Maturity
The Responsibility
Being Oneself
of
"This wise
to
and
witty
wisdom, the
book
art of
is
the baby boomers' bible!
It
offers hot tips
on maturity as the path
transcending problems rather than having to solve them, and
the secret of transforming a midlife crisis into a creative explosion."
— Margot Anand, author of The Art of Sexual Ecstacy and The Art of Everyday Ecstacy
nchn
Uol \\J
insi 9 htsfora
newway
of living
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in
2014
http://archive.org/details/maturityresponsiOOosho
The nesponsibiUiy
of Being oneself
osno
insights for a
new way of
St.
Martin's Griffin
living
#
New York
Also by Osho
The Book of Secrets
Osho Zen Tarot
Meditation: The First and Last Freedom
Courage
Creativity
Osho Transformation Tarot
AUDIO
The Book of Secrets
Osho Meditations on Zen
Osho Meditations on Tao
Osho Meditations on Yoga
Osho Meditations on Buddhism
Osho Meditations on Sufism
Osho Meditations on Tantra
The TtesponsibiUty
of 'Being oneself
osno
insights for a
new way of
St.
Martin's Griffin
living
#
New York
MATURITY: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING ONESELF. Copyright ©
1999 by Osho International Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed
in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
reviews. For information address
New York,
Book
critical articles
or
Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue,
St.
N.Y. 10010.
design by Claire Vaccaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osho, 1931-1990.
Maturity
p.
the responsibility of being oneself / Osho.
:
cm.
—
(Insights for a
new way
—
1st St.
Martin's Griffin ed.
of living)
ISBN 0-312-20561-9
1.
Spiritual
(Psychology)
life. 2.
—Religious
Self-realization
—Religious
aspects.
I.
aspects. 3.
Maturation
Title.
BP605.R43 M38 1999
299'.93
21—dc21
99-032893
3
5
7
9
10
8
6
4
Contents
Foreword
ix
The Art of Living
Definitions
From
Ignorance
1
to
Innocence
1
Maturity and Aging
5
Maturity of Spirit
15
The Seven-Year Cycles of Life
24
The Mature Relationship
49
Dependence, Independence, Interdependence
49
Needing and Giving, Loving and Having
50
Love and Marriage
61
Parent and Child
66
Love Plus Awareness Equals Being
77
Standing at the Crossroads
When
Eternity Penetrates
Time
85
85
98
The Laws of Aging
vii
Contents
Symptoms
109
The Stranger
Menopause
in the
—
It's
The Dirty Old
Drawing Room
Not Just
a "Girl
109
Thing"
Man
115
Bitterness
1 1
Transitions
From
No
121
to
Integration
When
121
Yes
124
and Centering
Birth
and Death Become One
136
Game
144
Dropping Out of the
Puzzles
147
Justifiable
Life
112
147
Homicide
152
Without Attitude
From Sex
to
168
Sensuality
AnOngoingJourney
175
About the Author
182
Meditation Resort
183
Osho Commune
International
via
Fo r c w o r d
The
Man
born to achieve
is
He
can miss
it.
He
but
life,
—but
this is
it all
depends on him.
can go on breathing, he can go on
he can go on growing
eating,
toward the grave
y\rt of Living
not
old,
life, this is
he can go on moving
gradual death.
From
the cradle to the grave ... a seventy-year-long gradual death.
And
ual,
because millions of people around you are dying in
slow death, you
thing from those
also start imitating
who
are
this
grad-
them. Children learn every-
around them, and
we
are
surrounded by
the dead.
So
first
we
have to understand what
not be simply growing old,
two
it
I
mean by
"life." It
must
must be growing up. And these
are
different things.
Growing
old,
any animal
is
capable
of.
Growing up
is
the pre-
rogative of human beings.
Only
a
few claim the
right.
Growing up means moving every moment deeper
principle of life;
ward
death.
it
means going
The deeper you go
the immortality within you.
farther
into
You
ix
away from death
life,
are
the
into the
— not
to-
more you understand
going away from death;
a
Foreword
moment comes when you
can see that death
nothing but chang-
is
ing clothes, or changing houses, changing forms
am
nothing
Death
is
the greatest illusion there
a tree.
growing down, deeper. There
is
hundred and
a
is.
As the
tree
balance
You
goes the deeper the roots will go.
—
grows up
roots
its
the higher the tree
cannot have
a tree
one
high with small roots; they could not support
fifty feet
such
a
In
/Maturity mcan> the
huge
within
where your
is
yourself
—
that's
roots are.
To me,
as innocence,
tree.
growing up means grow-
life,
deep
ing
same
dies,
die.
For growing up. just watch
are
—nothing
the
first
principle of life
meditation. Everything else comes
only witn one
second.
difference:
it
is
time.
innocence reclaimed,
it
is
are
And
childhood
coming
mto
the best
As you grow older it means you
closer to death,
comes more and more
innocence
is
and
it
be-
difficult to
go
meditation.
recaptured.
Meditation
means going mto
your irnmortality. going into your
eternity,
ified
gomg mto your
person because he
dened by
religion,
kinds of rubbish.
godliness.
is still
He
is
—but
there
is
is
the most qual-
unburdened by knowledge, unbur-
is
all
innocent.
his
innocence
Ignorance and innocence have
is
the child
unburdened by education, unburdened by
But unfortunately
same. Ignorance
And
also a state
is
condemned
a sirnilarity,
x
ignorance.
but they are not the
of not knowing, just
a great difference too,
as
as
innocence
which has been overlooked
by the whole of humanity up
edgeable, but
to
now. Innocence
is
not knowl-
not desirous of being knowledgeable
it is
either. It
is
utterly content, fulfilled.
A
no ambitions, he
small child has
moment
absorbed in the
—
a bird
in the sky
is
his
is
so
eye so
enchanted; the
and he cannot
.
.
.
and he
He
desires.
on the wing catches
totally; a butterfly, its beautiful colors,
rainbow
no
has
conceive that there can be anything
more
And
rainbow.
stars
richer
significant,
beyond
the night
stars
Innocence
.
this
of
stars,
full
Maturity
a spiritua i
.
.
rich,
is
than
it is full,
it is
is
a reoirtn,
uk.
arc torn anew,
y ou
you
pure.
are a child again.
Ignorance
it
wants
this, it
is
poor,
wants
be knowledgeable,
spectable,
wants
to
moves on
cence
it
we
a
beggar
it
wants to
wants to be re-
wants to be wealthy,
VC^ith fresh eyes you
start
looking at
it
ove
existence,
Ignorance
you
in the heart
the path of desire. Innostate
But because both
edge,
that,
be powerful.
a
is
it
it is
of
are
desirelessness.
without knowl-
have remained confused
about their natures.
We have taken
approach
silence
life.
Vt^ith
and innocence
you penetrate your
it
own
innermost core.
for granted that they are the same.
The
will
first
step in the art
of Hving
be to understand the distinction between ignorance and in-
nocence. Innocence has to be supported, protected
child has brought with
him
—because
the
the greatest treasure, the treasure that
sages find only after arduous effort. Sages
.VI
have
said that they
become
ore wor
children again, that they are reborn. In India the real Brahman, the
real
knower, has
What happened
birth?
And what
called himself duHj, twice born.
to the
first
first
going to gain what was available in
is
but the society, the parents, the people surrounding
birth,
him crushed
destroyed
it,
Every child
it.
not going to help him in
is
simplicity will look to the
world
being stuffed with
is
somehow removed,
knowledge. His simplicity has to be
simplicity
the need of the second
is
he going to gain in the second birth?
is
In the second birth he
the
What
birth?
Why twice born?
as if
competitive world. His
this
he
because
a simpleton; his
is
inno-
cence will be exploited in every possible way. Afraid of the society,
afraid
we
of the world
ourselves have created,
knowledgeable
child be clever, cunning,
—
to
we
try to
make every
be in the category of
the powerful, not in the category of the oppressed and the
pow-
erless.
And once
the child
goes on moving that
starts
growing
—
whole
way
his
Whenever you understand
principle to be brought back
forget
your
scriptures, forget
Be born
philosophies.
borrowed,
has
just get rid
this
miracle
that has
all
been given
to
wrong
moves
you have missed
religions,
come from
you by others
—
not
is
is
possible
all
is
life,
the
first
your theologies, your
—and
known by
it is
in
your
you, of all that
tradition, convention. All that
parents, teachers, universities
a child.
And
by meditation.
simply a strange surgical method that cuts you
that
authentic being.
he
Drop your knowledge,
become innocent
that
direction,
in that direction.
of it. Once again be simple, once again be
Meditation
away from
again,
life
innocence.
your
mind of all
hands. Clean your
is
is
that
in the
It
is
not yours and saves only that which
burns everything
aa
else
is
your
and leaves you standing
naked, alone under the sun, in the wind.
man who
has descended onto earth
to discover everything,
who
It is as if
you
are the
first
—who knows nothing, who
who
has to be a seeker,
has
on
has to go
a pilgrimage.
The second
ing
— not
become
try,
principle
a desire
is
the pilgrimage. Life must be a seek-
but a search; not an ambition to become
that, a president
of a country or prime minister of a coun-
"Who am
people who
but a search to find out
It is
very strange that
trying
are
to
this,
I?"
don't
know who
they
are,
become somebody.
to
know who
They
don't even
right
now! They
with their being
they are
are unacquainted
—but
Growing
any
old,
they have a
ammal
goal of becoming.
ls
ca P aihle
of.
|
Becoming
is
the disease of the
j
sou ^'
Growing up
is
human
prerogative of
[
Being
is
you.
Only
heings.
And to
a
new
brings a
new joy.
new
a
sensitivity
sensitive that
A new mystery opens
new compassion
trie
right.
doors, a
new
you have never
love
felt
starts
before,
You become
so
even the smallest blade of grass takes on an immense
small blade of grass
this
that
its
about beauty, about goodness.
importance for you. Your
without
claim
moment
moment
discovery, each
growing in you,
a
a few
discover your being is the
beginning of life. Then each
is
the
is
as
sensitivity
is
it
clear to
important to existence
blade of grass, existence
small blade of grass
makes
unique,
it is
dividuality.
xiii
would be
as
it
that this
the biggest
less
irreplaceable,
you
than
has
it is.
its
star;
This
own
in-
ore wor
And this sensitivity will create new friendships for you
with
ships
with
trees,
Life
stars.
becomes
richer as love grows,
grows.
as friendliness
In the
friend-
with animals, with mountains, with
birds,
with oceans, with
rivers,
—
of
life
Francis there
St.
dying, and he has always traveled
on
a
He
a beautiful incident.
is
donkey from place
is
to place
sharing his experiences. All his disciples are gathered to listen to his
last
The
words.
that
last
are always the
most
significant
he has ever uttered because they contain the whole experience
of his
life.
But what the
disciples heard,
they could not believe.
He
said,
"Brother,
been carrying
I
.
.
don-
am immensely indebted to you. You have
me from one
place to another place with never a
complaint, never grumbling. Before
want
.
Francis did not address the disciples, he addressed the
St.
key.
words of a man
forgiveness
is
These were the
to say to the
last
from you;
I
words of St.
I
leave this world,
that
all
I
have not been humane to you."
Francis.
donkey, "Brother donkey
A
.
tremendous
.
.
sensitivity
and asking
,"
to
be
forgiven.
As you become more
small pond;
it
sensitive, life
becomes oceanic.
wife and your children
—
it is
It is
becomes your
family
you have not known what
island,
we
We
And
are
all
at
It is
all.
not a
This whole ex-
and unless the whole existence
life is
is
—because no man
your
is
an
connected.
are a vast continent, joined in millions
if our hearts are
proportion our
bigger.
not confined to you and your
not confined
istence
family,
becomes
life is
not
full
of ways.
of love for the whole, in the same
cut short.
Meditation will bring you
sensitivity, a great sense
xiv
of belonging
to the world.
foreigners here.
of it,
we
our world
It is
We
belong
—
the
intrinsically to existence.
Second, meditation will bring you a great silence
rubbish knowledge
the only music there
All music
an
seers
dance,
Life must te a
—music,
—
sculpture
tut a search, not an
are
born out of meditation. These
arts
into the
world of the
who
are not ready
for those
who
amtition to tecome
some way bring the
for the pilgrimage
those
seeking— not a desire
poetry,
all
known
are surprised:
into manifestation.
painting,
unknowable
all
is.
of the ancient East have
are an effort to in
—because
effort to bring this
the great arts
all
and you
silence,
been very emphatic about the point
that
are part
r
somehow
silence
The
is
We
gone. Thoughts that are part of the knowl-
is
edge are gone too ... an immense
is
are not
of it.
are heart
this silence
we
and
stars are ours,
— they
tfiis,
to
tecome
tkat,
a president of a
\
country or prime
are gifts for
are not ready to
pilgrimage. Perhaps a song
minister of a country.
go on the
may
trig-
tut a searct to find
ger a desire to go in search of the
out
"Wto am
If
source, perhaps a statue.
The next time you
ple of
Gautam Buddha,
the statue has been
you watch
it
you
enter a temjust
made
will
sit silently,
in such a
watch the
statue.
Because
way, in such proportions that
fall silent. It is
a statue
of meditation;
it is
if
not
concerned with Gautam Buddha.
That's
why
all
those statues look alike
Buddha, Neminatha, Adinatha.
.
XV
.
.
—Mahavira,
The twenty-four
Gautam
tirthankaras
of the Jamas ... in the same temple you will find twenty-four
ues
all
alike, exactly alike. In
"Can you
explain to
are exactly alike
same body
.
used to ask
my father,
that twenty-four persons
the same size, the same nose, the same face, the
.
used to
not a
is
there are not even
what
me how it is possible
I
?"
.
And he
that there
—
my childhood
stat-
say, "I
bit
don't know.
And
of difference.
two persons
I
in the
am
it is
always puzzled myself
almost unheard of
who
whole world
are alike,
to say about twenty-four?"
But
as
my meditation blossomed
I
found the answer
— not from
anybody else, I found the answer that these statues have nothing to do
with the people. These statues have something to do with what was
happening inside those twenty-four people, and that happening was
exactly the same.
insisted that
only the inner should be paid attention
unimportant.
black,
it
We have not bothered about the outside; we have
Somebody
young, somebody
is
old,
The
outer
somebody
is
is
somebody is white, somebody is man, somebody is woman
does not matter; what matters
lence. In that oceanic state, the
You
have observed
When you are angry,
posture. In anger
fist.
is
to.
In anger
tion, the
silently
that inside there
body takes
yourself, but
you have not been
— or can you? With
alert.
a certain
in anger
a certain
—
the
emo-
has to follow a certain posture.
statues are
made
in such a
image enters into your body and you
felt
an ocean of si-
a certain posture.
you cannot keep your hands open;
and watch, and then close your
have not
is
have you observed? Your body takes
you cannot smile
body
So those
it
is
before.
Those
statues
way
that if you simply
eyes, a negative,
start feeling
xvi
shadow
something you
and temples were not
worshiping; they were built for experiencing.
sit
They
built for
are scientific
laboratories
— they have
secret science has
nothing to do with religion!
been used
could
come
tions.
Not through
for centuries so the
A
certain
coming generations
in contact with the experiences of the older genera-
books, not through words, but through some-
thing that goes deeper
—through
silence,
through meditation,
through peace.
As your
life
silence grows,
becomes
your friendliness, your love grows; your
moment-to-moment
a
dance, a joy, a celebration.
Have you ever thought about why,
culture, in every society, there are a
bration? These
few days
and
become
if
a
nothing
is
over the world, in every
few days
in the year for cele-
for celebration are just a
because these societies have taken away
life,
all
all
compensation
the celebration of your
given to you in compensation your
can
life
danger to the culture.
Every culture has to give some compensation to you so
you don't
feel
pensations are
completely
that
But these com-
lost in misery, in sadness.
false.
Firecrackers and colored lights cannot
are only for children
—
for
you they
make you
rejoice.
They
But
in
your
it
feels
are just a nuisance.
inner world there can be a continuity of lights, songs, joys.
Always remember
that the repressed
that society
may explode
compensates you
into a dangerous situation if it
compensated. The society finds some
the repressed
—but
this
is
on the
year
not
not true celebration, and
life,
it
cannot be
in
your
true.
life.
true celebration cannot be according to the calendar, that
first
you
is
way of allowing you to let out
True celebration should come from your
And
when
of November you will celebrate. Strange, the whole
are miserable
and on the
come out of misery, dancing?
first
of November suddenly you
Either the misery was
xvii
false
or the
first
of
November
both cannot be
false;
is
November
is
his misery,
everybody
gone you
be
Life should
are
And once
true.
first
of
back in your dark hole, everybody in
in his anxiety.
continuous celebration,
a
the
of lights the
a festival
whole year round. Only then can you grow up, can you blossom.
Transform small things into celebration.
For example, in Japan they have the tea ceremony. In every
Zen monastery and
have
in every person's
temple for drinking
a small
house
tea.
who
Now,
can afford
tea
is
ordinary, profane thing; they have transformed
it
The temple
way
for drinking tea
is
made
in a certain
it
they
no longer an
into a celebration.
—
in a beautiful
garden, with a beautiful pond, swans in the pond, flowers
around. Guests
is
come and
And
a temple.
they have to leave their shoes outside;
you enter
as
all
the temple
you cannot
speak;
it
you
have to leave your thinking and thoughts and speech outside with
your shoes. You
woman who
as if
she
is
you
as if you are
and you
tea
is
silent, listening
.
.
.
it
tea,
With such
host, the
are so graceful,
putting cups and
respect
.
.
.
she will
with the same respect.
prepared in a special samovar, which makes beautiful
everybody should
samovar
and the
— her movements
gods.
will receive
sounds, a music of its
is
you
moving around preparing
dancing,
bow down,
in a meditative posture
prepares tea for
saucers before
The
down
sit
own. And
it is
listen first to the
.
the tea
.
part
of the
music of the
tea
tea.
ceremony
So everybody
birds chirping outside in the garden,
.
is
creating
its
that
and the
own song. A peace surrounds.
.
.
.
When the tea is ready and it is poured into everybody's cup, you
arc not just to drink
will smell the
it
the
way people are doing everywhere.
tea.
You
will sip the tea as if it has
will take
time
—
aroma of the
from the beyond, you
First you
xviii
there
is
come
no hurry. Somebody
—
may start playing on the flute or on the sitar. An ordinary thing
tea
— and they have made
it
comes out of it nourished,
And what
a beautiful religious festival.
just
Everybody
younger, feeling juicier.
fresh, feeling
can be done with tea can be done with everything
with your clothes, with your food. People are living almost in
own beauty,
sleep;
own feel.
otherwise every fabric, every cloth has
its
If you are sensitive,
not just to cover your body,
then
then the clothing
is
its
something expressing your individuality, something ex-
it is
pressing your taste, your culture, your being. Everything
should be expressive of you;
Then
becomes
life
Even
those
if
you
a
fall
you
You
come and
rest,
is
those
who
there
is
there
is
no need
is
to
be sad that you
in the office
—somebody
is
.
.
and
preparing
.
But more important,
call
those
no medicine more important than
who love
love. Call
can create beauty, music, poetry around you because
nothing that heals
like a
the lowest kind of treatment
everything, so
sad, as if
is
more important than any medicine. When
are sick, call a doctor.
you because
make
singing a song, a friend has offered to
play flute for you.
are
will
moments of meditation, moments of
like a king, relaxing
samovar
These things
it.
bed moments of beauty and joy, mo-
should be happy that everybody
your bed
are in
in
music or to poetry. There
tea for you, the
you
and you are lying in bed, you
sick
ments of relaxation and
are sick.
should have your signature on
it
continuous celebration.
moments of lying
listening to
you do
you
we
mood
—but
it
of celebration. Medicine
we
seems
is
have forgotten
have to depend on medicine and be grumpy and
are missing
some
the office! In the office
you were miserable
you
—you won't
cling to misery, too
you were having
great joy that
xix
—
just
let it go.
in
one day off and
Make
what
that's
life
make
everything creative,
call
I
the art of living.
the best out of the worst
And
if a
has lived his
making every moment and every phase of it
joy, naturally his death
The
endeavor.
life's
ugly
as it ordinarily
If
death
is
last
touches ... his death
means your whole
a peaceful acceptance, a
known,
good-bye
a joyful
life
a waste.
loving entry into the un-
There
it.
listen to the last
sermon, but Lin Chi was simply
—joyous, smiling, but not saying
down
been
has
Master, Lin Chi, was dying. Thousands of his disci-
had gathered to
lying
not going to be
is
to old friends, to the old world.
should not be any tragedy in
One Zen
a beauty, a love, a
happens every day to everyone.
ugly, that
is
whole
going to be the ultimate peak of his whole
Death should be
ples
man
word.
a single
Seeing that he was going to die and he was not saying a single
word, somebody reminded Lin Chi
own
your
words?
last
dying
.
