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The lower bird was, as it were, only the substantial-looking shadow, the reflection of the higher; he himself was in essence the upper bird all the time. This eating of fruits, sweet and bitter, this lower, little bird, weeping and happy by turns, was a vain chimera, a dream: all along, the real bird was there above, calm and silent, glorious and majestic, beyond grief, beyond sorrow. The upper bird is God, the Lord of this universe; and the lower bird is the human soul, eating the sweet and bitter fruits of this world.
Source Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta and other lectures, The Ideal of a Universal Religion, §21 · 📖 Read the full passage
✨ To meditate on today
According to Swami Vivekananda, who takes up an image from the Upanishads, two birds live on the same tree: the lower one, the human soul, tastes sweet and bitter fruits and swings between tears and laughter; the upper one, God, remains calm and glorious, and the lower bird gradually discovers that it was only His reflection. When an emotion shakes you today, breathe and turn your inner gaze toward that peaceful bird, beyond the ups and downs.
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