Seeing other dogs, he sniffed them. As they sniffed him, he growled. As they growled, he threatened them. As they threatened, he barked and lunged at them. It was a terrible battle: battles against oneself are the fiercest there are! The dog died, exhausted.
An ascetic passed by, while the dog’s master, desolate, had the door to the mirrored room walled up.
– This place can teach you a lot, so leave it open.
– What do you mean?
– The world is as neutral as your mirrors. Depending on whether we’re admiring or anxious, it reflects back to us what we give it. If you’re happy, the world is happy. If you’re worried, it is too. We are constantly fighting our reflections, and we die in the confrontation. May these mirrors help you to understand this: in every being and every moment, we see neither people nor the world, but our own image. See this, and all fear, all refusal, all fighting will leave you.