.
Lin Chi
.
I
For
silence.
said, "Just listen."
.
.
as
the
is
squirrels
And he
existence
make
to say
isn't right.
You
he
And on
the roof two squirrels
were
said,
"How
is
all
and he died.
beautiful,"
was absolute
said "Just listen," there
fighting,
to say
screeching,
something
great,
running on the
last
mes-
things small and big, trivial and important. Every-
squirrels
it
he could
you have
smiled and he died. But he has given his
important. At this
two
that
memory
Everybody thought he was going
sage: don't
thing
And
moment, when he
a
why
that's
have you forgotten?"
but only two
.
of Lin Chi,
have always said your
running, screeching.
roof.
a disciple
old friend, a Master in his
—
him "Lin Chi, have you forgotten
say to
are
he was not
right;
— an
moment, Lin
Chi's death
running on the roof, there
the same. That was his
xx
is
is
no
as
important
difference. In
whole philosophy,
his
whole
is
teaching
life's
nothing that
—
that there
small;
is
it all
nothing that
is
is
great
and there
depends on you, what you make out
of it.
with meditation, and things will go on growing in you
Start
silence, serenity, blissfulness, sensitivity.
meditation, try to bring
shared grows
you
will
tears
body
first,
carrying so
is
— maybe
crap that
all
it,
because everything
can say good-bye, there
tears ofjoy,
is
no
but not of sadness.
from being innocent.
to begin
throw out
Share
have reached the point of death,
You
death.
of sadness
But you have
So
life.
And when you
fast.
know there is no
need for any
out in
it
And whatever comes out of
much
you
are carrying
One
crap!
— and every-
wonders, for what? Just
because people have been telling you that these are great ideas,
principles
telligent
.
You
.
have not been intelligent with yourself. Be in-
with yourself.
Life
can be
.
is
full
very simple,
it is
a joyful dance.
nobody should enjoy
should smile, that nobody should laugh, that
punishment.
How can you
you have been
enjoy
told continually that
suffering because
say to
reward, and
deserve
it.
you
it
Now
enjoy.
It
leave
just as
more
it
is
will
life is
it is
a
not a
your
jail,
be against existence
little
more
it.
earth
are seriously
that
life is a sin,
the climate
is
nobody
that
it is
a
such that
punishment, that you are
things,
not
it is
who
right to enjoy;
you have found
life,
whole
and
it is
a
kind of
to suffer?
given only to those
it is
beautiful, a
when
you have done wrong
where you have been thrown
I
life
the
who
ofjoy and dance, but there are people
vested in their interest that
jail
And
if
No,
fragrant.
xxi
it
a
punishment.
have earned
will
be
you don't
leave
it
It is a
it,
who
a sin if you don't
beautify
it,
if
you
a little happier, a little
Listen
to
your being.
small voice.
silent
you
It
It is
does not shout at you, that
will start feeling
be another,
and you
responsibility
oneself, that's
continuously giving you hints;
will
of being
is
true.
And
oneself,
what maturity
whatsoever the
is
all
about.
cost.
is
a
still,
if you are a little
your way. Be the person you
become mature. Maturity
it is
are.
Never
accepting the
Risking
all to
be
try to
DEFINITIONS
FROM IGNORANCE TO INNOCENCE
Maturity means
difference:
it
the same as innocence, only with one
is
innocence reclaimed,
recaptured. Every child
society corrupts him. Every society,
tive influence
on every
up
for their
has
a slave,
own ends
been
—
innocence
born innocent, but every
now,
to
on
has
been
a corrup-
have depended on ex-
child. All cultures
ploiting the innocence of the child,
making him
is
it is
on
exploiting the child,
on conditioning him
own
for their
political, social, ideological.
purposes,
Their whole
effort
how to recruit the child as a slave for some purpose. Those
purposes are decided by the vested
have been in
politicians
a
interests.
The
priests
and the
deep conspiracy, they have been working
together.
The moment
starts
the child
losing something
with God.
forgets
being.
all
becoming
part of your society h e
immensely valuable; he
He becomes more
about the heart
starts
losing contact
and more hung up in the head, he
— and
the heart
is
the bridge that leads to
Without the heart you cannot reach your own being
impossible.
From
the head there
have to go via the heart, and
They
starts
all
is
no way
—
directly to being;
it is
you
societies are destructive to the heart.
are against love, they are against feelings; they
1
condemn feel-
MATURITY
They condemned
ings as sentimentality.
for the simple reason that love
is
not of the head,
A man who
is
sooner or
his
being
capable of love
is
— and once
structures,
from
all
a
person discovers
patterns.
He
free
is
down
lovers
all
it is
from
of the
is
from
free
bondage.
all
heart.
going to discover
later
being he
his
the ages
all
He is pure
freedom.
Every child
is
born innocent, but every child
Hence
edgeable by the society.
is
made knowl-
schools, colleges, universities exist;
their function
to destroy you, to
is
corrupt you.
Maturity means gaining your lost
From
is
the
head there
innocence
no way directly to
heing,
you have
paradise,
becoming
course
has a difference
it
nary child
all
hood
come
^ CAn
not allow
Maturity
you
it
is
to
happen
With
servant.
First
even the
heart.
reclaim your childincorruptible,
intelligent
enough
— now you
the society has
you and you
are alert
done
to
and aware, you
again.
With
fresh eyes
love in the heart
just the head.
the ordi-
be corrupted,
know what
Now
You
you
start
you approach
and innocence you penetrate your
no longer
to
—
can corrupt you, you be-
a rebirth, a spiritual birth.
are a child again.
istence.
bound
become
you
Nobody
destructive to the
is
when you
but
societies are
will
Of
a child again.
1
to go
heart— and
via the
your
reclaiming
again,
own
are
born anew,
looking
life.
With
innermost core.
you use the head, but
you become the
heart,
2
it
at
ex-
silence
You
is
are
your
and then you transcend
Definitions
Going beyond thoughts and feelings and becoming a pure
is
maturity. Maturity
the ultimate flowering of meditation.
is
you
Jesus says, "Unless
you have
Once
to
is
is
will not enter into
right,
be born again.
Jesus was standing in a
marketplace
"Who
born again you
are
kingdom of God." He
the
isness
Mat urity
and somebody asked,
worthy of entering into
He
your kingdom of God?"
means
gaining your lost
looked
innocence again,
around. There was a rabbi, and the
rabbi
reclaiming your
a lit-
would be cho-
thinking that he
tle,
sen
must have moved forward
paradise, becoming a
—but he was not chosen. There
child again.
Of
was the most virtuous man of the
town
—
moved forward
a
hoping
little,
course
He
the moralist, the puritan.
saw
Jesus
a small child,
who was
pecting to be chosen,
moved, not even an
no
idea, there
around
looked
and Jesus and people
was
corrupted, hut
said to the
are the only ones
:hildhood you hecome
that
en-
the
crowd
talking,
and he
listening. Jesus called the child,
and he
when
you reclaim your
There was
—
to he
not
He was just
joying the whole scene
hound
is
not ex-
was no question
he would be chosen.
ordinary child
— he
who had
inch.
a
difference— the
that
he would be chosen, but he was not
chosen.
lias
it
crowd, "Those
incorruptible.
he took the child up in
who
his arms,
are like this small child, they
worthy of entering into the kingdom of God."
But remember, he
said,
"Those
3
who
are
like
this
small
MATURITY
child. ..."
is
He
didn't say,
bound
have to go
first
he has to go
to be corrupted,
every Eve
bound
is
you have
to lose
Every
astray.
is
the only
It is
it.
way
To know
every Eve
is
lose
is
the garden of Eden,
first
That
way
only
is
you have
—
unless
you
where the ocean
it
on the sand
Now
is.
knows
she longs
makes every
for the ocean, she
to regain
to
pull the fish out
in the burning sun; then she
trie
par-
never knows where the
fish
of the ocean and throw
they nave to go
life is a
it.
The
ocean
life is. It
otherwise you will never
it;
know
tound
to be expelled from
astray.
and
the real beauty of
your childhood,
and
how
very paradoxical, but
adox.
Adam
Adam
is
to regain real childhood:
very strange, but that's
is
uvery
child
be expelled from the garden of Eden, they
to
That
astray.
did not say, "This child
kingdom of God," because every
the
There
are small children."
He
between the two.
a great difference
will enter into
who
"Those
effort
go back to the ocean, she jumps
to
real childhood: first
into the ocean.
you have to
lose
it.
the same fish and
It is
yet not the same
fish. It is
the same
ocean yet not the same ocean, because the fish has learned a
knows, "This
more
—
I
am
is
new lesson.
the ocean and this
only half of the process
it,
it.
my
life.
aware,
is
Without
now she
it I
am no
part of it."
Every child has to lose
regained
is
Now she
That
is
but only once in
his
innocence and regain
— many have
lost
it,
while does
a
Buddha,
4
Losing
is
but very few have
unfortunate, very unfortunate.
a
it.
Everybody
loses
a Zarathustra, a Krishna,
Definitions
a Jesus regain
it.
Magdalene
nobody
is
Jesus
come out of the
sea
is
nobody
else
but Eve coming back home.
They have
and they have seen the misery and they have
They have seen
seen the stupidity.
Adam coming back home.
but
else
that
it is
not
blissful to
be out
of the ocean.
The moment you become aware that to be
any
religion,
oner
—
any culture
is
day you
that very
to
a part
remain miserable,
start
is
of any society,
to
remain a
pris-
dropping your chains. Maturity
is
coming, you are gaining your innocence again.
MATURITY AND AGING
There
is
a great difference
that to age
is
Everybody
is
to
become mature
Aging
physically.
is
People think
—but aging belongs
to the body.
is
become
old,
nothing that you do, aging
is
something
passes,
something that you bring to your
is
When
Aging
mature.
a
but not necessarily
an inner growth.
Every child born, when time
awareness.
person ages with
plus
awareness,
full
life
that
becomes
—
it
happens
old.
Ma-
comes out of
awareness, he becomes
experiencing
plus
awareness,
maturity.
You
perience
is
it.
aging, everybody will
mature. Maturity
is
aging, a vast dif-
and people always remain confused about
ference,
turity
between maturity and
can experience a thing in two ways.
it
as if you are
You
can simply ex-
hypnotized, unaware, not attentive to what
happening; the thing happened but you were not there.
happen
in
your presence, you were
never struck any note in you.
It
absent.
never
5
left
You just
It
didn't
passed by,
it
any mark on you, you
MATURITY
never learned anything from
memory, because
your wisdom.
But
if
in a
You
it.
may have become
It
way you were
present, but
never grew through
you bring
part of
never became
it
Then you
it.
your
are aging.
the quality of awareness to an experience the
same experience becomes maturity.
There
to live in a
A ging
is
nothing that
you do, aging
are
two ways
deep sleep
to live: one,
— then you
every
moment you become
every
moment you go on
that's
all.
is
Your whole life
long, slow death.
But
old,
dying,
consists
if
age,
of a
you bring
something that
awareness
happens physically,
your
to
experiences
whatsoever you do, whatsoever hap-
uvery child t orn,
pens to you, you are
when
mindful, you are savoring the experi-
time passes,
ence from
becomes
all
alert,
the corners,
watchful,
you
are try-
old.
ing to understand the meaning of
Maturity
is
you
something that you
are trying to penetrate the very
depth of it, what has happened to you,
you
bring to your life— it
are trying to live
totally
comes out of
— then
it
phenomenon.
awareness.
you something
is
it
intensely
Deep down within
is
changing with
and
who
again.
is
He
it.
If this
is
never commits the same mistake again. But
a
a mistake, this experience,
person
and
not just a surface
You are becoming more alert.
A mature person
it,
you
just old goes
will
never commit
it
again.
on committing the same mistakes again
lives in a circle;
he never learns anything.
You
will
be angry today, you were angry yesterday and the day before yes-
6
—
terday,
and tomorrow you are going to be angry and the day
tomorrow
Again and again you get angry, again and again you
also.
repent, again
and again you make
going to do
again.
you
it
But
a
deep decision that you are not
that decision
makes no change
are disturbed the rage takes over,
mistake
is
after
You
committed.
If you live
you
—whenever
are possessed; the
same
are aging.
an experience of an-
you be
ger totally, never again will
angry.
One
enough
to teach that
experience
be
will
mature person
it is
absurd, that
foolish, that
it is
never commits the
simply stupid
it is
not that
it is
You
harming yourself and harm-
are
a sin,
it is
simply stupid.
The
ing others, for nothing.
not worth
it.
Then you
Tomorrow
mature.
thing
same mistake again.
But a person
And
a
I
committing tne same
the situation will
man who
mistakes again and
gaining in
is
is
old goes on
just
are getting
be repeated but anger will not be repeated.
who
is
He
aqam.
I
ives in a
maturity has not decided that he will
not be angry again, no
sign of a
ture.
man who
A man
is
—
he never learns
circle,?
that
the
is
anything.
not getting ma-
of maturity never de-
cides for the future; the maturity itself
takes care.
tomorrow
If the
it,
what
is
You
is
live
today
going to be;
—
it
that very living will decide
will
how
the
come out of it.
anger was painful, poisonous, you suffered hell through
the point of deciding or taking a
temple and declaring,
again"? All this
is
"Now
I
take a
childish, there
is
vow
vow that I
no
and going to the
will
point! If
never be angry
you have known
MATURITY
poisonous,
that anger
is
no longer
exists for
it is
you.
That way
finished!
The
situation will
is
be repeated tomorrow
but you will not be possessed by the situation.
something
—
be there.
that understanding will
You
have learned
You may even laugh,
you may even enjoy the whole thing of how people get
Your understanding
You
can
so foolish.
growing through every experience.
is
live life as if you are in
hypnosis
—
that's
how ninety-
nine percent of people live
A
man
of maturity
never decides for
takes care,
live
with
you
live
with awareness, you mature;
And
trie
wise. If
living will decide
tne
tomorrow
you have been
going to be;
that's
a fool
when
will
becoming
Just
all.
be just an old
old,
You may
wise.
be even more foolish because you
?
may have
it
you
old,
you cannot become
is
old.
not to become
is
|
fool,
now
become
you were young and now you have
^ou
today— that very
intensity, awareness. If
become old
to
become
live
— or you
can
otherwise you simply
future^ the maturity
itself
door
closed, that
clung to mechanical habits,
will
robotlike.
come
of
oi
»ut
it.
Life can
you
die; if
will
a
you
come
—but
man who
dies,
to
live consciously
has
it
you
live
attain
never comes to
a
be lived in two ways.
unconsciously you simply
more and more
mature man,
been aging and getting
If
old.
A
it
life.
Death
comes only
to
mature person never
because he will learn even through death. Even death
is
going
be an experience to be intensely lived, and watched, allowed.
A mature man never dies.
struggles
and
shatters
itself,
In fact,
commits
8
on the rock of maturity death
suicide.
Death
dies,
but never
Definitions
a
mature man. That
you
is
are deathless/ They
the message of
have
known
all
you but
it
your being,
is
memory. You have
through
life
suffering
is
can surround you
and
there,
attain
you cannot cram
to
people like to live stupidly
be understood
why
so
—
into the
is
your
mind and
pass
Much
them.
much pain
your being, divine
is
is
there.
To become
because of pain and suffering
insist that
it
away. Death happens near
far
blissful
being, but those experiences
And
that
never happens to you.
Deathless
the
ones, that
they have lived their death.
it,
They have watched and they have found
but you remain aloof, you remain
awakened
the
it
has to
to
many people
become
old
is
not
wise. If
you nave been a
fool
they should live in hyp-
wfien you were young
why Buddhas and
nosis,
on
telling
nobody
Chris ts go
and now you nave
people to be awake, and
listens.
become
There must be some
deep involvement in the hypnosis,
old,
you
will
be just an old foot
must be some deep investment.
there
tkats
What
is
The mechanism
stood; otherwise
aware.
all.
the investment?
has to be under-
you
will listen to
me
and you
will
never become
You will listen and you will make it a part of your knowledge,
that "Yes, this
man says be aware and it is good to be aware, and those
who
awareness
attain to
not attain to
it, it
will
your knowledge to
become mature.
..." But
remain just knowledge.
others, but
nobody
is
you yourself will
You may communicate
helped that way.
Why? Have you ever asked this question? Why don't you attain
to awareness? If
it
leads to the infinite bliss, to the attainment
of
MATURITY
satchitananda, to absolute truth
you
insist
on being sleepy? There
the investment: if you
come
that
aware, you
you would
the trouble
pleasure also.
—
is
some investment, and
become aware,
there
is
become aware of pain, and
works
life
as a
the pain
as if there are
two
"pleasure."
the faucet
mature person
cet
are asleep against
faucets:
on one is written
You would
is
the
like to
pleasure
game
—
if
written
is
like to close
on which pain
on which
this
will learn even
much
you
and you would
never dies, oecause he
be-
asleep.
"pain" and on the other
A
so
is
is
protection against pain. But this
if you are asleep against pain,
Think of it
this
suffering. If you
and be
like to take a tranquilizer
This sleepiness in
is
— then why not be aware? Why do
written,
is
open the
fau-
written.
But
is
you
close the
pain faucet the pleasure faucet im-
through death. Even
mediately
death
is
going to he
both there
intensely lived,
only one faucet, on
is
which "awareness"
an experience to he
behind
because
closes,
is
written. Either
both remain open or both remain
and
closed, because
both are two
faces
of
watched, allowed.
the same
And
tion of mind:
is
possible if
less in
pain
Now
you
mind wants
you
—but
are in a
and
less
And
pain
dilemma.
pleasure disappears from your
If
life,
happiness you open the faucet
flowing. If
you
are aware,
this
is
the
— happiness
then mind wants to be
is
aspects.
whole contradic-
be more and more happy
to
are aware.
less
phenomenon, two
less
and
possible only if you are unaware.
you want no
pain, immediately
happiness disappears. If you want
— immediately
you have
W
to be
there
is
pain also
aware of both. Life
is
Definitions
pain and pleasure. Life
night,
life is life
you
portunity. If
You
and death.
So remember
hypnosis;
happiness and unhappiness. Life
is
you
If
it.
you want
to
day and
have to be aware of both.
are afraid of pain
become
will age,
is
old,
and
die.
you
will
You
missed an op-
remain in
be aware then you have to be aware of
And
both pain and pleasure; they are not separate phenomena.
man who becomes
aware becomes very happy but
capable of deep unhappiness, of which
happened,
It
was
Zen Master
a
famous man on
a
more famous than
the Master had
on the
are not capable.
died and his chief disciple
become famous be-
—
started crying;
Life
I
of the temple he
steps
with
down.
Thousands of people had
tears
gathered; they could not believe
day and nig kt,
1
life
it,
"We
face.
cannot believe
it
They
—what
is
pening?
You
that the
innermost being never
are crying,
is
life
IS
and death, ^/ou
have to he aware of
crying and weeping with tears
his
happiness and
unhappiness. Life
because you never see any awakened
down
is
flowing
crying
rolling
—who
own, even
started
man
becomes
also
the Master; in fact
cause of the disciple
sitting
his
you
hoth.
hap-
and you yourself have been saying to us
exist.
have heard you say millions of times that death does not
exist
are
The
Let
I
me
am
you
crying?
disciple
dies, that
Your Master
opened
!
said,
death does not
why
a
his eyes
is still
and he
We
—
so
alive in his being."
said,
"Don't disturb me.
cry and weep. I'm not crying for the Master and his being,
crying for his body. His
will that
body
exist."
body was
also beautiful.
