You've forgotten something very important, my friend, and that's that you're only a visitor here.  You will not be here long.  You are here for sixty, maybe eighty years, tops.  That's not very long, I assure you, when you measure that against eternity.  So, best to consider eternity and not to worry too much about the fact that somebody bumped into your car and you got a dent in it.  Give value to the world - you are here, treat it well, be kind to those around you - but don't get too attached to this place.  This is just a motel that you're staying in; it's not your home.  You're just passing through.

In advanced spiritual practice, then, it is no longer necessary to run away from society or the world.  As a matter of fact, it's detrimental because one wants to be neither attracted nor repulsed.  If you're interested in being of service to the people of the world, it's a good idea to be around them.  And third, there's a great danger in separating yourself from the world and from the people of the world and developing the subtle egotism which will defeat all of your other spiritual practices.

- "Living and Working in the World", The Lakshmi Series