The very first step in the endeavour to realise Unity (Advaita) is, according to Shankaracharya, Upasana or Worship of the concrete symbol of God, which gives one the experience of the ecstasy of Union. One day, Shankaracharya was meditating on the banks of the River Ganga. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Lord! I am Yours; but, surely, you are not mine!” His pupil, Totakacharya, was by his side and was astonished at this statement, which, according to him, went against the Advaitic stand. He asked his Guru how he could declare any distinction between I and You! Shankaracharya replied, “The waves belong to the Ocean; but, Ocean does not belong to the wave! The wave is the Ocean, but Ocean is not the wave.” The main point to be attended to is the elimination of ego, the elimination of the identification with the body and its needs, satisfiable through the senses! For you get joy when these needs are fulfilled; grief when they are not, anger when something comes in the way, pride when you win over that opposition! To eliminate ego, strengthen the belief that all objects belong to God, and that you are holding them on trust! This would prevent pride; it’s also the truth! Then, when you lose, you would not grieve. God gave; God took away!