Never again
MATURITY
And
ate a
then somebody tried to persuade
him
that this
would
cre-
bad name for him: "So many people have gathered, and they
you
will think that
The
are not enlightened."
think. Since the day
but
blissful,
them think whatsoever they want
disciple said, "Let
I
have
I
became enlightened
also
become
I
have become
to
infinitely
infinitely sensitive to pain
and
suf-
fering."
This seems to be
will suffer
has
more than you
become
him deep
will
Your
suffering.
he will be aloof from
he
will if
infinitely sensitive.
just like a lotus petal.
give
should be. If you hit Buddha,
as it
it.
be knowing that
of it, he will be
somebody
His sensitivity
stone will hit
you
hits
is
Buddha
—because he
very delicate, he
him very
deeply,
is
will
it
Of course
he will be aware of it, of course
Of course
he will be transcendental to
it is
a cloudlike
happening and he will not be
phenomenon surrounding
it
it,
a part
—but
it is
happening.
You
move
like a
drunkard
in the gutter,
been
fast asleep.
You
street, hits his
head
cannot be so sensitive to pain, you are so
—
the drunkard
nothing happens.
If he
falls
on the
were aware there would have
pain.
Buddha
suffers infinitely
and Buddha enjoys
remember, whenever you reach
infinitely.
to a high peak, a
Always
deep valley
is
being created simultaneously. If you want to reach to the heavens,
your roots
will
have to go to the very
of pain you cannot become aware
Because you are
afraid
— and then you cannot
learn
hell.
anything.
It is
just as if you are so afraid
the doors of your house.
the lover
is
left
out.
The
Now
of enemies that you have closed
even the friend cannot enter, even
lover goes
12
on knocking on the door but
Definitions
you
maybe
are afraid,
how I
see
enter.
You
you
all,
the enemy. So
the door.
enemy comes
When
be
you
pain,
sciousness has to be
body and you
is
dim
have to
the friend comes,
and death enter together. Don't be
life
live in anesthesia.
on you because
be able to tolerate
will not
The surgeon
there
it.
is
going
Your con-
dimmed, darkened, then he can cut your whole
fear
of pain you have forced yourself to
consciousness, in a
the fear.
When
is
will not suffer.
Because of the
a
—now nobody
because day and night enter together, pain
also
of pain, otherwise you will
much
that's
the fresh air enters the house there
gives an anesthetic before he operates
to
—
afraid.
and pleasure enter together,
afraid
are closed
have turned the friend into an enemy
every possibility of dangers also entering.
the
you
of the enemy, and the friend cannot
closed, afraid
can enter, you are so
Open
it is
You
dimmed
existence, almost not alive
have to drop that
move through
suffering
live in
fear,
you have
— only then
—
to face pain,
this
you
the possibility opens
for the friend to enter.
And when you know both, you immediately become the third.
When you know both
night
—pain and
pleasure, the duality, the day
— suddenly you have become
Maturity
is
awareness. Aging
is
transcendental.
just wasting yourself.
The most fundamental thing to
that
life is dialectical. It exists
tween
opposites.
will lose
you
will
all
through
be
duality,
You cannot be happy forever,
meaning.
You
and
remembered
it is
a
is
rhythm be-
otherwise happiness
cannot be in harmony forever, otherwise
become unaware of
the harmony.
Harmony
has to be
followed by discord again and again, and happiness has to be fol-
13
MATURITY
lowed by unhappiness. Every pleasure has
pain has
its
own
its
own
pain,
and every
pleasure.
Unless one understands
this duality
of existence, one remains
in unnecessary misery.
Accept the
with
total,
all its
agonies and
all its
ecstasies.
Don't
hanker for the impossible; don't desire that there should be only
ecstasy
and no agony. Ecstasy cannot
a contrast.
Agony
becomes the blackboard, then
ecstasy
becomes very
just as
exist alone,
Accept
the total
it
needs
clear
in the darkness
with
all
all
its
of night the
stars are
agonies
its
so bright.
and
and loud,
ecstasies.
Dont hanker
darker
brighter are the
stars.
is
the night the
In the day they
don't disappear, they simply
for the
invisible;
ont
impossi
The
you cannot
cause there
is
no
see
become
them be-
contrast.
desire that there
Think of a
should he only ecstasy
will
and no agony.
durable existence.
to live
is
eternal, then
then
it
life is
who
forces
present
who
will live
you
fleeting,
cares?
It
will
be impos-
without death
— death
a
kind of inten-
each
moment becomes
precious. If life
One
can wait for tomorrow forever
defines
Because
it
be unendurable pain, an unen-
sible
sity.
without death;
life
life,
gives
it
now and here? Because tomorrow there is death,
to live
now and
moment, you have
to
here.
go
to
You
its
have to plunge into the
ultimate depth because
who
knows? The next moment may come, may not come.
Seeing
this
rhythm one
is
at ease, at ease
14
with both.
When
—
Definitions
unhappiness comes one welcomes
welcomes
knowing
it,
when
it,
that they are partners in the
something that has
a
fundamental remembrance in you, your
—
flavor
to
same game. This
be continuously remembered.
is
new flavor
happiness comes one
will
life
If it
becomes
have
a totally
the flavor of freedom, the flavor of unclingingness, the
of nonattachment. Whatsoever comes you remain
silent,
still,
accepting.
And
of pain,
frustration,
To
itself.
To
capable of being
is
still,
silent,
accepting
and misery, transforms the very quality of misery
him, misery
gives a sharpness.
infinity.
who
the person
To
also
becomes
him, even darkness has
him, even death
is
him, even pain
a treasure; to
its
own beauty,
depth,
not the end but only a beginning
of something unknown.
MATURITY OF
The
qualities
person.
He
is
SPIRIT
of a mature person are very strange.
no longer
a self
— he has
First,
a presence,
he
but he
is
not a
is
not a
person.
Second, he
why
I
is
more
said the qualities
maturity gives a sense
—
physically he
child.
His maturity
old
he would not be
like a child, simple
of a mature person are very strange, because
as if
may be
is
and innocent. That's
he has experienced,
old,
but
spiritually
as if
he
is
he
is
an innocent
not just experience gained through life
like a child,
aged,
— then
then he would not be a presence
he would be an experienced person, knowledgeable but not
mature.
15
MATURITY
Maturity has noching to do with your
life
experiences.
It
has
something to do with your inward journey, your experiences of
the inner.
The more
a
man
more mature he
goes deeper into himself the
When
is.
he has reached the very
center of his being he
But
ture.
Thc person who
disappears,
is
The
ca pable of being
pain
perfectly
moment
ma-
the person
only presence remains.
only silence re-
self disappears,
still
Knowledge
mains.
silent,
at that
is
accepting of
innocence remains.
and
frustration,
disappears, only
To me,
misery, transforms the
maturity
is
name
another
for realization:
you have come
fulfillment of
your
to the
potential,
it
has
very quality ol misery
become
itse
If.
To
also
k im, misery
become
S
on
actual.
The
long journey and has blossomed.
a
Maturity has a fragrance.
a
a
treasure; to him, even
come
seed has
It
gives
tremendous beauty to the individ-
ual. It
gives intelligence, the sharpest
pain gives a sharpness.
possible
To
him, even
darkness has
its
intelligence.
It
makes him
nothing but love. His action
own
his inaction
death
beauty, depth, infinity
is
is
love; his
love.
He
is
life is
is
love,
love, his
just a flower
of
love.
The West
has definitions
turity that are very childish.
The West means by maturity
no longer innocent,
you have ripened through
are
riences, that
that
you cannot be cheated
16
easily, that
of ma-
that
life
you
expe-
you cannot be ex-
D
ploited, that
e
fi
n
i
t
i
on
s
you have within you something
protection, a security. This definition
like a solid rock, a
very ordinary, very worldly.
is
Yes, in the world you will find mature people of this type. But the
way
I
see maturity
The
definition.
rock;
I
it
totally different, diametrically opposite to this
is
maturity
make you
will
remember
a mystic's hut.
...
It
am
I
talking about will not
make you
a
so vulnerable, so soft, so simple.
A
thief entered
was
a
full-moon
and by mistake he had en-
night,
tered; otherwise,
what can you
The
in a mystic's house?
thief
find
I
was
Maturity has nothing
to
do with your
life
looking and was amazed that there
was nothing
saw
a
— and then suddenly he
man who was coming
"What
dark?
are
you looking
said,
your inward journey,
for in the
your experiences of
Why did you not wake me up?
was
The more
a
just sleeping near the front
door, and
the
has
something to do with
the inner.
I
It
a
with
The man
candle in his hand.
experiences.
I
man
could have showed you
whole house." And he looked
simple and so innocent,
as if he
so
goes deeper into
himself the more
could
mature he
is.
not conceive that anybody could be
a thief.
In the face of such simplicity and innocence the thief
know
"Perhaps you do not
The
mystic
said,
someone. The point
and
I
is
that
I
am
said,
a thief"
"That doesn't matter, everybody has to be
that
I
have been in the house for
have not found anything, so
17
let
thirty years
us search together!
And
if
MATURITY
we
we
can find something
thing in this house
man seems
the
—
it is
can be partners.
just
empty." The thief was
he
to be strange! Either
what kind of man he
is?
have not found any-
I
He wanted
mad
is
or
a little afraid
.
.
who knows
.
and besides he had
to escape,
brought things from two other houses that he had
left
outside the
house.
The
and
it
mystic had only one blanket
was
a cold night, so
way, don't
insult
me
forgive myself, that a
—
he told that
thief,
way; otherwise
this
poor man came
was
that
to
my
it
will
warmer
it is
He
his
be good
The
house in the middle
He
said,
mystic
has to be
"What
so cold.
I
am
are
his blanket.
you doing?
somebody, has
matter
my
will
be
The
thief said,
The
inside the house;
I
thief was just losing
am
a thief!"
"That does not matter. In
said,
all
you
it is
this blanket.
here."
ing, that doesn't
with
outside
covered the thief with
mind!
body
—
in this
never be able to
of the night and had to go empty-handed. Just take
And
he had
"Don't leave
will
I
that
all
blessings.
—
a profession
Do
it
is
world every-
You may be
do something.
to
this
a profession. Just
do
it
steal-
well,
perfectly, don't
be caught; otherwise
You are
naked, and you don't
in trouble."
"You
are strange.
have anything. ..."
The
mystic
said,
"Don't be worried, because
you! Only the blanket was keeping
this
I
house there
is
nothing
am coming with you
many
have
things;
—we
a
partnership.
—
thief could not believe
it.
me
I
have given to you.
will live together!
good
18
am coming with
in this house; otherwise in
the blanket
a little bit
you, you can give
The
it is
— and
me
I
that will
I
And you seem
have given
my
all
to
to
be right."
He just wanted
to escape
from
De
that place
me.
I
and from
my wife,
have
will they say if
The
that
I
mystic
The
s
"No,
said,
man
my
to
I
cannot take you with
And my
children.
neighbors, what
?"
house
will
I
.
.
.
you
will not put
I
So you can go,
He
had
to
remain
in
any em-
in this house."
Come
come
—
you
thank
first,
way. Second, going out
in
back.
.
.
.
Your being
a difficult
mystic
"Learn some
said,
me
—
it
okay, but
is
man.
I
you
will help
you
see the night
long
a
as far as
manners
and
so cold,
is
have given you the blanket and
I
a thief
The
went just
it
you opened the door when you
close the door! Can't
see that
a strong voice;
have given you the blanket and you have not
I
even thanked me. So
am
on
i
had never heard such
ways of courtesy.
can't
t
"That's right.
said,
thief
like a knife.
came
i
the thief was going, the mystic shouted, "Hey!
as
back!"
my
bring a naked
barrassing situation.
And
He
man.
have
I
n
fi
am
I
naked?
are concerned,
I
cannot tolerate
this
kind of behavior. Say
"Thank you,
sir,"
and he closed the door
thank you!"
The
thief had to say,
and escaped.
He
He
could not believe what had happened!
could
not sleep the whole night. Again and again he remembered ... he
had never heard such
such power.
a strong voice,
And
the
man had
this
man was
nothing!
He
inquired the next day and he found out that
He
had not done well
—
was absolutely ugly
a great
Master.
to that
poor man, he had nothing. But he was
The
thief said,
"That
strange kind of man. In
I
it
a great Master.
—he
can understand myself
my whole life
I
even remembering him,
.
body.
When
.
.
he called
me
back
I
a shivering goes
could not run away.
19
is
a
very
have been coming in contact
with different kinds of people, from the poorest to the
never
go
to
richest,
but
through
my
I
was abso-
MATURITY
lutely free,
could Iiave taken the things and run away but
I
There was something
not.
After
a
in his voice that pulled
me
could
I
back."
few months the thief was caught, and in the court the
"Can you name
magistrate asked him,
who knows you
person
a
in
this vicinity?"
He
knows me," and he named
"Yes, one person
said,
the
Master.
The
timony
The
magistrate asked the Master,
even
visited
I
"Know him?
said,
me one
gave him
famous
The
my
blanket.
When
He
The
is
a
What he
"Do you know
are partners!
is
using
it,
He
you can
"He
is
I
your friend?
He
is
this
my
It
about
says
man?"
he
friend,
was so cold
see.
That blanket
it is
mine."
And
can never
does he steal?"
steal.
He
is
such
a
gave him the blanket he said to me, 'Thank
he went out of the house, he
silently closed the
very polite, nice fellow."
magistrate said, "If you say so, then
the witnesses
treed."
He
"Never!
said,
gentleman that when
door.
We
the Master. His tes-
night in the middle of the night.
magistrate said,
sir.'
call
over the country; everybody knows
all
The Master
you,
—
of ten thousand people.
that
be enough to give judgment."
He
is
worth
is
will
you
that
enough
magistrate said, "That's
who
have
said that
he
is
a
all
the testimonies of
thief are canceled.
He
is
The mystic w ent out and the thief followed him.
The
mystic
said,
you doing?
Why
can never leave you.
You
"What
are
are
you coming
with me?"
He
your
given
said,
friend,
me
"Now
I
you have
any respect.
called
You
me
me
your partner. Nobody has ever
are the
20
have called
first
person
who
has said that
Definitions
I
am
a
gentleman, a nice person.
how
and learn
to
power,
turity, this
different
way?"
The
mystic
had gone
possible.
and
—
perfect
it
was so cold without
sitting
moon
'If
to that
poor fellow,
moon
show you
"I
I
to
I
the
wept
man
like
who had come
had been rich enough, but
was not
full
I
moon,
this
would have given
myself.'
few
that night, that thieves should learn a
I
will
me
we
so
when
things.
they
come
have mistreated you.
And
it
is
good
that
to
you remembered me
I
offered that very night to
and be partners with you, but you refused.
come with me! There
will share
At
can arrange something, so they don't have
in the court; otherwise those fellows are dangerous, they
I
You
in the dark to
am poor
I
felt?
poem, come with me.
go empty-handed.
have
ma-
this
would have given
they should inform a day or two ahead
least
a
if
I
a blanket that sleep
enough
rich
feet
seeing of things in a totally
search for something in a poor man's house.
the
got
by the window watching the
were
I
your
sit at
"Do you know that night how bad
said,
poem:
a
going to
From where have you
you.
like
this strength, this
was just
I
wrote
I
be
am
I
might
come with you
Now
you want
to
no problem, you can come; whatever
is
with you. But
it is
not material,
it is
I
something
invisible."
The
thief said,
you have saved
you want
to
"That
my
life,
make of it,
I
can
and
I
feel
now my
I
have
fallen in love
Maturity to
me
is
it is
something
life is
yours.
from
is
certain
—
that
that very night."
a spiritual
phenomenon.
2\
invisible.
But
Make whatever
have been simply wasting
looking in your eyes, one thing
me.
—
it.
Seeing you,
you can transform
MATURITY
Maturity of
you
settle
down
spirit
is
your inner
in
great maturity arises in
your
ever you do has grace in
itself.
You
touching your inner
live poetry,
it.
you have found
sky,
actions, in
a
Once
sky.
home, and
a
your behavior. Then what-
Then whatever you do
a
is
poem
in
your walking becomes dancing, your silence
becomes music.
By
is
meant
is
longer a child
that
you
You
are
no
who
you have grown
that you have
meant
come home.
have
By maturity
maturity
has to
grow
You
up.
have
come
touched the height of your poten-
^ou
home,
tial.
longer a child
has to
no
are
who
grow— you
For the
sense
you
You
are
first
are
not
time in
not
in
a strange
— and
you
your old
imaginations, in your old
are.
ideas,
compre-
have grown up. ^/ou
of yourself;
hension
have touched the
gone down the
height of your
thing
new
new and
potential.
arises in
virgin,
your whole
become
drain.
life
all
that
Now
some-
you, absolutely
which transforms
into joy.
You
for
live
your
what others
life
in total
They
else.
freedom, without any consideration
will say.
The people who
ions are
have
a stranger to the miserable
world, you don't create misery for yourself or for anybody
You
has
are always considering others
and
their opin-
immature. They are dependent on the opinions of others.
can't
do anything
authentically, honestly they can't say
22
what
Definitions
they want to say
ers
want
to hear.
the things
give
— they
say
what oth-
Your politicians
you want
say
They
to hear.
n
e
people
wno
'no
are
you the promises you want.
always considering
They know
cannot
is
if
perfectly well that they
others
these promises; neither
fulfill
there any intent to
fulfill
them. But
and make
is,
it
their
opinions are immature.
they say exactly, truthfully, what
the situation
and
They cant do
clear to
anything authentically,
you
that
many of the
things
you
are
asking for are impossible, that they
cannot be done, they will be thrown
out of power.
politician
who
You
is
will not
choose a
honestly; they cant
say
to
what they want
say— they say what
honest.
others
It is
a
very strange world.
almost an insane asylum.
insane asylum,
you
If,
you become
want
to hear.
It is
in this
alert
are blessed.
23
and aware of your inner being,
THE SEVEN-YEAR CyCEES
OF LIFE
has an inner pattern,
Life
seven
physiologists
years,
through
it is
a crisis
and
good
to understand
change. Every seven years
a
Every
body and mind go
the
say,
it.
of the body change, are completely renewed. In
the cells
all
you
fact if
live
seventy years, the average limit, your body dies ten times. Each
seventh year everything changes
In seventy years the circle
birth
comes
—
just like
it is
The
complete.
is
to death, the circle
complete
is
changing seasons.
line that
moves from
in seventy years.
It
has
ten divisions.
In tact
man's
life
old age. That
is
age begins,
new
a
For the
should not be divided into childhood, youth,
not very
first
step
is
scientific,
otherw
ise
seven years
vants,
a child
The whole
a
real
a
emperor
—
thinks the same
is
true for the
family
rises tor
be
exists for
fulfilled
him.
ider world.
is
the
moves around him.
immediately;
He
the mother, the father,
w
he
self-centered, as if
tantrum, anger, rage.
and the w hole family just
him, the sun
is
are his needs, they are to
he will go into
an emperor,
new
a
taken.
center of the whole world.
Whatsoever
because every seven years
lives like
all
are ser-
And of course he
The moon
him, the seasons change for him.
rises for
A
child
for seven years remains absolutely egoistic, self-centered. If
you
ask psychologists they will say a child for seven years remains
24
The Seven-Year Cycles
He
masturbatory, satisfied with himself.
He
anybody.
feels
becomes
The
He moves
becomes the important phenomenon
not so
much
adventure
He
—
"other." Inquiry
He ques-
He becomes a great
skeptic because his inquiry
He
asks millions
is
the
a nuisance.
of questions.
He
world
is
He
is
interested in
and everything of the
other,
The
others.
friends, gangs
is
word means
.
.
.
other
Now he
interested in the other,
his interest.
Why
For the
first
years a child
seven
is
self-
centered. VvHiatsoever
there.
bores the parents to death, he be-
comes
the
self-
starts.
a great questioner.
tions everything.
