Swami Vishnudevananda tells the story of a man who is seated under a tree in a desert. The tree gives him shade and a little cool breeze. All around he is surrounded by white sand.

As the sun starts to rise on the horizon, he starts to get thirsty and becomes more and more dehydrated. Still he sits in the shade of the tree.

Soon, his desire for water becomes important to his very existence. He sees a beautiful, shimmering lake in the distance. Waves. Ripples. What is that?