LIVE IN THIS WORLD BUT NOT OF THIS WORLD--CONTINUATION

What is the difference between living in this world and not of this world?This means that while we are living in this world, we should not be attached to worldly things but go about living our lives because we came to this world mainly to fulfill our karmic obligations and also to discover who we really are and what the purpose of life is.
The first important thing is to be detached from all worldly things including our loved ones.
Jesus when told by his disciple that his mother has come to the temple where he was preaching,said "Who is my mother?Who are my brethren?For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother,sister and mother.Why did Jesus say this?The reason is that He has no attachment even to His own mother.Being one with God, Jesus is completley detached from even his own mother.Jesus again said the same thing when He said "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law.He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me".Here Jesus is not advocating that we should not love our parents or children, but He was trying to emphasise that the love of God and living a spiritual life is more important than everything else.While we should have unconditional love to our loved ones, we should not become so attached to them that we forget the purpose of life which is to attain spiritual union with God.
Jesus also emphasise that we should not be attached to worldly possessions as well.He said "Lay not for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven---"Seek ye the Kingdom of heaven and all these things shall be added you"Jesus said"Thou shall love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind"
In these sayings of Jesus, He emphasises that the most important thing in life is to seek God above everything else.
Ramakrishna, a hindu saint said "Live in the world like a mudfish.The mudfish lives in the mud but itself remains unstained. Do your duties in the world, fixing your mind in God.This is eaxctly the same teaching as Jesus.What is important is that we can be detached from worldly things, if the love and desire for God is the most important thing in our life.Ramakrishna also said the "the craving for worldly things, which is chronic in man is like the patients craving for water."
The sign of spiritual progress is that as we advance spiritually, our love for worldly things get diminished and finally we can live a life of detachment and renuciation from this world of materialism.We do not become slaves to materialism anymore because once a person have found God, then none of these worldly things will not attract him anymore.This is what Jesus meant when he said "All these things shall be added unto you"once we have found the kingdom of heaven.
A person who has attained God-Realization will have humilty, equanimity,compassion, detachment and renunciation for worldly things, and most important of all is experiencing the bliss and peace that passeth all understanding.Ramakrishna said"A man who has realized God shows certain characteristics.He becomes like a child or a madman or an inert thing.He is firmlt convinced that he is the machine and God is the operator, thus GOD alone is the doer and all others are his instrument"Jesus said the same thing "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child , he shall not enter therein."The reason why a person who has attained God Realization is childlike is because he no longer has any worldly desires for anything just like a little child.Because ofthis all the things of the world is no longer important to him.