—
no longer
this
is
After the seventh year the child
becomes
is
enters into an
know who
to
child
toward
interested in himself; he
the bigger world.
does not need anything,
eccentric, literally. Eccentric
"going out of the center."
is
L,if<
complete.
After seven years, a breakthrough.
centered; he
of
are his needs, they
are to
U
fulfilled
immediately; otherwise
he will go into a
are the
Why did God create the
Why this so? He starts be-
tantrum, anger, rage.
trees green?
world?
is
coming more and more philosophic
on going
He
inquiry, skepticism, he insists
is
inside, destroys a toy just to
into things.
kills a
butterfly to see
see
how
on
ticking and chiming
it
what
works, throws a clock just to look into
interested in the
is
—
—what going on
other remains of
other— but
not interested in
think they are
is
the
girls. If
sissies.
how
it,
inside?
the same sex.
not interested in boys.
25
goes
He becomes
other boys are interested in
Girls are
it
girls
If
He
he will
some
girl
MATURITY
is
them she
interested in bo/s and plays with
normal, not average; something
is
is
homosexual.
He
After the fourteenth year a third door opens.
no longer interested
but not interested. That's
polite,
why
mind
is
homosexual, and never again
is
You
will
become
in girls.
no longer
They
are
the deepest, because
in life will
happen. Those friends remain friends forever,
tie.
is
any friendship that happens
between the seventh year and the fourteenth
the
tomboy, not
wrong. This second stage psy-
choanalysts and psychologists will say
interested in boys, girls are
a
is
it
such friendship
was such
deep
a
friendly with people but that will remain
acquaintance, not that deep
phenomenon
that
happened between
the seventh and the fourteenth year.
But
fourteenth year a boy
after the
everything goes normally,
interested in
girls.
Now
if
he
he
is
not interested in boys. If
is
not stuck somewhere, he will be
is
becoming heterosexual
— not only
—because when
interested in the others, but really the other
interested in boys, the
like himself,
When
a girl
The
he
is
becomes
prominent
starts
in
interested in a boy,
is
a great
eh ild
ral
is
—by
now
the dreams.
revolutionary year. Sex becomes
The boy becomes
the twenty-first year
—
if
He
is
a great
become
Don Juan,
starts
entering into the world.
everything goes normally, and a
not forced by the society to do something which
the twenty-first year a child
bition than in love.
boy just
the world enters.
thinking in terms of sex; sexual fantasies
courting. Poetry arises, romance.
By
a
is
really interested in the opposite, the real other.
fourteenth year
mature, one
is still
boy
When a boy becomes interested
not exactly the other.
now
in girls,
boy may be "other" but he
a
becomes
interested
is
not natu-
more
in
am-
He wants a Rolls-Royce, a great palace. He wants
to be a success, a Rockefeller, a
prime minister. Ambitions become
26
The Scvcn-Year Cycle*
prominent; desiring for the future, being
how to
is
Now
Now he
evenThing goes
never goes.
solutely
I
am
right
—
phenomenon
natural
life.
to twenty-eight
ture:
is
is
entering
entering the world
as
— money, power,
thing.
prestige.
it
man
—by
is
Tke fourteenth year
not
is
any way nying to enter into an
adventurous
whole concern.
talking of the ab-
the twenty-eighth vear a
in
his
to succeed,
becomes the most prominent
the market
His whole being goes toward the market
If
how
a success,
not entering only the world of nature, he
the world of humanity, the marketplace.
of madness.
Life
how to move in the struggle is
compete,
Now he
of
From twenty-one
one
lives in
a revolutionary
vear.
adven-
One
thinking
starts
terms of
in
by the twenty-eighth year one
sex? sexual fantasies
becomes more
cannot be
alert that all desires
There
fulfilled.
understanding that
many
is
after
them, but people
you can
who
interested
fort, less in
Thev
stan
starts courting.
another door by the
twenty-eighth vear. They become
more
m security and com-
adventure and ambition.
settling.
Poetry
arises,
romance.
He
entering into
is
is
t
The twenty-
wor
eighth year
Don
kecomes a great
are
Juan,
intelligent enter
in
Tke kov
tke dreams.
desires are
impossible. If you are a fool
go
occome prominent
more
I
J.
the end of hippiedom.
At twenty-eight hippies become
squares, revolutionaries are
no longer revolutionaries: they
tling,
they seek a comfortable
want
to
be Rockefellers
—
lite, a little
that urge
2~
is
start set-
bank balance. They don't
no more. Thev want
a small
MATURITY
house, but established
much
they can always have, a
Now
settling.
house,
vagabond
the
starts living in
it;
comes from the word
town,
a city,
he
is
bank balance. They go to the
no more the vagabond.
is
he becomes
He
is
Now
enough,
wants to
insurance
By
no more
circle
nearahout the age
start
They
start settlinq.
N ow
vagabond
is
vagabond, not
is
—
finished,
a
not
is
traveled
and
settle
rest a little.
the thirty-fifth year
its
omega
half complete
en-
life
The
point.
and energies
ol
twenty-eight.
the
a
a
known enough; now he
ergy reaches
company
purchases
Kathmandu and Goa. He
not going to
tlie
He
start
he becomes part of
going anywhere
People go to
They
The word civilization
civilized.
avis, "citizen."
an establishment.
Now
wanderer.
little
live in, security, so at least this
the age of twenty-eight.
company nearabout
insurance
a
cozy place to
a
declining.
Now
man
the
interested only in security
fort,
he becomes
He becomes
no
a
is
not
and com-
Tory, orthodox.
not only not interested
in revolution,
he becomes an anti-
revolutionary.
Now
longer a vagabond.
change, he
revolutions; he wants the status
against
all
settled
and
he
is
if anything
a
is
against
all
He
conformist.
quo because now he
changes the whole thing will unsettle.
talking against hippies, against rebels;
a part
is
he
is
has
Now
now he has become really
of the establishment.
And
this
is
natural
going to remain
a
— unless something goes wrong
hippie forever. That was a phase,
through but bad to be stuck
certain stage.
It
was good
in.
to
a
man
good
is
not
to pass
That means you remain stuck
at a
be homosexual between seven and
28
The Seven-Year Cycles
fourteen, but if
one remains homosexual
means he has not grown up, he
contacted, that
is
The
part of life.
is
By
is
know
and the
that
life
has to be
become important
harmony of the
the
ecstasy
— agony and
ec-
a training, a necessary training.
the thirty-fifth year one has to
tional world.
A woman
other sex has to
opposites, the conflict, the misery,
whole
for his
not adult.
because only then will you be able to
stasy both. It
Life
of
One
become
part of the
conven-
believing in
starts
tradition, in the past, in the Vedas,
One
the Koran, the Bible.
lutely against
is
abso-
change because every
change means your
own
will
be
much
to
life
By
the thirty -fifth
year one
now you
disturbed;
You
lose.
you want
have
One
in favor
is
of the law and the courts and the
government.
absolutely
against change,
cannot be for revolution;
to protect.
is
because every change
means your own
life
One is no longer an anwill he disturbed;
archist;
one
is all
for the
government,
now you have much
rules, regulations, discipline.
By
the forty-second year
of physical and mental
because
is
now life
is
moving toward
all
to lose.
sorts
illnesses erupt,
declining.
death.
As
Energy
in the beginning
—your
coming up and you were becoming more and more
you were becoming more and more strong
happens, you
You
become weaker every
day.
—now
energies
vital,
energetic,
just the opposite
But your
habits persist.
have been eating enough up to the age of thirty-five;
you continue your
much food
is
habit
not needed.
you
It
will start gathering
fat.
now
it is
was needed, but
29
were
now
Now,
if
that
not needed
m \tu
because
lite
moving toward
is
on
food. If you go
sorts
all
of
illnesses will
insomnia, ulcers
is
tilling
— they
And
is
it
does not need that
first
happen: high blood pressure, heart attack,
happen nearabout forty-two; torn -two
all
death
You may
time.
now
but
— because
religion starts
religion
becoming impor-
starts
haye dabbled
a litde
becoming
first
are always in
who come
need of religion.
If
is
secular
difficulty
religion: their basic
—
IPHMM
the
is
need
is
— then
sold.
woman
whole
commodity hidden
naked
is
the age of forty
become deeply rooted in
the
to sell a ten-ton truck then too
a
he has been
And
religion.
if
religion.
the society
religion, the greatest
—because
the so-
good when you were fourteen, because
enough of sex
toothpaste
life
you any avenue, any door, any dimension.
society was
to be the onlv
ence:
him around
comes nearabout the age of forty-two
society gives
Or
to
and you have never been taught
ciety does not give
The
too.
woman u
The
truck
sold.
And
in
society
is
sexual; sex
every commodity.
you have
to use a
Truck or toothpaste,
it
is
the
seems
If you
want
naked woman.
makes no
differ-
always smiling there behind. Really the
is
not sold, the toothpaste
because the smile of the
is
not sold
woman comes
with the toothpaste, you have to purchase the toothpaste
Everywhere sex
first
they go mad, neurotic, psychotic,
they cannot be helped unless they
They need
for the
desire for religion anses.
Carl Gustav Jung has written that in his whole
observing that people
here and there
deeply concerned with death.
is
approaching and the
is
becom-
points. Hair starts falling out,
turning into death.
in religion before,
time important
much
you were doing before, then
as
near the age ot "forty-two religion
tant for the
Now
death,
your belly
one of the most dangerous
ing grav. Life
in y
sold.
30
also.
1
The Seven Year Cycles
So
this society, a secular society,
is
young
they are not going to remain
Life
of
good
for
young
When
forever.
people. But
they
forty-two suddenly the society leaves them in limbo.
become
They
don't
know what to do now. They go neubecause they don't know, they
rotic
have never been trained, no
been given them
pline has
The
death.
ready for
them
.
I
death
would
I
much
i
[
religion, tne Greatest
^
^
r
my way
were allowed
and you have
never been taught
education tor
they need education for
as
If
as
is
for death.
,
,
hey need
secular
but nobody has taught
°
become ready
to
Jf tne society
to face
made them
society has
life,
disci-
life,
then
I
difficulty
j
age of forty-two—
trie
two
divide universities into
comes near
j
i
j
j
because the society
j
parts:
one
young
part for
people, anj
r
.
.
.
.
people would
life
—
when
come
to learn the art of
they became older and they
reached the
would again come back
meditation
to them.
mark,
forty-two
a
they
new
training, a
much
mental
Because the East
illness.
still
It
gives a
by the corner.
God,
little
No
discipline, so that they
that
that's
not so
is
disappeared completely; howsoever
exists just
new
new phase
This society leaves them in limbo;
so
1
|
the old universities won't be of any help
can become anchored with the
is
dimension.
to the university to learn about death,
—because now
They need
j
avenue, any door,
any
j
Then
ambition, struggle.
sex,
does not Qive
you any
^
Young
other part tor old people.
is
happening to them.
why
much
in the
in the East.
training in religion.
false,
West
pseudo,
It
it is still
there
Why?
has not
there,
it
longer in the marketplace, no longer
3
MATURITY
in the thick oflife, just
the
way of life, but
and you can go
In the
side
—but
it is
there.
it still
exists.
still
there,
West
by the
religion
is
You
You
own
stomach
never
it
eats
You
is
ulcers.
bound
is
An
you have
are so tense,
Whenever the mind
relaxes.
—and
on you.
are so tense that
lining.
Out of
temple.
have to walk
man
ambitious
the stomach: ambition bites,
eating yourself
a
few
a
steps
going through psychological problems.
is
Thousands of types of neuroses happen
An
is
no longer part oflife. Nearabout the age of
forty-two every Westerner
footprints of ambition.
there
Ulcers are the
to have ulcers in
ulcer
nothing but
is
started eating
your stomach
tense the stomach
is
is
your
so tense
it
tense.
Ulcers are the footprints of ambition. If you have ulcers that
shows you
a
are a very successful
poor man; your
have your
success.
first
life
is
is
at least a
you
are a great
cabinet minister or a rich industrialist
how will you
is
tolerate
never there.
it
for the future that tension has
deep-rooted
a
you
explain the heart attack?
anymore.
You
Their
to.
burdened with toxic elements: ambition,
your system cannot
it is
failed utterly. If
people will have heart attacks, they have
tomorrow, which
future,
you
the definition of success.
All successful
whole system
have no ulcers you are
heart attack nearabout forty-two
You must be
heart attack
If you
has been a failure,
or a famous actor; otherwise,
A
man.
desire,
lived in dreams,
And you remain
become your very
now
so tense
style oflife.
Now
habit.
At forty-two, again
a
breakthrough comes.
One
starts
thinking
about religion, the other world. Life seems to be too much, and so
little
tunc
ment?
you
I
will
is
left
— how can you achieve God,
nirvana, enlighten-
lence the theory of reincarnation: "Don't be afraid. Again
be born, again and again, and the wheel oflife will go on
32
—
—
moving and moving. Don't be
is
enough
eternity left
That's
why
don't agree
.
were born
Ait ambitious man
bound
of God, the nature
but they
all
three agree
—
on
in
to
tne stomacb:
there
need time, because to
— Hindus
time
is
great ambition,
call
They
it.
attain
bites,
eats
it
all
on you.
Brah-
Brahman
it
is
to nave ulcers
ambition
must be something
much
—Jainism. Bud-
Such divergent
the theory of reincarnation
man
time, there
they
even agreeing on the
basic foundations
.
enough
on any other point ex-
theories, not
.
— and
is
attain."
in India three religions
cept reincarnation.
of self
—you can
Hinduism
and
dhism,
afraid: there
An
ulcer
is
nothing but eating
needed.
It
is
and only
at
the age of
such a
yourse [f. Ulcers arc
tne footprints of
forty-two
you become
Only twenty-eight
And
this
is
interested.
years are
ambition.
left.
beginning of
just the
the interest. In fact at the age of forty-two
in the
world of religion and only twenty-eight years
seems too short, not enough
Brahman, Hindus
from
you become again
all
call
past karmas.
it.
at all to attain
Jamas
call
cope?
How will
—
how
are
such great heights
past?
how
Such
are
you going
a vast past
you going to clean your
seems unjust!
pletely within twenty-eight years?
It
ing too much,
You
is
Time
But thousands and millions of lives have been
you undo the whole
it
left.
child
moksha, absolute freedom
it
there in the past; within twenty-eight years
bad and good karmas
are
a
not possible.
twenty-eight years are given to you.
33
God
is
to
is
there,
sins
com-
demand-
will feel frustrated if only
And
Buddhists,
who
don't
MATURITY
God, don v believe
believe in
in the soul
— they
also believe in re-
incarnation. Nirvana, the final emptiness, the total emptiness
when you have remained
how
es,
li \
years?
to
much
with so
thing, that
more
future
Whenev er you have
religious person
is
So they
task.
needed, more time
is
ambition, time
who
one
rubbish for so
ail
it
A
because religion happens in
always happens now;
way
has
it
it
You
are not
a timeless
has never
way,
as a casual visitor,
at
has always
ith his
vague urge
.
peaceful, not
do
a
few
own
you come
Sometimes one
knowing what he
Learning
guru,
a
a
in
—you
one
sits
is
It
to
me
a
liberated,
at
happens now,
happening, but you
church
Sometimes by the
mantra, repeats
alone
Vague, not
vague about sex
silently,
The
is
starts
doing.
suddenly
A
feels
starts re-
old grandmother used to
it.
to guide you.
it
table.
knowing what he
repeating
starts
somebody
is
Sometimes
also.
looking in the Bible,
start
who
vague, not clear,
doing. Sometimes one
is
childhood.
days, again repeats ... a
By
is
interest.
to the
sex organ, not
mantra heard
searching for
a
.
arises,
been gathering dust on the
feeling tense,
it;
starts
.
urge
keen
exactly clear, just like the small child
peating
needed.
does not need time
moment.
even aware of what
having time, not doing anything
w
agree
happened otherwise. In no other
first
the temple with
looking
playing
many
ever happened.
start
which
man
religious
At the age of forty-two the
confused.
.
He is liberated here
does not need time.
now.
all
And
needed.
is
is
and now. he achieves to the Brahman here and now, he
enlightened, here and
.
unburden yourself within twenty-eight
too much, seems an impossible
It is
on one
you going
are
filled
.
One
One
starts
seeking,
takes initiation,
sometimes, then again forgets for
vague search, groping.
the torty-ninth year the search
34
becomes
clear;
seven years
The Seven-Year C^ycles
it
takes tor the search to
You
no longer
gone nght
ested in
Now a determination arises.
clear.
interested in the others, particularly if everything
— and
never goes nght —
has
it
are
become
I
at
have to repeat
this
menopause, the forty-ninth
sexual.
The whole
looks a
little
again and again because
the age of forty-nine
women. A woman becomes
year.
thing looks
one becomes uninter-
men
uninterested in
The man
—
the
doesn't feel like being
juvenile, the
a little
whole thing
immature.
But the society can force things
and they have suppressed
against sex
Life
of
been
... In the East they have
sex.
When
the
boy
is
fourteen
they are suppressing sex and they want to believe that the boy
still
he doesn't think about
a child,
girls.
Other boys maybe
boys can always be found in the neighborhood
boy; he
is
innocent
innocent, but
not true
it's
— he
consciousness, has to enter,
starts
happening
girls,
ested
that
— only
West
pression has
my feeling,
is
doing the same.
is
looks
very
has entered his
has to hide
it.
He
wet dreams and he
has
this
come
guilty.
girls.
Something wrong
know
And much
a virgin,
is
that
even -
expected of
not tliinking about
But he has become
inter-
suppressing him.
suppression has disappeared but another sup-
— and
this has to
that the society can
one suppression, immediately
is
He
he cannot
he should remain an angel,
the society
In the
it.
to him, because
not even dreaming about
—
girl
— and he
boy of fourteen becomes
body even-where
—
The
he
it.
In the East a
him
natural
masturbating and he has to hide
has to hide
is
it is
fantasizes.
these
—but never your
And
an angel.
like a child, like
—
is
it
be understood because
never be nonsuppressive.
starts
another.
If it
this
is
drops
Now the suppression
near the age of forty-nine in the West: people are forced to remain
35
MATURITY
in sex
man
because the whole teaching
says,
"What
are
you doing?
A
can be sexually potent up to the age of ninety!" Great au-
thorities are saying
it.
And
if
you
and you are not
are not potent
interested,
you
man
the age of forty-nine a
he
feeling guilty that
TL
society can never
he nonsuppressive.
love
much
as
starts
not making
is
he should.
as
And there are teachers who go on
If
teaching, "This
it
At
start feeling guilty.
You
nonsense.
is
can
drops one
make
^
suppression,
immediately
starts
it
Now
another.
And they say if you
you
love
to
Gq Qn making
nmety
age of
love."
the
you can make love up
love,
make
don't
will lose potency; if you
con-
tinue then your organs continue func-
suppression
is
near the
tioning.
age of forty nine
St.-
/\ man
If
you
stop then they will
and once you stop sex your
stop,
people are
forced to remain
sex.
in
energy will drop, you will die soon. If
the husband stops, the wife
in
"What
him:
are
you doing?"
wife stops, the husband
not
much
making love
as he
as
"This
this
is
may
create
in the
some
we
West
it
is
against religion for a child
— and he becomes
beyond
If the
teaching about celibacy
What
at
after her:
and
perversion."
did one stupidity
same
the ancient
stupidity.
It
of fourteen to become sexually po-
so naturally.
his control.
is
also, in
days, they did the
tent
after
against the psychologists
In the East
should
and
was
is
starts
feeling guilty that he
is
life
The
child cannot
can he do?
How
the age of fourteen
36
do anything,
can he do
is
stupid,
it?
All
you
are
The Seven-Year Cycles
Life
of
suppressing the person. But the old authorities, traditions, gurus,
old psychologists and religious people
the
was
whole authority was
— they were
A
against sex.
child
all
against sex,
was suppressed,
guilt
Nature was not allowed.
created.
