimes, it is filled with dark clouds.
Sometimes it scares you with thunder and lightning.
Sometimes, it is silver in color, sometimes it is beautifully red.
It keeps on changing.
The world around you is also like that.
It keeps on changing.

Sometimes, dangers come out of nowhere.
Sometimes prosperity and comforts come out of nowhere.
Nothing is permanent in this world.
Even our perspectives, states of mind, emotions are not permanent.
Sometimes the strong get defeated by the weak.
Sometimes, a crowd kills a man.
Sometimes, a single man kills a crowd.
The mind sees something and becomes happy.
The next moment it sees something else and becomes sad.
A man who is feared today is ridiculed tomorrow.
How can you trust such a world, asks Lord Rama.

• The world is constantly changing — nothing you see today is guaranteed to remain the same tomorrow.

• Physical places transform — mountains turn into plains, forests into deserts, cities arise where once nothing stood.

• Human life follows a clear cycle — childhood, youth, old age, and finally decay, no matter the glory in between.

• Fame, power, and beauty are temporary. Today's hero becomes tomorrow's forgotten ash.

• Like a stage show that ends when the curtain falls, worldly attractions vanish once their time is up.

• Entire empires, once mighty, have disappeared without even a trace in memory.

• Just as new people and things keep appearing, old ones quietly slip away — unnoticed, unmissed.

• Beings take many forms — humans, animals, even trees — depending on karma. Nobody escapes this cycle, not even divine beings.

• Riches and poverty switch places faster than anyone can predict — fortune is unstable by nature.

• A wise person sees through these illusions and refuses to get emotionally swayed by them.

• The sky reflects the nature of life — calm one moment, stormy the next, ever-changing, never fixed.

• Sudden losses and unexpected gains define life — surprises, both good and bad, are the norm.

• Even our minds betray us — happiness turns to sorrow in moments, depending on what the senses pick up.

• Power and fear are illusions — today's feared man is mocked tomorrow. This world is not trustworthy.

• What does it mean to say the world is impermanent?
  Everything in the world — places, bodies, emotions, relationships — is in a constant state of change. Nothing remains fixed. What looks strong and lasting today may disappear tomorrow. This instability is the very nature of samsara, the cycle of change and rebirth.

• If change is natural, why does it still hurt when things end?
  Because we hope things will last. When they don't, it shakes our sense of control. Knowing change is built into life can reduce that pain — it helps us see endings not as loss but as transitions.

• Isn't it a bit extreme to say nothing is permanent? What about love or truth?
  Deep truths and inner love may endure, but their expressions in the world — relationships, achievements, bodies — all fade. Clarity lies in seeing the difference between essence and expression.

• Why does the text compare the world to a dancer on stage?
  The dancer captivates only while the show lasts. Once it's over, she's gone. In the same way, the world seems charming while you're engaged with it, but that charm doesn't last — it’s momentary, illusion-like.

• Can we enjoy life while still remembering it's like a show?
  Yes. Just like you can enjoy a play without thinking it's real life, you can engage with the world without clinging to it. The key is detachment — awareness without addiction.

• Why should anyone bother with worldly life if it's just a show?
  Because it's a stage to grow, learn, and transcend. Not for indulgence, but for wisdom. The point is not to run away, but to not get trapped in the illusion.

• What lesson does the decay of empires teach us?
  No matter how powerful, all creations fade. Even the most glorious civilizations vanish in time. Memory is fragile; without attention, even legends are forgotten. The same applies to us as individuals.

• Should we then give up trying to build anything lasting?
  Not give up — but build with awareness. Create value, but don't attach your identity to it. Let actions be purposeful, not ego-driven.

• But if memory itself fades, what's the point of doing anything at all?
  The point isn’t to be remembered — it’s to live wisely while you're alive. Memory is just one echo. Growth of the soul is the real gain.

• How do karma and rebirth tie into this view of impermanence?
  The world is not just changing outside — even souls move through forms based on karma. A human may be reborn as an animal, and vice versa. Even celestial beings face this dance of change.

• Isn't it unjust that even divine beings suffer downfall?
  It’s not about injustice — it’s about laws. Karma spares none. Every being, no matter how high, is part of the same universal flow.

• If nobody has real freedom, what’s the use of effort?
  Freedom doesn't mean skipping karma — it means acting without being bound by it. You can’t stop waves from rising, but you can learn to surf.

• Why is wealth so unstable in this world?
  Riches can come or go in a flash — due to circumstances, karma, or simply chance. Nothing in the material realm is steady. One day you're up, the next, down.

• How can we protect ourselves from such financial swings?
  True protection comes from detachment and wisdom, not just savings. Have what you need, but don’t depend on wealth for inner peace.

• Isn't this fatalistic thinking? What about smart planning?
  Planning is wise, but never foolproof. Planning works best when you know it’s just a tool — not a guarantee.

• What makes a wise person stay detached from the world?
  Because they’ve seen enough to know the patterns. They know not to get emotionally entangled with what’s temporary. Detachment doesn’t mean coldness — it means clarity.

• Isn’t it boring to live without attachments?
  On the contrary, it’s peaceful. You feel joy without fear of losing it. You engage, but you don’t cling.

• Doesn’t detachment make people indifferent or uncaring?
  Not true detachment. It makes them kinder — because they don’t act out of personal gain or fear.

• What is the point of comparing the world to the changing sky?
  The sky’s moods — blue, stormy, red — change constantly. So does the world. Nothing stays the same, and this visible example helps us understand the invisible truth.

• If everything keeps changing, how can I find stability?
  Not outside — but inside. The witness in you is steady. Watch the world like you watch the sky — aware, but untouched.

• Isn’t comparing human life to weather a bit oversimplified?
  It’s simple but powerful. Both are beyond our control, both shift fast, and both remind us not to cling.

• What does it mean that emotions are also impermanent?
  Joy turns into sadness in a moment. The mind is fickle. What delights us now may annoy us later. Inner states are just as shaky as outer events.

• Can we learn to manage this emotional rollercoaster?
  Yes — by observing it without getting pulled in. Like watching a movie, not living inside it.

• Isn't emotion part of being human? Should we suppress it?
  No suppression. Just awareness. Emotions are fine — until they rule you. Awareness turns reaction into response.

• What does it mean when power collapses so quickly?
  Someone feared today is mocked tomorrow. Roles change fast. Position means little when time turns.

• How can one stay grounded in power or success?
  By remembering it’s borrowed, not owned. Use it to serve, not to dominate. That way, you don’t fall with it.

• Isn’t this a negative view of success?
  Not negative — realistic. You can still succeed, but stay humble. That’s the difference between rise and fall.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi