There is no way to go against nature, because there is nothing at all that is not nature. All that is, is nature. There is no way to be in conflict with nature, because who is it who is going to be in conflict when there is nothing other than nature? But what is possible is to adopt a state of mind, an attitude, that says, "I am fighting with nature." This much is possible.

When you are swimming in the river then too you are not against nature, because swimming too is natural. And the river is not fighting you even when you are fighting her, so there is simply no way that you can be in enmity with nature. But you can hold the idea that you are fighting, and be obsessed with the madness of winning and losing. If you do this you will be in suffering. Nature will not be in any suffering because of it, nor will nature make it a point that you should change. Nature will just go on her own way until eternity, not pausing even for a single moment to ask you, "What is this you are doing?" She knows nothing of your fight, of your state of conflict. She is not even aware that you ever fought with her.

But if this idea takes root in your mind that you are fighting, that you have to win and not lose, then you will be in a state of trouble unnecessarily. This trouble too is natural. This too is nature, that if you fight then you will lose, win, think, become sad, and all that goes with it -- this too is nature.

In this world, everything is nature -- sadness, happiness, even ultimate bliss. It is all up to you. If you cling to some false concepts you will become sad, if you catch hold of simple, natural concepts you will become happy, and if you drop all concepts you will be blissful. All this goes on within you.

Remember, when a thorn pricks your foot and gives you pain, the pain, the thorn and your body are all natural phenomena. And then when you pull out the thorn with your hand, the hand which is pulling the thorn out is natural; the happiness, the disappearance of pain that you feel after removing the thorn, that is natural -- there just isn't anything unnatural, cannot be. All natural means is that which can happen, that which is happening. Man's wandering is natural, his fall into ignorance is natural.

So the question is not of choosing between the natural and the unnatural, because everything is natural. But the suffering, the happiness, and bliss, all fall within the realm of nature. You are unhappy, and seeing this I tell you that it is possible to be happy; all you have to do is float, instead of swimming. And you also have the opportunity to become blissful; don't swim, and don't float -- just become one with the river. But all the three situations are natural.

Understand it in this way: when you are healthy you are natural, but when you are sick -- what then? Do you think that sickness is not natural? Then where does sickness come from? Sickness is as much a part of nature as health. But in sickness you find unhappiness, while in health you find happiness.

So now it is up to you to choose which path of nature you want to travel -- of suffering, of happiness, or of bliss. All three doors are open to you all the time, and on nature's part there is no pressure, no insistence, no punishment, no reward whichever door you choose. Nature is quite neutral in this matter, she is not going to push you one way or another. It is all left to you. This is why I say that when you are in suffering it is through your own choice. And if you are enjoying being unhappy, then nobody is stopping you, help yourself to as much as you want! But the difficulty is that you are being miserable about being in misery as well, and you are also not being alert that you are in it of your own choice.
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