Now just
the opposite
happening
is
the other end. At the
at
age of forty-nine psychologists are forcing people to continue to
make
sex naturally
forty-nine
to,
you
love; otherwise
arises,
will lose
As
at
the age of fourteen
so at the age of
naturally subsides.
it
life.
has
It
because every circle has to be
complete.
why
That's
cided that
we had
in India
age of
at the
As
de-
man
fifty
|
should
start
becoming
at the age of
fourteen sex naturally
a vanprasth, his
arises, so at the
eyes should
his
a
is
means one
beautiful
word;
it
who starts looking toward
Himalayas,
age
the forest,
of forty-nine
back toward the marketplace.
Vanprasth
the
move toward
toward the
j
I
it
naturally sutsiJes.
has
to,
It
because every
forest.
circle has to he
Now his back
is
toward
bitions
and
desires
ished.
He
starts
and
life
all
and am-
that
—
complete.
fin-
moving toward
aloneness, toward being himself.
Before
were
this, life
was too much and he could not be alone; there
responsibilities to
be
fulfilled,
children to be raised.
have become grown up. They are married
—by
Now they
the time
forty-nine your children are getting married, settling.
you
They
are
longer hippies, they must be reaching the age of twenty-eight.
will settle
—now you can
unsettle.
37
are
no
They
Now you can move beyond the
/MATURITY
home, you can become homeless. At the age of forty-nine one
should
looking toward the
start
moving inward, becoming
becoming more and more meditative and
introverted,
At the age of fifty-six again
it
forest,
change comes,
a
prayerful.
Now
a revolution.
not enough to look toward the Himalayas; one has to really
is
one has
travel,
to go. Life
is
ending, death
is
coming
At the
nearer.
age of forty-nine one becomes uninterested in the other sex. At the
age of fifty-six one should
become
uninterested in others, the so-
ciety, the social formalities, the club.
should resign from
Go
childish.
to
a
What
good
women
and for
for lions
Lions;
and everything
ties
doing? Lions
are the y
small child,
all
—
—
and lionesses
.
.
.
? It
looks foolish. For
for small children
"Lioness" clubs. For cubs
shows
it is
that the
social entanglements. Finished!
enough;
now one
Fifty-six
is
perfectly right, but
minds
so
you should renounce.
should also have an
exit;
Life should
otherwise
it
are mediocre.
as to
come out
will
learned
and comes out of it.
one should naturally become
should take sannyas, one should renounce,
ter,
"Cub" clubs,
One has lived enough,
gives thanks to everybody
the time
see people,
looks juvenile, child-
name
the very
— now they have
it
it is
a sannyasin.
natural
—
as
ciety.
You
By
is
an
exit,
are not
and
is
sannyas
even interested
the age of sixty-three
ested only in yourself.
inward,
that
That
have an entrance and
be suffocating.
You
as if everything else
— you come out of
in others
what meditation
has fallen
38
it
enter
in ag-
the so-
by the age of fifty-six.
you again become
is
One
you en-
and you never come out and then you say you are suffocated,
ony. There
one
looks foolish now,
it
At the age of fifty-six one should be so mature
of all
fifty-six
some Rotary Club or Lions Club and
dressed up with their
ish.
Rotaries,
all
At the age of
like a child, interis
—
to
away and only you
be moving
exist.
Again
The Seven-^ear Cycles
you have become
a child
— of
Life
of
much
course very
enriched by
very mature, understanding, with great intelligence.
become
left,
To
God
be ready.
you
strange land,
die celebrating
die.
the
is
is
It
was
rest.
Now you would like to
You wandered
a sojourn.
in a
you loved strangers and
Now the time has come:
the prince must return
own kingdom.
Sixty-three
You become
much
oneself,
is
a circle
More and more
talking.
remaining
will
child has to pass nine
totally repeated,
in
and
in,
turning
in.
No reading,
more and more with
silent,
that
all
around you.
is
subsides.
this natural pattern, just
—you
and
independent of
totally
the age of seventy
your death
in
completely enclosed
of energy, not moving anywhere.
The energy by and by
By
when one becomes
the time
The whole energy moves
in oneself.
is
To
lived with strange people,
you learned much.
to his
have to be ready to
gave you an opportunity to learn, and be, and
go to the ultimate home.
not
You
years are
die happy, joyfully, willingly, welcomingly,
Now you would like to
learned.
Now you again
moving inward. Only seven
the readiness to die?
is
readiness to die.
you
start
and you have to prepare for death.
And what
to
You
innocent.
life,
you
are ready.
And
before your death
become aware
months
if you
have followed
— nine months before
that death
in the mother's
is
womb,
coming. As
a
the same circle
completely repeated, utterly repeated.
By
the
time death comes, nine months before, you will become aware.
Now
you
are entering the
in the mother, this
Indians
call
womb
is
again. This
womb
is
no longer
inside you.
the innermost shrine of a temple the garbha, the
womb. When you go
called the
womb
womb.
It is
to a temple the innermost part of the temple
very symbolically called
39
so,
is
very deliberately;
MATURITY
womb
the
to enter. In the last phase
one has
that
is
one
enters into oneself, one's
moves
to the innermost shrine
own body becomes
always been, where the temple
where the
god
has always been living. This
light has
it
on
own.
its
no need
As
a
is
to plan for
will
grows and becomes
one simply becomes;
it,
nver flows and comes to the ocean
You
needed.
is
moment. The next moment
Just as a child
where the
is,
the natural process.
no future
this natural process,
living naturally this
womb. One
the
where the flame has always been burn-
ing,
For
—nine months
—
a
have to be
come out of
youth
natural,
it is
the same
way
—
there
is
happens.
it
—you flow
and you come to the end, to the ocean. But one should remain
and
natural, floating
in the
moment. Once you
you
the future and ambition and desire,
And
this
moment
a
When
his
his
a child
jumps and runs around,
a
youth
is
at
—because where
to do.
It
Then
butterflies
has not
It
something
it
is
it
is
a
—
beautiful.
he
is
mental
was just
wrong, he has
to
is
crazy
case.
natural,
if a child is
was okay. But when he
it
go?
It
it
But when
— then you
Nothing was
was the thing
not running
after
be taken to the psycho-
twenty and running
after
then you should suspect something has gone wrong, he
grown
up.
The body
must be somewhere
live
it
thing to do
ri<^h(
it is
after butterflies,
the age of four;
was the
butterflies
analyst.
at
will
the age of four and dances and
have to admit him to the hospital, he
it
moment.
childhood well, then that unlived
butterfly catching,
young man of twenty runs
wrong with
are missing this
gap will be there.
not lived
childhood will enter into
has to be lived.
thinking about
missed will create perversion because you will
always lack something;
If a child has
start
completely.
If
he
has grown, the
in his
childhood
lives the
mind
is
lagging behind.
— he was not allowed
childhood completely he
40
will
to
be-
The Seven-Year Cycles of Life
come
a
hood.
He
will
young man.
beautiful, fresh,
childhood
will shed the
come out of it
man and he won't
He
fresh.
as a
snake sheds
its
He
old skin.
have the intelligence of a young
will
look retarded.
Live youth completely. Don't
just
uncontaminated by the child-
ancient authorities,
listen to the
drop them out of the way. Don't
them
to
listen
—because
they have
killed youth, they are suppressive
They
youth.
some
society
will spread
all
of
and
are against sex
against sex then sex
is
over your
life, it
Vou
if
nave to be
living natural lv tih
will
mom.cnt. The next
become
poison. Live
Between
est
Enjoy
it!
and
fourteenth
the
twenr\--nrst year a
it!
boy
peak of sexuality. In
is
at his
tact,
high-
near the
moment
out of
it
II
will com.
on
its
own.
Just as a child grow?
of seventeen or eighteen he
age
and becomes a youthreaches the peak of sexuality.
Never
again will he be so potent, and if
those
moments
are missed
he will
never achieve the beautiful orgasm
that could
there
is
no need to
plan for
one
it.
simplv becomes;
it
is
have been achieved near
natural
it
happens.
the age of seventeen or eighteen.
I
am
m a dimculty continuously,
because the
society- forces
twenty-first year
—
that
you
to
remain celibate
means the
sex. learning sex. entering sex will
greatest possibility
be missed.
By the
twenty-one, twenty-two, you are already old
cerned.
Near the age of seventeen you were
at
4i
to the
of achieving
time you reach
as tar as
the peak
so powerful, that the orgasm, the sexual orgasm,
up
at least
sex
is
con-
—
so potent,
would have spread
MATURITY
your very
to
cells.
Your whole body would have taken
And when
eternal bliss.
don't say
ciousness,
I
am
saying
it
Sex
to
I
for people
it
who
for people
Superconsciousness
.
.
have read your book but
You
can you?
I
am
say sex can
.
become samadhi, supercons-
who
have missed the time, and
is
it
for
it
are seventy,
remember!
saying
who
tor
it
I
free.
in the
am
cupboard or
things at
people
women, he
it
why everybody
— what
ugliness!
is
He
the most ugly thing in the
to
will not
He
throw
become
— but you
are
go on
feeling
what
neurotic.
Rubbing
thing has remained unfulfilled in you.
looks with lustful eyes, there
way
them and not
find a chance to rub against a
lust in his eyes.
will not look
bottom pincher. These things
tolerating
never miss
will
in the Bible.
not go out of his
will
a
Once you
he
not hide ugly, obscene pictures
are seventeen.
happening,
He
He
sex.
Playboy and Playgirl magazines.
ugly, simply ugly
is
allowed to
people
will
who
is
sex, absolutely free sex,
be completely
at
dont say
a child
never bother about
will
I
listened
between the ages of fourteen
have free
become samadhi,
you
responsible and
and twenty-one
say sex can
And
cannot be replaced.
it.
If
superconsciousness,
From
we never achieve anything like this." How
to
I
my book
About
I
men come to me and they say, "We
not responsible; your society
cn
remember!
are seventy,
are seventeen.
old
bath of
a
is
woman's body you
against a
body?
And when
— some-
an old
nothing compared to
that;
man
it
is
world when an old man looks with
His eyes should be innocent now, he must be
42
—
by now. Not
finished
am
not saying sex
and sex
season,
when
ease
it
old man."
is
beautiful at
is
beautiful, sexual.
If
vitality-, life.
An
and
life,
is
a dis-
between
missed the op-
now
he cannot do
anything, but he goes
trie
ages
fourteen and
an empty-
He
immature.
portunity-
time and
old man.
ot
life,
own
people say "dim-
shows unlived
sexual,
its
—
dirty.
is
A young man
He shows
something ugly, remember
in a ninety-year-old
is
It
Sex
ugly.
is
is
ugly out of season, out of time. Sex
is
why
man. That's
that sex
I
on
twenty-one a
allowed
thinking,
rambling in the mind about
to
cfiild
have
is
free
absolutely free
sex
sex. fan-
sex, fie will
never
tasizing.
Remember, between
ootner about
the four-
teenth and the twenty-first year a
nght
society- will
dom
for sex.
He
free.
sex.
less
The
forget
sexual automatically; be-
a certain
live sex
disease will not
when
it
when
Playyirl mazarines.
time there will be no
the
the
He
be there
moment is npe and
moment has
that
lived:
if you
you can do only
uvjv. obscene pictures
cling,
it
wifl
become
a
You
wound
tfie
cupboard
or
have
in
otherwise you cannot forget
and you cannot forgive.
will not fiidc
gone.
in
But
will not
then society will
look at Playboy and
become
yond
He
will te completclv
allow absolute free-
And
sex.
tfie
Bible
will
inside.
In the East don't listen to the authorities, whatsoever they say.
Listen to nature
—when
nature savs
43
it is
time to love. love.
When
MATURITY
nature says
it
is
time to renounce, renounce.
And
don't listen to
the foolish psychoanalysts and psychologists in the West.
ever refined instruments they have
ers
— and
— Masters and Johnson and oth-
however many vaginas they have been
examining, they don't
know
They themselves
voyeurs.
snows
An
He
vitality, life.
to
who
life,
He
immature.
bothers
Who
when
is
hap-
woman makes
a
What non-
bothers?
now
But when things go perverted
then these types of things happen.
Now
missed the
opportunity and
ill
an
sense!
life,
— watching what
pening inside
love?
empty
are
watch one thousand vaginas with
instruments
old man, sexual,
shows unlived
are
is
about sex; otherwise
beautiful, sexual.
Mas-
suspect that these
I
and Johnsons and Kinseys
terses
young man
and
testing
life.
In fact
A
Howso-
the
Masterses
and Johnsons
have become the experts, the
authorities.
If
he cannot do
you
are
final
having any
sexual problem, then they are the
anything hut he goes
final
on thinking, ramhling
the
in
authority to go to.
And
I
sus-
pect they have missed their youth,
they have not lived their sex
mind about
life
rightly.
Somewhere something
is
lacking
and they
it
sex.
through such
And when
a
thing
is
in the garb
Now they have made false,
thing.
penises go
to find
on throbbing
what
is
inside,
tricks.
electric penises,
and those
electric
and they go on trying
whether orgasm
44
fulfilling
of science, you can do any-
in the real vaginas,
happening
are
is
clitoral
or vag-
Tfie
Scvcn-^/ear Cycles of Life
inal.
or what hormones are flowing, what hormones are not flow-
ing,
and
end
how
long
a
woman
— on her deathbed
a
woman
In fact their suggestion
make
means
Why
forty-ninth
the
after
do they say
can
—
woman
love.
menopause
Even
on the
woman can
J**
that? Because, they
if she is
a
year.
a
suspect that these
I
always afraid of getting
is
pregnant.
make
say to the very
that
before the forty-ninth year
say.
They
love.
that after the
is
than ever
better love
make
can
pill,
Alasterses and
no
K insevs
nsons an J
pill is a
is
a
hundred percent proof: there
By
fear.
when
menopause comes and the
the
period stops, then there
woman
completely
is
tions
free.
women
ahout
who
watching what
happening inside when
— without any
also,
they go on
saying the same thing.
They have
come
across a
year can
of sixty!
man who
make love
Something
He
out of my
woman makes
a
men
is
is
is
it is
responsibility.
for
tothcrs to watch
with instruments—
and the authority sanc-
In fact they say that then
And
otherwise
one thousand vaginas
because they are un-
the right time to enjoy
sex/
ill
If their
women
men
Thcv
themselves are
fear: a
vampires, and old
now
it.
no
going to
will chase
afraid
is
are
teaching spreads
become
arc vovcurs.
the forty-ninth year,
Who
love;
bothers*
in his sixtieth
man seems
five times a day. This
wrong with
his
hormones and
not natural, because
as
I
see
own experience in many lives,
45
I
it
his
to
be
a freak.
body. At the age
— and
this
I
am
saying
can remember them
—by
MATURITY
the forty-ninth year
As
interest goes.
it
?
natural
comes,
it
man
women;
not interested in
is
goes.
Everything that comes has to go. Everything that
fall.
Every wave
when
goes.
that arises has to disappear, there
goes. At fourteen
it
But
man making
a
something
rightly.
When a boy
man of eighteen
When
treated.
something
is
comes;
a
has
It is
is
man of sixty
must be
a
time
it
the age of sixty
wrong;
his
body
is
end of impotence, the other
the other
desire,
at
very, very
of fourteen does not
no
arises has to
forty-nine cr thereabouts
at
love five times a day
wrong. Something
is
not functioning
extreme.
it
the
something
needs to
feel
is
make
any
sex, or a
wrong
— he
young
has to be
love five times a day,
wrong. His body has gone berserk;
it is
not functioning
rightly, naturally.
If
von
live in the
A
for the future.
youth
— flowing,
moment
is
is
vital, alive, a
wild ocean of energy.
you
settled,
calm, and
to a religious inquiry:
you
brings
renounce
all
to meditative
that
is
that
By
if
you
is
A
just junk, garbage.
becomes garbage; only one thing remains always,
and
worry
a right, ripe
is
life?
Living
calm and quiet
moments. Meditation brings you
now,
useless
to
A rightly lived
quiet life. A calm
What
not enough, one has to penetrate the mystery.
life
no need
childhood brings you to
brings
life
then there
rightly lived
youth brings you to the very
and quiet
totally
The whole
to
life
eternally valuable,
your awareness.
the time of the seventieth year,
lived everything rightly, in the
tor the future,
are ready to die
moment, never postponing
never dreaming for the future, you lived
the
moment whatsoever
you
will
it
was
now
death
is
it
totally in
— nine months before your death
become aware. You have
can see that
when you
coming.
46
attained so
much
awareness,
you
Seven-Year Cycles
Trie
Many
L.-fi
have declared their deaths ahead of time, but
saints
have not come across
a single instance
when
the death was declared
before nine months. Exactly nine months before, a
uncluttered with the past
ness,
because one
who
.
I
man of aware-
.
.
never thinks of the
future will never think of the past.
They
A
and fu-
are together; the past
ture are together, joined together.
When you
think of the future
it
man who
lives in
moment, now and
this
is
here,
not cluttered
is
nothing but the projection of the
past;
when you
think of the past
with
it is
is
— they
are together.
outside of both
in this
—
The
present
man who
a
moment now and
cluttered with the past
here
future, remains
lives
no burden to
clut-
tered with the future, he remains un-
burdened.
He
unturdene 1
I,
as
not
is
and not
and not
past
cluttered with the
nothing but trying to plan for the future
trie
fie
He has no burden to carry,
carry,
moves without
weight. Gravity
he moves without weight. The grav-
doesnt affect him. In
itation doesn't affect
doesn't walk, he
Before he
is
flies.
He
dies, exactly
before, he will
death
him. In
fact,
he
fact,
has wings.
nine months
become aware
that
and he
will
he
he doesnt wall<,
flies.
He
has
wings.
coming.
And he
celebrate
will enjoy
and he
will say to people,
only for a
little
while longer on
my home.
This
life
learned, lived
has
much,
I
been
am
this
"My
ship
is
bank. Soon
coming, and
I
will
47
I
am
be going to
beautiful, a strange experience.
enriched.
I
I
loved,
had come here with nothing
MATURITY
and
I
am
going with
be thankful to
wrong
right,
all
much
happened
that has
much
experience,
— good and bad
both, because from everything he learned.
from wrong
also
—
he came
sages that
He
maturity."
across,
will
both, right and
Not only from
he learned from
them, and sinners, yes, from them
They
also.
him
robbed
en one
thankful to
all
friends
and
enemies helped
ready to
who were
who were
people
helped,
who
people
helped,
helped him helped. People
is
who
helped. People
all
— everyone
helped.
die,
Summer and winter,
celebrating for this
opportunity that one
satiety
everything helped.
ger,
thankful to
When
was given, death
and hun-
One
can be
all.
one
is
all
and
this
op-
thankful to
ready to die, celebrating for
becomes beautiful.
portunity that one was given, death
Then death
enemy,
not the
is
it
the
is
the
greatest friend because
it
is
becomes
cause
it is
it is
Then
death
is
not
the greatest friend be-
the crescendo of
life.
It is
the highest peak that
life
achieves.
not the end of life,
it is
the climax.
It
the crescendo of
is
life,
beautiful.
enemy,
It
is
the highest
looks like the end because
It
peak that
have never
life
has
achieves.
known
known
life it
life
—
to
appears
as
one
you
who
the very
crescendo, the very peak, the highest
peak.
Death
it;
is
the culmination, the fulfillment. Life does not
in fact life flowers in
of death
one has
it
—
it is
the flower. But to
to be ready for
it,
48
one has
know
end
in
the beauty
to learn the art.
THE MATURE
RELATIONSHIP
DEPENDENCE. INDEPENDENCE. INTERDEPENDENCE
have
Love canwhat
happens
One
three dimensions.
that's
is
to the majority
is
that of dependence;
of people. The husband
dependent on the wife, the wife
is
dependent on the
husband; they exploit each other, they dominate each other, they
possess each other, they reduce each other to a
ninety-nine percent of cases, that's what
That's
why
which can open the
love,
is
commodity.
happening
In
m the world.
gates of paradise,
opens only
the gates of hell.
The second
sons.
possibility
is
love between
two independent per-
But
that too brings misery,
That too happens once in
because there
are so
is
a
while.
constant conflict.
independent and nobody
is
No
adjustment
is
possible;
both
ready to compromise, to adjust
with the other.
Poets,
artists,
independence,
thinkers, scientists, those
at least in their
freedom looks more
freedom, looks more
as if
live in a
kind of
minds, are impossible people to live
with: they are eccentric people to live with.
the other, but their
who
give freedom to
like indifference than like
they don't care,
49
They
as if it
doesn't matter to
MATURITY
them. They leave each other to their
seems to be only
own
spaces. Relationship
superficial; they are afraid to
other because they are
more attached
to their
go deeper into each
freedom than to love,
and they don't want to compromise.
And
the third possibility
is
of in-
terdependence. That happens very
rarely,
Poets, artists, thinkers,
scientists, those
but whenever
of paradise
who
falls
it
happens
on the
a part
earth.
Two
persons, neither independent nor delive
a kind of
in
pendent but in
independence, at least
tremendous syn-
chronicity, as if breathing for each
one soul
other,
their minds, are
in
a
whenever
impossible people to
that
in
happens,
happened. Call only
live with;
love
this love.
has
The
they are
other
eccentric people to
live with.
two bodies
They
just
two
are not really love, they are
arrangements
logical, biological,
give
The
freedom to the other,
third
is
—
social,
psycho-
but arrangements.
something
spiritual.
hut their Freedom
NEEDING AND GIVING,
LOVING AND HAVING
looks more like
indifference than
lil<e
freedom.
C.
S.
these
"gift-love."
first
The
he
calls
Abraham Maslow
Lewis has divided love into
two
kinds:
also divides love into
"deficiency-love" and the second he
distinction
is
significant
The "need-love" or
"need-love" and
and has
two
calls
kinds.
"being-love."
to be understood.
the "deficiency-love" depends
50
The
on the
Mature Relationship
Trie
other;
You
it is
immature
use the other,
love. In fact
not truly love
it is
you use the other
as a
means.
manipulate, you dominate. But the other
almost destroyed.
same
is
And
So
unloving.
love;
it is
human being
very
is
only appears like
it
a false coin.
need.
exploit,
you
reduced, the other
is
He
inate you, to possess you, to use you.
use another
a
dom-
trying to manipulate you, to
To
You
it is
exactly the
being done by the other.
is
is
—
But
this
is
Interdependence
happens very
rarely,
tut whenever
it
what
happens a part of
happens to almost ninety-nine percent of people because the
first
lesson
paradise
falls
Two
on the
of love that you learn is in your child-
earth.
hood.
neither independent
A
child
persons,
born, he depends on
is
nor dependent tut in
the mother.
His love toward the
mother
"deficiency-love"
— he
a tremendous
needs the mother, he cannot survive
synchronicity, as
is
a
He
without the mother.
mother because mother
fact
it is
not really love
is
loves the
— he
other, one soul in
The mother
eats. It is
is
will
a sort
fill
up
todies— whenever that
happens, love has
his need.
happened.
of food that he
not only milk that he gets
from the mother,
it is
love also
of people remain childish
grow
two
will love
him, whosoever will help him to sur-
whosoever
treathing for each
his life. In
any woman, whosoever will protect
vive,
if
all
in age but they never
— and
that too
is
a
their lives; they never
grow
51
need. Millions
grow
up.
They
in their minds; their psychology
MATURITY
remains juvenile, immature. They are always needing love, they are
hankering for
it
like food.
Man becomes
needing.
He
starts
mature the
moment he
overflowing, sharing; he
sis
starts
With
cU<U
remain
With
totally different.
is
The empha-
starts giving.
the emphasis
A4illions of people
loving rather than
on how
is
the
first,
to get more.
the second, the emphasis
how
on
is
how
to give,
how
to give unconditionally. This
more, and
to give
is
.,11
A
growth, maturity, coming to you.
their
they never
lives,-
mature person
qrow
TU
up.
Qrow
grow
ture person has
Then you can be
pendent.
love
immature.
TU
is
not
blooms
arc
in a
deep
to appreciate
fragrance,
like
Food.
beauty,
its
suffers?
It
does not
It
it is
It
make any
irrelevant.
goes on offering
too
I
will
goes on blooming,
be
as
It
its
difference
it
it,
nobody
joy,
It
nobody
as
when
I
am
52
flower
a
know
its
say
taste
its
to share
to the flower?
dies?
It
becomes panicky?
It
simply goes on blooming.
its
passes
by or
fragrance to the winds.
joy to God, to the whole.
loving
a state.
by and
to
whether somebody
goes on spreading
to
to pass
nobody
what happens
suicide?
it is
with nobody
forest
nobody
"beautiful,"
not;
Then
not.
is
a relationship,
they arc hankering !or
It
or
is
What happens when
always needing love,
commits
loving
psychology
remains juvenile,
it
ma-
their minds,-
in
licit
mature
Then love is not de-
it.
whether the other
t
a
person can give, because only a
age out they never
in
Only
gives.
with you.
If
I
am
It is
alone, then
not you
who
Tke A4ature Relationship
my
are creating
love. If you
my
when you
are
love out,
am showering it on you
I
gone
my love,
were creating
You
love will be gone.
—
this
then naturally,
are not pulling
"gift-love,"
is
it is
my
"being-
love."
And
C.
Lewis and Abraham Maslow.
S.
The
don't really agree with
I
first
not love,
love that they
it is
a need.
be love? Love
"love"
call
How can a need
a luxury. It
is
is
A4an becomes mature
tke
moment ke
starts
abun-
is
loving ratker tkan
dance.
It is
having so
you don't know what
you
so
share.
It
is
much
to
sing
is
them
—whether anybody
also
you
you
will
The
other can have
it
will
to
ke
it is
as far as
flowing;
con-
are
different.
first,
Witk
tke
tke empkasis
is
on kow to get more.
WitK
tke secon
empkasis
give,
flowing whether you are there or
They
totally
I
the
overflowing.
Rivers don't flow for you; they are
don't flow for your
thirst,
they don't flow for your thirsty
fields;
not.
is
then
the other can
it is
Tke
starts giving.
empkasis
listens
you
starts
listens
have to sing your song,
it,
He
overflowing, skaring;
have to dance your dance.
—but
cerned
needing.
it,
many
you have
not relevant. If nobody
miss
do with
having so
songs in your heart that
that
life
is
on
kow
kow
to
to give
kow
more, and
to
give unconditionally.
they are simply flowing there.
can quench your
miss
—
that's
up
thirst,
to you.
for
your
field, it is
you can
The
the river was just flowing.
You
river
It is
was not
really
accidental that
accidental that
you can
53
flowing for you,
you can
get the water
get water for
your needs.
MATURITY
When you
moment you
ence
is
depend on the other there
depend, you
slavery.
Then you
start feeling
start
is
The
always misery.
miserable because depend-
taking revenge in subtle ways, be-
cause the person
you have
to
depend
upon becomes powerful over you.
How
Nobody
can a need
erful
Love
love?
luxury.
I
a
is
t
abtindam
over them, nobody
And
freedom.
is
having so much
— love
freedom;
needs space,
it
so
do with
to
you
snare.
The
It
with
interfere
in
it.
When you
it,
other has not to
It is
very delicate.
are
dependent the
will
try
dominate the
to
other. That's the fight that goes
on
They
are
between so-called
you have to sing
lovers.
intimate enemies, continually fight-
Husbands
ing.
them- whether
are they doing?
and
wives
Loving
—what
very
is
rare;
listens or not
fighting
is
needs ab-
it
songs
your heart that
anybody
of
flower
a
is
other will certainly dominate you,
is
and you
many
having so
kills
life
you dont know
what
be
likes to
love cannot flower in
dependence
solute space.
that
be pow-
to
dependent because dependence
IS
t
anybody
likes
b<
irrelevant.
is
ception.
to
the rule, loving
And
dominate
in every
— even
is
an ex-
way they
through
try
love
they try to dominate. If the husband asks the wife, the wife refuses,
she
is
reluctant.
luctantly, she
She
very miserly: she gives but very re-
is
wants you to
the case with the husband.
wag your
When
him. the husband says that he
is
54
tail
around
And
so
is
need and
asks
In the office there
was
the wife
tired.
her.
is
in
The A4 a
too
much work, he
go to
is
t
really
u
Relationship
r e
overworked, and he would
sleep.
These
are
ways
pendent. Naturally,
because the
man
is
—
that
his
is
women
are
more diplomatic about
she
is
is
in every
He
superior.
of an
He
at stake.
Down
the
woman
he
that
is
has always tried
A man
than him.
does
more educated than
is
does not want to marry
than him, because a
taller
woman
woman who
is
too
looks
much
because then she argues, and argument can destroy
A man does not want a woman who
then he becomes secondary.
for a
the
lesser
does not want to marry a
intellectual,
power.
taller
is
is
the
The man
woman who
a
him, because then the power
way
men
than
He manages
stronger.
is
mind of
not powerful.
not want to be married to
woman who
powerful.
is
it
need not find subtle and
power. Muscularly, he
woman who
to find a
He
already powerful.
centuries he has conditioned the
more powerful and
becomes more and more de-
so that he
cunning ways to be powerful, he
money
make him
to manipulate, to starve the other, to
more and more hungry
a
like to
And down the
is
very famous, because
centuries
man has asked
woman who is younger than him. Why can't the wife be older
than you?
enced
—
So
women
lesser
What
is
wrong? But an older
that destroys
woman
more
is
experi-
power.
man
has always asked for a lesser
have
lost their height.
There
height than men, no reason
because only the smaller
is
no reason
at all;
woman was
woman
for
—
that's
them
to
why
be of
they have lost their height
always chosen.
By and by
the
thing has entered in their minds so deeply that they have lost their
height.
They have
was not needed; an
prised to
know
lost intelligence
intelligent
because an intelligent
woman was
a freak.
You
that just in this century their height
55
will
is
woman
be sur-
increasing
MATURITY
again.
Even
their
bones are becoming bigger, the skeleton is becom-
ing bigger. Just within
their brains are also
fifty
years
growing and becoming bigger than they used to
be, the skull
With
is
becoming
en you dont have
you
other to give
power
you are a beggar.
And
the other
asking you to give
to
him or
When you
is
need to be very in-
Women
direct.
you,-
didn't have power.
a substitute.
powerful
feel
to her.
—
is
they
that
is
man was
were
continu-
two beggars
ously in need of them. This
spreading their hands
before each other, and
both are hoping that
love, this
j
it
.
is
a bargain,
U
a
1S
and they are
constant struggle,
S.
Lewis and Abraham Mas-
low divide love
feel
defeated
and
feel
not
.
Naturally both
(inally.
is
continuously haggling over the price,
C.
the other has
both
that
The only way they could
needed, that the
N ow,
power you
don't have
have to be more diplomatic
it
had
already
he did not need to be very
so
clever, did not
to
it
conditioning has
Man
been destroyed.
the
asl<
bigger.
the idea of freedom for
women, some deep
love,
And
particularly in America.
.
.
.
cheated.
in two.
is
true.
say that the
I
just a
in two.
name,
Only
I
don't divide
first
kind of love
a false coin;
it
is
not
the second kind of love
is
love.
Love happens only when you
mature.
up.
You become
capable of loving only
When you know
that love
"being-love" or "gift-love"
is
not
— then you
56
a
when you
are a
are
grown-
need but an overflow
give without any conditions.
The Mature Re
The
need
you
a
onsh p
t
i
from
deep
for another, while "gift-love" or "being-love" overflows
from
You
have
to another out
and
it
it
lamp, the rays
light a
around you.
When you
And when you
other
is
are not,
you
to give
it
flooded
is
as
when
you don't have
that aura
around
you
ask the
it
to
when you
be repeated:
it
is
you have the aura of love
are,
don't have that aura around you,
ask the other to give
asking
One
spreading into the darkness. Love
start
other to give love to you. Let
you
of abundance.
moving around you, just
starts
When you
by-product of being.
love,
t
a person's
it.
you.
a
kind, the so-called love, derives
first
one mature person
with
I
to you;
him or
you
don't have
And
are a beggar.
to her.
Now, two
the
beggars
spreading their hands before each other, and both are hoping that
the other has
it
.
.
.
Naturally both feel defeated finally, and both
feel cheated.
You
can ask any husband and any wife, you can ask any lov-
—they both
had — you have
feel cheated. It
ers
if
it
about
it?
a
wrong
Your projection
has
according to your projection,
was your projection
projection,
that the other
what can the other do
been broken; the other did not prove
that's
But the other has no
all.
obli-
gation to prove himself according to your expectations.
And you
other, because the other
from you.
other,
You
and both were empty
alone, separate;
that love
would be flowing
—how can love happen? At
together. Before,
you used
the most
be miserable
to
now you can be miserable together. And remember,
whenever two persons
it is
the feeling of the
that
both were hoping love would be flowing from the
you can be miserable
dition,
was hoping
—
is
have cheated the other
are miserable together
it is
not
a
simple ad-
a multiplication.
Alone you were
feeling frustrated,
57
now
together
you
feel frus-
MATURITY
One
trated.
thing
w
good
the
is
good about
on the other
responsibility
that
is
point.
me, but the other
ith
One
nagging?
band
—
You
.
.
the other
can
What
.
Now
you have found
is
now you
to
a
wrong
is
wife
—
do with such
to
you can throw
a scapegoat.
miserable,
"Nothing
do with such
What
can throw the
making you
feel at ease.
has to be miserable.
ugly, a miser?"
the other;
—
in that
it,
nasty,
a
hus-
the responsibility
on
But misery remains, be-
v
comes
multiplied.
Now
this
any love,
the paradox: those
is
why
that's
they
in love.
fall
have any love, they cannot give.
mature person always
who
fall
And
And one
in love don't
because they don't
more
thing
in love with another
falls
— an im-
immature person,
because only they can understand each other's language.
ture person loves a mature person.
have
An immature
A ma-
person loves an
immature person.
You
can go on changing your husband or your wife
and one tunes, you
the
same misery repeated
repeated,
are not
it is
You
will
The
choose
at all. It
fall
when you
don't
tall
you can
thousand
woman
can change your wife, but you
going to choose the
new wife? You
come out of your immaturity
to
is
m
just like that. If
in love
are a
with
a
first
become mature. Then you
you
are twenty-five years
baby two years
it is
It
does not happen.
going to be meaningless.
58
attract
of age,
old. Exactly like that,
mature person psychologically,
love with a baby.
see that
again.
type of woman again.
problem of love
is
and
but the same misery
mature partner; then immature people will not
will rind a
you don't
You
is
choice will
a similar
same type of
in different forms,
— now who
The
basic
—
almost the same.
changed
will choose.
you
will again find the
a
spiritually,
It
you
cannot happen,
TLc Alatorc Relationship
In fact a mature person does not
he
rises in love.
The wend fall is not right- Only immature people fall:
they stumble
and
rail
tall
in love,
down in love. Somehow they were managing and standing.
—they
Now
they cannot manage and they cannot stand
find a
woman and they are gone, they find a man and they are gone. They
were always ready
on the ground and
tall
to creep.
They don't
ri:*:r?"r. :he snr.e: :hev
:r.e
r.i'.t
to
don't have the integrity to stand
ilo::e.
A
rity to
ir.i:ure person, his :~e
be alone.
The
ta>ic
pror!cm
o(
And when a mature
!cve
to hr>t
i>
become
person gives love, he gives without
any
strings attached to
^ her.
;ve>.
he
love,
i
—he simply
mature
yon
it
will
r.irizt rer>:r. ^ives
feels grateful that
you have
accepted his love, not vice versa.
ui
a
mature
partner: then
He
immature people will
does not expect you to be thankful
for
—
it
no. not at
all.
not attract vou at
he does not
He
even need your thanks.
al!.
It is just Idee that.
thanks
you for accepting his love. And when
two mature persons
of the
are in love,
greatest paradoxes
one
of hie happens, one of the most beautiful
phenomena: they are together and yet tremendously
are together so
other to
They
much so that they are almost one, but their oneness
does not destroy their individuality
become more
alone.
individual.
become more
Two
tree.
—
in fact,
it
enhances
it.
they
mature persons in love help each
There
is
no
politics involved,
no
di-
plomacy, no effort to dominate.
How
can you dominate the person you love? Just think
59
it
MATURITY
over
— domination
a sort
is
think of dominating
a
person you love?
You would
person totally
give
will
That's
en two mature
persons are
in
How can you
of hatred, anger, enmity.
free,
love to see the
independent; you
him more
why
I
call it
individuality.
the greatest par-
much
adox: they are together so
they are almost one, but
love,
that
in that
still
oneness they are individuals. Their
one of tke greatest
individualities are not effaced
paradoxes oi
life
— they
have become enhanced. The other
happens, one
has enriched
dom
most beautiful
is
them
as far as their free-
concerned.
Immature people
falling in love
phenomena: they arc
destroy each other's freedom, create
together and yet
a
tremendously alone.
They
Mature
a prison.
persons in love help each other to be
they help each other to destroy
free;
are together so
all
nuch
bondage, make
sorts
of bondages.
And when
love
so that they are
flows with freedom there
almost one, hut their
When
oneness does not
there
is
love flows with dependence
ugliness.
Remember, freedom
destroy their
beauty.
is
value than love. That's
is
why
higher
a
in India,
individuality.
the ultimate
means
higher value than love. So
if
love
is
we
call
"freedom."
moksha; moksha
Freedom
destroying freedom,
worth. Love can be dropped, freedom has to be saved
a
higher value.
And
it is
is
not of
— freedom
without freedom you can never be happy,
not possible. Freedom
is
the intrinsic desire of each
60
a
is
it is
man, each
The Mature Relationship
woman
comes
—
utter freedom, absolute freedom.
destructive to freedom,
one
starts
So anything
hating
that be-
it.
Don't you hate the man you love? Don't you hate the
you
You
love?
hate!
It is
a necessary evil,
you have
woman
to tolerate
it.
Because you cannot be alone you have to manage to be with somebody, and you have to adjust to the other's demands.
tolerate,
you have
to bear
You
have to
them.
Love, to be really love, has to be "being-love," "gift-love."
"Being-love" means
a state
of love
when you have known who you
Then
you
the fragrance spreads and
to
is
have
are,
then love
you can give
you don't have? To
give something that
requirement
—when you have
it
arrived
arises in
your being.
to others.
give
it,
home,
the
How can
first
basic
it.
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
My suggestion
never before
that marriage should
is
it.
Only
if
happen
after the
honeymoon,
even-thing goes right, only then marriage
should happen.
Honeymoon
after
marriage
is
very dangerous. As
far as
I
know,
ninety-nine percent of marriages are finished by the time the hon-
eymoon
way
finished.
is
to escape.
body
—
Then
is
the
Then
against
whole
you
But then you
the
if
whole
you
are caught, then
society
—
you ha\e no
the law, the court, every
-
leave the wife or the wife leaves you.
morality, the religion, the priest, everybody
is
against you.
In fact society should create
all
barriers possible for marriage
and no barrier for divorce. Society should not allow people
61
to
marry
MATURITY
The
so easily.
two
for
Right
ried,
court should create barriers
—
with the
you
years at least, then the court can allow
now
woman
to get married.
they are doing just the reverse. If you want to get mar-
nobody
asks
whether you
a
whim,
he a! lowed
cannot
live
at
own
one's
foolish-
with just a
two days
nose will be forgotten
together long enough
just
is
like the
woman. What
beautiful nose. After
to live
it
you
just because
One
ness!
persons should
whether
are ready or
nose of the
Two
live
— who
wife's nose?
the
looks
The
wife
never looks beautiful, the husband
to
hecome acquainted,
never looks beautiful; once you are
familiar with eaeh
acquainted, beauty disappears.
Two
other. Before that,
even
if
persons should be allowed
to live together long
they want to
come
enough
to be-
acquainted, familiar with each
get married they
other. Before that, even if they
should not be
allowed
to get married they should not
Then
Then
lowed.
be
al-
divorces will disappear
from the world. The divorces
divorces will
want
cause marriages are
exist
wrong and
be-
forced.
disappear from the
The
world.
are
divorces exist because marriages
done
A
are a poet
— and poets
are not
in a
romantic mood.
romantic
known
to be
mood
is
good
if you
good husbands or good
wives. In fact poets are almost always bachelors; they fool around
bur they never get caught, and hence their romance remains alive.
They go on
writing poetry, beautiful poetry.
get married to a
woman
or to
a
62
man
.
.
.
One
in a poetic
should not
mood. Let
the
The -Mature Relationship
mood come,
prose
is
Because the day-to-day
settle.
no longer
romantic
a
together with
not hoping that there
be heaven,
hopmg
is
One
far
it is
life,
one understands
accepts
all
those difficulties and yet
One
only going
is
One
roses.
not
is
knows
nonsense: one
tough,
but
all
understands
one understands the problems of being
life,
person.
a
One
fool.
decides to live with the person.
to
One
reality
rough. There are roses
should not get
man
have become
of these problems and
cide that
it is
be with
a
still
worthwhile
you de-
prose
and
to risk
riages will
love
never
then
One
mood
settle.
come,
Because
Marriage can
is realistic.
what people
And
call
It
times, but don't
life
is
more
poetrv.
like
kill
prose than
like
romantic
puppy
should not depend on
nourishment.
the day-to-day
Then mar-
love, because
kill
only romantic love.
is
mood. Let the
poetic
alert to
;
love
a
person rather than to be
alone, then get married.
this
in
thorns.
When you
all
woman
married to a
and few in between: there are
or to a
many
more
should become mature enough. Maturity means that one
the responsibility of
is
life is
than like poetry.
like prose
One
then
may be just
depend on
it.
love.
One
like ice
it.
should not think about
cream
Life has to
—you can
be more
eat
it
realistic,
it
as
some-
more
prose.
And
marriage
itself
brings out whatsoever
is
never destroys anything. Marriage simply
hidden in you
hidden mside you. marriage brings
63
it
—
it
bnngs
out. If love
it
out. If love
was just
a
is
preten-
MATURITY
sooner or
sion, just a bait, then
your
opportunity, so whatsoever
is
has to disappear.
you had within you
not destroyed by marriage. Love
who
is
don't
And
a
something
is
come
will
then
know how
not;
is
is
an
out.
destroyed by people
is
Love
to love.
destroyed because in the
love
Love
it
your ugly personality comes up. Marriage simply
reality,
Love
later
first
you have been
place
living in
dream. Reality destroys that dream.
Otherwise love
is
something
eternal,
eternal, part of
part
eternity.
il
If
you grow,
you know
trie
art
and you accept
trie
realities of love
life,
of
know
the art and
alities
of love
it
comes
joes on
if
you
you accept the
life,
then
a
it
re-
goes on
tremendous opportunity
there,
it
feeling
becomes a
is
love. If it
that in
first
most
cases
place.
it is
is
my
goes on growing. But
there in the
tremendous
to
into love.
Nothing can destroy
growing every Jay.
M amav?e
you grow,
growing every day. Marriage be-
grow
then
eternity. If
not
You misun-
derstood yourself, something else was
opportunity to grow
— maybe
sex was there, sex ap-
was
Then
there
into iove.
peal
there.
it is
going to be
destroyed because once you have
made
appeal disappears. Sex appeal
have tasted the body of the
disappears. If
is
love to a
only with the
woman
woman
then the sex
unknown
— once you
or the man, then the sex appeal
your love was only sex appeal, then
it
is
bound
to
disappear
So never misunderstand love for something
64
else. If love is really
T
love.
.
.
What do
.
fi
W aturc
c
mean when
I
being together you
other
heart
.
your
.
something
.
you
heart,
say "really love"?
in
singing in
into
harmony.
Just the very presence of the other
you
helps
come more
tered,
be together: you be-
to
more cen-
individual,
more grounded. Then
I
mean
that
suddenly happy,
very presence of the
your
starts
fall
feel
feel ecstatic, just the
something deep
fulfills
I
of the other you
just being in the presence
just
Relationship
it
Love
not a passion
is
love
is
not an
emotion. Love
a
is
is
very deep
love.
Love
not
is
an emotion. Love
you
understanding that
a
is
very deep un-
somebody somehow
love
is
somebody somehow
derstanding that
completes
not
a passion,
The
a full circle.
presence of the
other enhances your presence. Love
freedom
gives
to
be yourself;
it is
not
possessiveness.
So watch
— never think of
Be
alert,
you
and when you
start feeling
nothing
presence
else
is
— nothing
The
presence of the other
presence.
be deceived.
pure
a full circle.
as
with someone that just the presence,
the
Somebody makes you
enhances vour
sex
will
love, otherwise
completes you.
Somebody makes
you.
Love
gives
freedom to he
yourself;
it
is
not
else,
possessiveness.
needed; you don't ask
anything, just the presence, just that
the other
is,
is
enough
flowering within you,
you
are in love.
And
to
a
make you happy
.
.
.
Something
starts
thousand and one lotuses bloom, then
then you can pass through
65
all
the difficulties
MATURITY
that reality create^.
Many
able to pass through
anguishes,
more
And your
love,
anxieties
become
those situations will
all
by overcoming them,
will
is
eternity. If
it
is
there, then
be
chal-
grow more and
goes on growing and
it
growing. Love knows the beginning but does not
PARENT
child can be
know
AND CHILD
a
deep meditative love. Meditative love means
melting into each other's beings, not just the bodies.
your egos, your
religions,
simple and innocent. If a child
your ideologies
is
are a
few things
that
It
aside
means put-
—becoming
conceived by such parents, then
the child will not be conditioned at
There
the end.
born not only through biological sexual intercourse
but also through
ting
will
strong.
Love
A
—you
of them and your love will be flowering
all
more and more, because
lenges.
many
all.
you have
give any proofs for them, they are
to understand
beyond
proofs.
—
I
cannot
Only your ex-
perience will give you the proof.
For example, the biological organism
itself.
It
transcends in certain
most cherished
have
known
love without
call
in the
human mind,
self,
You
can use those
to
jump
moments you
is
That moment
we
the most precious
gift
it.
moments of freedom, melt-
There
is
no
into meditation than orgasm.
66
moments
an utter silence and peace;
orgasm. Biology gives you orgasm; that
ing, disappearing, for meditation.
are the
because in those
counterpart, hate, following
from blind biology.
which
capable of transcending
moments. Those
freedom, an expanded
its
is
better space
Two
from
lovers feeling
Mature Relationship
Trie
one soul
two bodies
in
.
.
everything has stopped for the
.
moment,
even time has stopped. There are no thoughts, the mind has
stopped.
You
your simple
are in
isness.
Those
are the
spaces
little
from where you can get beyond biology.
you have
All that
to
know
is
that this
is
what meditation
is:
timelessness, egolessness, silence, blissfulness, an all-pervading joy,
overwhelming
ecstasy.
This has happened through bi-
Once
ology between two persons.
you know
that
aloneness too,
My
can happen in your
it
you just have
those conditions.
to
My own
fulfill
own
understanding
man came
standing
that
is
man came
moment
life
comes
that
there
is
that
know
to
know
to
about meditation through sexual orgasm, because in
is
under-
about meditation
no other
so close to
med-
through sexual
orgasm, because in
itativeness.
there
life
But
sex.
all
They
are for meditation but they
experience that will lead you to
So they have created
humanity
but
— not only
spiritually
sex so
much
that pressure
finity that
moment,
no other
moment which comes
are not for the beginning, the basic
itation.
is
the religions are against
poor
that
med-
a
poor
materially
poor
too.
so close to
meditativeness.
They have conditioned your mind
under biological pressure you go into
it,
you cannot experience the orgasmic freedom,
suddenly becomes available to you
—
against
but in
the in-
the eternity in the
the depth, the abysmal depth of the experience.
Because
man
has
been deprived of orgasmic
61
blissfulness
he has
-
MATURITY
knowing what meditation
become
incapable of
what
the religions want, that
talk
it.
all
about
read about
it,
it,
... All that will create
listen to lectures
it,
frustration in
existential base,
can prove that
if
on
you because you un-
derstand everything about meditation intellectually, but
have any
that's
you never become meditative—
do research on
more
And
is.
you don't
not even a drop of the experience that
the drop
is
there, the
ocean
also
must be some-
where.
The drop
is
the existential proof
of the ocean. Biology
is
far
more
compassionate than your churches,
Biology
nature,
it
is
your
synagogues, temples, and mosques.
has nothing
Although biology
It
Mohammed.
nas given you
it
everything possible
that
is
It
Biology
has given
sible that
is
needed
My whole life
swer me,
existential
proof
only words.
You
not so
your nature,
you everything pos-
ing against idiots.
talk
is
to
reach to a supernatural
supernatural state.
you
it is
has nothing but compassion for
you.
needed to go
higher, to reach to a
simple:
blind,
blind as your Moses, Krishna, Jesus,
out compassion for
you.
is
my
I
go higher, to
state.
have been fight-
They cannot an-
argument, which
is
about meditation but you will have to give some
in
human
will
life;
otherwise, people will understand
have to give them something that can make
them aware of what is possible
—love made without any
guilt,
with-
out any hurry, without thinking that you are doing something
wrong.
You
will
be doing the best and the most right thing in the
world.
68
Trie
Mature Re lationsriip
strange to see that people can
It is
one but millions of people
when you
—but they cannot
place
You
love.
what can be more sacred?
beautifully,
ously
And
the
if
Do
as
.
.
.
two
i
Make love
And
create a
—— —
;
lovers
joy-
meet
Make
I
ovc only
as
it
There should be no
as possible.
hurry.
life
aesthetically,
as
are
— not
treat the
Creating
sacred.
as
should
you
guilt
create a child without
be in a meditative space.
are ready to
meditative atmosphere while
making
without any
the religions have been nothing but a calamity.
guilt. All
only
kill
in
when you
arc ready
to be in a meditative
And
space.
create a
such an atmosphere outside, and such
meditative atmosphere
a silent space within,
a soul
who
they will attract
while you are making
the highest available.
is
You give birth to a child according to your state of love. If a parent
is
should
love.
treat the place as
disappointed he should think about
sacred.
it,
that this
The
parents never created a possibil-
more evolved
higher and
ity for a
Creating
the child he deserved.
is
soul to enter into the
womb
life
.
.
.
what can te
more sacred?
—be-
Do
it
as
beautifully, as
cause the male sperm and the female
aesthetically, as
egg only create an opportunity for
soul to enter.
They
portunity for a
soul can
a
create the op-
body
so that
joyously as possible.
some
become embodied. But you
will attract only that kind
of
person that your sexual activity makes possible.
If the
sponsible
world
—
I
is
full
of idiots and mediocre people, you are re-
mean, parents
are responsible.
69
They never thought
MATURITY
about
their children are accidental.
it,
crime than to create
Prepare for
it.
There cannot be
a bigger
a life accidentally.
And
the most essential thing
is
to understand the
orgasmic moment: thoughtless, timeless, mindless, just
awareness. In that pure awareness
The way you
are
making
love,
you can
it is
Gautam Buddha.
attract a
strange that
more Adolf Hitlers,
Mussolinis, Stalins, Nadirshahs, Tamerlanes, Genghis
You
attracted.
attract
only mediocre people.
pure
a
You
Khans
are not
don't attract the
lowest either, because for the lowest your love has to be almost a
rape.
For the highest, your love has to be
The
the
have
from the moment the soul
child's life begins
womb.
If
it
has
come
into a meditative space,
without conditioning him. In
a child
a meditation.
fact, a
enters into
it is
child
possible to
who
is
born
out of meditation cannot be conditioned; he will rebel against
it.
Only mediocre people can be conditioned.
And
couple
a
who
capable of meditativeness while
is
no ordinary couple. They
love
is
The
child
is
a guest
bound
itude that,
to with
"You have chosen
be re-
Your respect, your love, your grat-
us as
your parents,"
will
be responded
deeper respect, more gratitude, more love.
love a person,
When you
love a person,
protection.
When you
a
to
child.
who are not respectful to their children
to destroy their lives.
And when you
be just
be respectful to the
from the unknown, and you have
spectful to the guest. Parents
are
will
making
you cannot condition him.
you give him freedom, you give him
love a person,
you would not
like
carbon copy of yourself, you would like him to be
individual.
And
ditions,
the challenges that provoke his potential.
all
You
will
to
make him unique you
not burden
will arrange
all
a
him
to
unique
the con-
him with knowledgeability, because you
70
/Mature Relationship
Trie
would
a He.
like
Unless
You
You
is
a
him
it is
—
tell
a
it is
not seen God.
you and you
experienced by you,
him
Any borrowed
never the
it is
truth
is
truth.
more and more
things.
that there
lies,
because you have
lie,
Your
parents lied to
are repeating
turn to your child.
it
in
The
your
Your parents con-
ditioned you, and what
A
the truth himself.
will help the child to experience
will not
God
know
to
your
is
child
a guest
is
from the unknown,
life?
and you have
to he
long misery from cradle to grave.
Do you
be just
respectful to the
want your
child's life also to
a misery, full
guest. Parents
of suffering, anx-
iety, despair?
There
are not respectful to
only one statement in
is
whole Holy Bible
the
against.
The
who
am
not
"God
can
that
statement
is,
I
their children are
hound
their lives,
forgive everything, but not despair."
Whoever wrote
it
man of immense
understanding.
must have been
to destroy
a
respect,
God
^our
your love,
your gratitude
that,
cannot forgive only one thing, and
^ou
that
is
despair.
ing in despair
spair
is
is
your
is
as
you
will help
rejoice, laugh, enjoy, dance.
your parents, will
he responded to with
self-destruction.
child,
have chosen us
liv-
— God or no God, de-
a reality. It
If you love
him
But everybody
deeper respect, more
But
gratitude,
just the opposite
In
my house
used to be that
of
me by
in
my
childhood,
when some
sending
more
love.
being done.
is
me
it
guest was
somewhere.
71
coming they used
And
the
moment
to get rid
they started
"
MATURITY
talking about sending
doctor because
have had
I
"Nothing doing.
choose
my
cancer,
it
I
said,
And
embarrassed.
know my
cold and
least this
The
days,
know
I
time
I
I
would
the doctor;
cannot go
I
say,
will
— cold or
that will spoil their
eating, suddenly
I
whole
and you
to the house,
may be some important
guest
made them
I
person, and
are
feel
may
I
relationship.
started laughing.
But the guest was shocked.
are
many
they were naturally afraid, because
guest.
'Why
have to go to see the
"But why?"
that
said,
I
difference.
knew
I
that
know somebody is coming
do something
Once,
—
cold for so
a
time to go. At
said, "I
afraid."
I
makes no
They
me somewhere
The whole
family
something was bound to happen, because there was
He
said,
"Why are you laughing?"
"Laughing needs no cause. In
you
all
sitting
with long
value; long faces don't have
come, even people
in
don't understand what
my
is
faces?'
any value
a
fact,
I
should ask you,
Laughter has an
at
all.
And
since
intrinsic
you have
family are looking very sad, serious.
wrong with you.
Do you
I
create this kind
of atmosphere wherever you go?"
I
may suddenly
guest and
in the
I
to
my
start
parents
dancing.
would
know
the exact spot
say,
I
was dancing
"You can go out and play."
where
to dance. If
you choose
go out, you can go and have your stupid conversation
means nothing! Talking about
all
conversation between the
stop suddenly, because
middle of them. They would
said, "1
The
know, even
I
know. What
— which
the weather and the season
is
.
.
.
you
the point?"
In polite conversation people never discuss subjects that are
controversial because that
may
create
cuss only noncontroversial subjects
some antagonism. They
—
the weather.
.
.
.
dis-
Naturally,
Trie
there
it is
/Mature R e
no controversy about
is
t
on
i
it is
I
am
i
cold,
p
cold; if
it is
hot,
it is
dancing here only to make you realize that you are
wasting your time. Better join
A
child
who
Even
if
me
in the dance!"
not conditioned
is
But
to the parents.
if
a
many ways
in
is
no harm. Their
is
because
a Christian, or a
all
a seeker,
Jew, or
these religions have
than enough.
It is
time for
all
tomorrow they
will
a
Hindu, or
done
free,
future.
a
Mohammedan,
much harm
so
—
it is
more
the religions to disappear from the
that miracle
happen be-
be young people, mature, and they will
not be Christians and Hindus and
just seekers; seeking will
unknown
is
not a believer. They will not
Unconditioned children can make
planet.
cause
him be
will help
make him
child
unique being. They will help him to remain
remain open, to remain available to the
They
embarrassing
they love, they will be ready to do anything.
brings embarrassment, there
it
growing into
be their
Mohammedans. They
religion. That's
a sannyasin: searching, seeking, inquiring
all
s rt
hot.
"And
to
If
it.
a
I
is
my
will
be
definition of
his religion. Beliefs stop
inquiry.
Share with the child
all
your experiences. Make him aware
he was conceived in a very loving orgasmic moment,
great gift of existence.
of your
life,
And you have
to
make
that love
is
a
love the central point
because only through love can you step beyond blind
nature into the world of supernature where no blindness
where you become
Yes,
that
it is
exists,
a seer.
possible to have an unconditioned
not possible through biology alone.
It is
and
free child,
but
possible if you are coura-
geous enough to make your love your temple, your place of meditation.
Then you
will
be attracting
73
a soul already
having the
MATURITY
And
potential of uniqueness.
then give him every possibility for
freedom, even
if it
goes against you.
The freedom of your
valuable, because
y our
ture of
days arc past—
matter
it
your child
it
days are past
matter
if
What have you
What
past?
You
have you gained hy
gars.
to
^ou
are empty,
gained by the
you
j
beg-
be empty and beggars? That's what
is
trying to
do
—
to re-
produce copies, carbon copies.
you want
your children also to
are
Do you want your children also
every parent
Do
— what does
are
empty, you are
heggars.
the fu-
the future goes against
you?
the past?
is
if
the future goes
against you(
more
is
mankind.
Your
what does
child
And
remember, existence accepts only the
originals.
Carbon copies
are not ac-
ceptable in existence.
he
empty and
Let your child have his original
beggars? Thats what
face.
every parent
to
is
trying
do — to reproduce
It
may
create fear in you,
it
may
create concern in you, but those are
your problems. Don't
in
any way in-
copies, carton copies.
hibit the child.
And
remember,
existence accepts only
the originals.
a
been given freedom
his
own
parents
forever, will
forever.
is
—
unforgivable.
~4
child
who
— even
has
against
will respect
you
remain grateful to you
Right now, just the opposite
the case: every child
rage, hatred for the parents, because
is
And
is
full
of anger,
what they have done
to
him
—
The AAature Relationship
So by giving freedom, by allowing the child to be himself what-
him
ever that means, accepting
you
who
are creating a child
been not only ordinary
and
solutely certain that
will love
fathers
leads,
it
You
and respect you.
have
and mothers, you have been givers
He will
of life, freedom, uniqueness.
his heart forever,
in his natural self wherever
his gratitude
carry the beautiful
toward you
will
memory in
make him
what has been done for-him, he has
ab-
do
to
for
the future generations.
If
spect,
every generation behaves toward children with love and re-
and gives them freedom
to
grow,
all
nonsense of the
this
generation gap will disappear. If you respect your children,
are friends to
It
is
your children, no generation gap
you
to say, "Unless
rooted. ... If
will
are part
Because
basic things. Gurdjieffused
it
Wherever you
It is
it
are,
you
and forgive
tree.
You
parents,
will feel a
it.
are
little
Parents are
out of them that you have
of them, a branch of their
parents,
something very deep-
is
between you and your
never be able to forget
not just a social relationship.
you
possible.
is
good communion with your
persists
feel at ease.
will
one of the
life."
some anger
never
You
It is
are in
you have missed your
guilty.
you
always good to come to an understanding
WITH THE PARENTS.
you
if
still
come
rooted in
them.
When the parents die, something very deep-rooted dies within
you. When parents die, for the first time you feel alone, uprooted.
So while they
are alive, everything that can
so that an understanding can arise
be done should be done
and you can communicate with
them and they can communicate with you. Then
the accounts are closed.
Then when
75
things settle
they leave the world
and
— they
MATURITY
will leave
you
will
someday— -you
know
not
will
have
that things
feel guilty,
you
will
not repent;
They have been happy with
settled.
you have been happy with
you;
them.
The
the parents and
every generation
If
love relationship
them.
behaves toward
comes
It
somewhere
cMJ ren
and
with
ends with
also
it
starts
to a full circle.
the circle
If
broken, your
is
with love
whole being
and
respect,
them freedom
grow,
gives
One
to
one can communicate with one's
feels
own
this
all
remain uneasy.
will
tremendously happy
That
parents.
cult thing in the
when
the most diffi-
is
world to do because
nonsense of the
the gap
generation gap will
disappear.
If
think that
never
you
respect your
you
parents never
grown up
are
communicate with
"Don't do
that."
They never
friends to
take account of your
your children, no
generation gap
your
spect.
is
spirit,
They
you have
possible.
A
freedom and
your being ... no
take
ever the parent says
is
being
"Do
cut.
He
this" or
is
listened to them.
child feels very
and bigger.
with
your
It
"Don't do
being repressed.
that resistance continues like a
annoyed from
suddenly
that,"
He
he
when-
feels that his
resists, resents,
and
wound. The gap becomes bigger
has to be bridged. If you can
mother,
re-
for granted that
it
the very beginning, because
freedom
so they
They simply order you: "Do
you.
ren,
The
so big.
directly
this" or
you are
if
is
you
"6
will
bndge your
feel
that
relationship
the
whole
The A4ature Relationship
earth
bridged.
is
You are more rooted in the earth.
your relationship with your
They
are symbolic, representatives
the earth and the sky.
are at
home with
The
love relationsnip
lovc
relationshi
earth
sky.
starts
and
LOVE PLUS AWARENESS
EQUALS BEING
with
it
them.
trie
is
a
must
for spiritual growth.
And moreover,
mirror.
very
It is
who
difficult to
as a
know
you have looked
yourself unless
your face
love functions
It
comes to a
in the eyes
loves you. Just as
to
look into the mirror to see your
physical face,
you have
to look in the
mirror of love to see your
face.
Love
nourishes you,
it
makes you ready
ney,
it
being will remain
uneasy.
One
feels
tremendously happy
when one can
communicate with
spiritual
mirror.
spiritual
a
circle
broken, your whole
ones
is
If
at
of someone
you have
somewhere the
is
parents
also ends witn
full circle.
Love
the sky.
of
i
and the
can bridge
And man is like
which needs both the
a tree,
you
father,
If you
integrates you,
own
parents.
It
it
for the inner jour-
reminds you of your original
That
is
the most
difficult thing in the
world
to
do because
face.
In
moments of deep
are glimpses
of the original
though those glimpses
moon
night
love there
you
are
see the
the gap
is
so big.
face, al-
coming
moon
as reflections. Just as
on
a full
reflected in the lake, in the silent
77
—
MA
U
T
R
T
I
y
The moon
lake, so love functions as a lake.
the beginning of the search for the real
moon
seen the
real
the
moon
real
moon
is,
somewhere deep down
and again and you
will not find the
moon
Then one day
a reflection.
That
Then where
is
deep
the
it
is
the
at
will
—
dawn on you
will
a great insight
moon
that
the real
Love
you
frustrate
is
discontented.
possible, but
— and only
turning back to your
meditation.
m
search of the
who
started.
reflections
of the
moon
itself.
deep frustration
being.
Only
who
the possibility of
lies
lovers
who
will
It
know
the joy of
frus-
have never dived into the lake of love in
They
loves
But the person
So
make you more and more
will not deliver the goods.
it
moon
make you more and
love will
will
For
lake.
are never frustrated, will never look
in the sky.
The person
will
in
own
moon and
moon
example,
reflection
Those who have never loved and have never been
love, those
later.
moon is just
The reflection was there,
are reflections, not the
more
or
this
must be somewhere above the
fact,
the real
maybe
— then you can look upward.
love can never satisfy you. In
aware of what
where the
if this is a reflection? If it is a
— although they
dissatisfied,
is
there.
time you look upward, and the journey has
in the lake
to search for
come up empty-handed; you
love gives you glimpses of meditation,
trated
this
for the
bottom of the lake. You
the
to look in the opposite direction.
in the lake
first
go again and again into the lake
will
is
you have never
If
because in the beginning you will think
will dive again
you have
moon.
you may never search
reflected in the lake
moon. You
reflected in the lake
will
who
to
never become aware of it.
bound
is
up
to
become
does not love
—
religious sooner
the politician, for
cannot love any person, he loves only power
never become religious.
Or
the person
who
is
obsessed with
Mature Relationship
Trie
money
—who
love of
money
him
ficult for
beloved
—
become
will never
for so
many
reasons.
money and you
can have
money,
money, who knows only one
loves only
—
impossible,
will
try
to
you
possess
in
living
a
how
way, will
in
fight to the
It
it.
can
dom
is
not
Love
is.
as
is
make you
will
every
more and more aware
wants to lose their freedom.
Love
easy to possess
is
a
Nobody
last.
dif-
The
person?
resist
be very
will
can be possessed; you
Love
person will
living
It
You
fact.
but
possess,
Money
can possess
to possess
difficult
is
it
religious.
love, the
of
valuable as free-
a great value,
tut
wkat
it
is
possible,
will not deliver
but
the goods.
will
It
not higher than freedom. So one
would
would not
love.
be loving but one
to
like
like to
be imprisoned by
Hence, sooner or
later
you
You
try to pos-
and the more you
try to pos-
become
frustrated.
frustrate
only
you— and
in
deep
frustration lies
trie
possibility of turning
sess,
more
the
sess
impossible
love
becomes and the more the other
starts
less
tack to your own
being.
going away from you. The
you
possess, the closer
you
Only
know
trie
lovers
joy of
feel
meditation.
to the other. If
all,
if there
tween the
First,
frustration
is
you don't
possess at
freedom flowing be-
lovers, there
is
great love.
the effort to possess a person
you
will
is
bound
to
fail.
be thrown back on yourself. Second,
have learned not to possess the person,
79
if
In that
if
you have learned
you
that
MATURITY
freedom
to love,
than
higher value
a
is
then sooner or
love,
you
later
far
a
superior value
will see that
bring you to yourself, freedom will
freedom
become your
will
awareness,
meditation.
Freedom
is
another aspect of meditation. Either
freedom and you
and you
become
will
become aware, or
will
subtle bondage, but
They go
free.
it
is
start
together.
with
start
with awareness
Love
is
a
kind of
an essential experience, very essential
for maturity.
There
is
book The
gery Williams's beautiful
"What
of realness through love in Mar-
a beautiful definition
REAL?"
is
mean having
Velveteen Rabbit.
asked the Rabbit one day. "Does
it
things that buzz inside of you and a stick-out
handle?"
"Real
"It's a
isn't
how you
are
made,"
thing that happens to you.
said the
When
Skin Horse.
a child loves
for a long, long time, not just to play with, but
loves you, then
"Does
it
hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
said the
"When you
"Does
it
REALLY
you become Real."
"Sometimes,"
truthful.
you
happen
are
Skin Horse, for he was always
Real you don't mind being hurt."
all at
once, like being
wound
up," he
asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't
"You become.
happen
It
who
once," said the Skin Horse.
takes a long time. That's
often happen to people
edges, or
all at
who
break
easily,
why
it
doesn't
or have sharp
have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the
80
The Mature Relationship
time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved
and your eyes drop out and you get loose
off,
in the joints
and very shabby. But these
things don't matter at
all,
because once you are Real
you
be ugly, except
can't
who
to people
derstand
Real,
real
.
you
.
.
once you
can't
again.
It
Freedom
aspect of meditation.
are
Either start with
become unfor al-
lasts
freedom and you will
ways."
become aware, or
Love makes you
you remain
with awareness
start
real;
otherwise
just a fantasy, a
with no substance in
you
dream
Love
it.
substance, love gives
you
and you will become
gives
free.
They go
integ-
together.
rity,
it
is
loves
Love
a
is
makes you centered. But
land of subtle
only half of the journey; the
bondage— they go
other half has to be completed in
meditation, in awareness. But love
prepares
another
is
don't un-
you
for the other half.
together— but
it
an
is
Love
essential experience,
is
the beginning half and awareness
the ending half.
you
attain to
Between
these
is
very essential for
two
maturity.
God. Between love and
awareness, between these
two banks,
the river of being flows.
Don't avoid love.
but
if
you
Go through it,
are in love
it
with
all its
doesn't matter. In
81
pains. Yes,
fact,
all
it
hurts,
those hurts
MATURITY
strengthen you. Sometimes
wounds
those
make you
to
make you
grow
— and only
in the soil
— they have
world;
first
of love
of love.
in the soil
escape from the world out of fear will never
They can
sit
Himalayan caves
in the
together, they 'will not attain to meditation.
lives
sible
who
meditation.
to
attain
to challenge you, to
Love prepares the ground, and
the seed of meditation can
all
dangerous situations are necessary
sleepy. All those
alert.
So those
provoke you,
are necessary to
less
but
really hurts badly, terribly,
it
not earned
it.
First
not pos-
is
has to be earned in the
it
they have to prepare the
It
for
And
soil.
it
only love
is
that prepares the soil.
Hence my
its
challenge, accept
Don't avoid
It is a
its
dangers,
its
don't try to find
it,
struggle,
renounce the world. Be
insistence not to
it is
arduous,
a
wounds.
hurts,
task,
but that
it,
take
through
shortcut because there
an uphill
it is
Go
in
is
it.
none.
is
how one
reaches the peak.
And
the joy will be more, far
on the peak by
there
a helicopter,
ungrown; you
difference.
possibility
You
try
will
many
traps
possibility that
you
it,
it
will
not be able to enjoy
dangerous. Death
and so many
It is
is
not
enjoy
you may
free.
it.
is
possibilities
Out of one hundred
peak, the higher the joy
earn
you were dropped
it.
Just think of the
so dangerous
— every
of dying on the way, every possibility of never reaching
than being successful.
one
if
because then you will have reached
hard to reach Everest.
to the peak; hazardous,
step, so
more than
And
reach.
rises in
the
each
of being defeated rather
closer
Your
is
you come
only
to the
spirit soars high.
You
the
more
—you can be dropped from
a hel-
more you have
Then imagine
at
possibilities there
But the
you.
waiting for you
82
paid for
it,
The Mature Relationship
on the
icopter
stupid
silly,
will
You
top.
—what
you doing here? Within
are
be finished, you will
much
on the top and you
will stand
say,
"So
have seen
I
creates the goal.
The
goal
is
the end of the journey, the journey creates
journey
The journey and
the goal.
is
two
are not
is
it!
minutes you
There
is
nothing
here!"
The journey
end
five
will just look
The end and
things.
spread over
the way;
all
the
each
at
it
sitting there at
step.
The
the goal are not separate, they
means
are not
two
things.
The
means contain the end
the
all
not
in
them.
So never miss any opportunity of living, of being alive, of being
responsible, of being committed, of getting involved.
coward. Face
inside
you
Yes,
encounter
life,
it.
And
a
then slowly, slowly something
will crystallize.
it
takes time.
The Skin Horse
is
right: "Generally,
time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved
eyes drop out and
you
be ugly except to people
you
can't
off,
by the
and your
But
get loose in the joints and very shabby.
these things don't matter at
Real,
Don't be
all,
because once you are Real you can't
who
become
don't understand
unreal again.
It
.
.
.
once you are
for always."
lasts
It is
forever.
But one has
anything
free.
to earn
And
it.
if you
and the more you pay for
can
risk
your whole
will send
you back
meditation.
then
The
life
do get
it
the
repeat
it, it is
it:
it
in
life
useless.
more you
in love, great will
to yourself;
first
me
Let
you cannot
You
have to pay,
will get out
of it.
If you
be your attainment. Love
will give
you
a
few
reflections
glimpses of meditation happen in love.
a great desire arises in
you
get
of
And
to attain to those glimpses, not only
83
MATURITY
as
glimpses but
as ^cates, so that
can live in those
Love
forever.
states
gives
you
forever and
you the
taste
of
A
oving, orgasmic
meditation.
experience
A
is
the
of
experience of samadhi,
first
ecstasy.
thirsty.
is
make you more
will
It
Now you
possible
and
will
know what
now you
of ecstasy.
the
mundane. The
cred has reached your heart.
has touched
that
your
touch.
heart,
Now
God
you have
wt II
l<
possible
to
live
in
that
you would
moment
become
— and
man remains
unless
will
N ow
now what
you
life.
it
It
does
becomes,
cannot he
satisfied
mundane.
Tk
sac re
penetrated you,
sacre
as reac
discontented.
ove on the one hand will give
great joy
will give
you
is
and now you
your heart.
I
you
for-
moment
like that
become your whole
It
you would
wi
to
ever,
first
make you more
cannot be
sacred has penetrated you, the sa-
like
trie
experience of samadrii,
thirsty.
with
satisfied
felt
is
loving, orgasmic experience
and on the other hand
a thirst for eternal joy.
84
as
trie
U
STANDING AT THE
CROSSROADS
WHEN
TimeB
still
is
ETERNITY PENETRATES TIME
that in
which we
to
to
C
to
D;
from
A
to
B
and from
more A.
It
goes on upward.
most
B
to C.
The moment
is
It is
A
rare
when
to
is
more
when
A
from
vertical. It
is
from
It is
not
A
to
eternity
meditation has
when you have touched your
inner-
core.
Then suddenly you become aware
One
horizontal.
it is
happens only
it
reached ripening, maturity,
—
in a line. Eternity
it is
penetrates time, because
live
line goes horizontal
—
that
you
are a crossroads.
in other words, mediocre, ordinary,
The
meaningless, and leading finally to death.
horizontal line
is
continuously moving toward the graveyard.
have told you the
I
A
story, significant in
great king in his dreams
even in the dream.
The shadow
come just
the sun
is
to
He
ways:
shadow, and became
this
evening
will breathe
85
your
afraid
"What do you want-"
have not come to ask for anything.
inform you that
you
a
asked the shadow,
said, "I
setting,
saw
many
at
the right place,
last
I
have
when
breath. Ordinarily
I
MATURITY
come
don't
inform people, but you are
to
emperor;
a great
just
it is
to pay respect to you."
The emperor became
so afraid that he
could not think what to do.
to call
the wise
all
men,
The only
—
that
analysis
is
not true,
is
perspiring,
thing he could think of was
and to find out the
astrologers, prophets,
meaning of the dream. Dream
with Sigmund Freud
woke up
thought to have originated
it
em-
originated with this
peror one thousand years ago!
middle of the night
In the
wise men,
future
The
those
all
— dream
all
who were
readers
— were
the prophets of his capital,
the
concerned in some way with the
and told the
called together
was simple, but they had brought
story
all
story.
and
their scriptures
they started arguing with each other: "This cannot be the meaning"
or "This
is
bound
They wasted
servant
whom
very early.
my
The son was
this
the
emperor and
I
don't
I
is
want
One
this
thing
not very
to say
am not a
all
"Take
care that he be-
is
as a father.
two
nonsense
certain
is
—
And
The
But he was not
I
am
that's
that
one day
.
.
.
close to
You
have
not an astrologer
going on, scriptures
once the sun has
risen,
these people, the so-called
knowledgeable people, have never come to any conclusion
turies. Just in
servant
treated as
He came
things to you.
prophet and
away.
far
old.
respected
as
said, "I
know what
being consulted.
the sunset
he was very
he was almost
always listened to me.
and
too young, and his father had given the
servant and told him,
now
old
because his father had died
as a father,
successor and does not lose the kingdom."
had managed, and
a servant,
The king had an
time, the sun started rising.
he treated
guardianship to
comes
be the meaning."
to
in
cen-
they will quarrel, argue, destroy each
86
Standing
Crossroads
the
at
you cannot hope
other's arguments, but
come
that they will
to a
consensus, a conclusion.
My suggestion
"Let them have their discussions.
best horse in the
world"
the horse and escape
certain, that
It
was
—
from
here;
you should be
although very simple.
the great intelligent and wise people arguing
He
empire.
known of
And
And
that strength.
affinity, a
seems
You
death.
horse nodded his head.
their
will
have to take
And
so far away, there
And
as
—because
he
me
as far
That
away
fulfilled his
By
promise.
were hundreds of miles
is
no
fear.
You moved
for
got
down and was
neither had he eaten anything
said to the horse,
make arrangements
told about you.
between the
kind of synchronicity.
The emperor was very happy. He
nor the horse. So he
I
worth an
kingdom. They had entered into another kingdom
tying the horse to a tree
Now
a horse
my death is coming.
the evening, as the sun was setting, they
in disguise.
did not even
you can manage."
palace as
away from
much is
The emperor left
there was such a love
said to the horse, "It
shadow was nothing but
The
take
was very proud of the horse, there was no other horse
The emperor
this
the
away."
far
— they
he certainly had
horse and the emperor, such a deep
from
This
this palace as fast as possible.
logical, rational,
left.
— "you
those were the days of horses
you should not be
notice that he had
you have
is,
"Thank you,
your food, for
But you proved the
my
friend.
my food. We are
stories that
were
almost like a cloud, with such speed."
he was tying the horse to the
tree, the
dark shadow
appeared and said to the emperor, "I was afraid that you might not
be able to make
is
it,
the place and this
but your horse
is
the time.
is
And
87
great.
I
I
also
thank him
was worried
—
this
—you were
so
MATURITY
how
away,
far
could
manage
I
to bring
you? The horse served
destiny."
It
strange story, but
a
is
it
shows
you
ing horizontally, with whatever speed,
graveyard.
It
ing closer to us
— even
if
some
graves are
com-
you don't move, your grave
toward you. The horizontal
of time
line
is,
in
are goin
end up
will
moment our
strange that every
is
wherever you
that
is
moving
other words, the
mortality of man.
But
you can reach
if
to the center
of your being, the
silences
of your innermost center, you can see two roads: one horizontal,
another
vertical.
You
will
Christian at
tika.
That's
be surprised to
It is
all.
know
that the Christian cross
an ancient, Eastern, Aryan symbol
why Adolf Hitler, who was
the swas-
A
swastika
without knowing why,
lines crossing. In India,
the beginning of every year businesspeople will begin their
books with
s\\
astika.
a
But
swastika.
it
In a
in
two
sists
of
Christian cross
also represents the
izontal. Christ's
pointing in
The
same
not
thinking that he was of the
purest Aryan blood, chose the swastika as his symbol.
nothing but two
—
is
is
simply
a part
is
at
new
of the
thing: the vertical, the hor-
hands are horizontal; his head and
his
being are
a different direction.
moment of meditation you
directions
silences,
—
either honzontal or vertical.
blissfulness,
move
suddenly see that you can
ecstasies;
The
vertical
con-
the horizontal consists of
hands, work, the world.
Once
a
man
has
known
himself
crossroads he cannot be
as a
uninterested, he cannot be unintngued about the vertical.
izontal he
knows, but the
vertical
opens
a
door
to eternity
death does not exist, where one simply becomes
88
The horwhere
more and more
part of the cosmic
whole
—where one
loses
all
bondages, even the
bondage of the body.
Gautam Buddha used
is
What he was
pain."
line
pain.
Your
—
if this
a life
life is
pain, death
the horizontal
of
then su-
is all,
the only solution. That's the
is
pain,
move on
saying was that to
cannot be
life
dance, of joy
icide
is
be constantly miserable, in
to
is
to say, "Birth
moment
In a
of
conclusion the contemporary, West-
meditation you
ern philosophy of existentialism has
come
to
—
ddenly
the philosophy of Jean
and
meaningless.
others
—
And on
that
life
you
can move in two
Paul Sartre, Jaspers, Heidegger, Kierkegaard,
see that
is
directions— either
the horizontal
horizontal or vertical.
plane
it is,
because
it is
simply agony
and pain and disease and sickness and
oldness.
small
is
And you
are
encaged in
the
whole
vertical consists
of silences,
a
body while your consciousness
as vast as
TKe
blissfulness, ecstasies,-
universe.
the horizontal consists
Once
one
starts
That
the vertical
is
discovered,
vertical line does
not
mean you
have to renounce the world, but
certainly
means
that
you
does not
to the
start
mean
are
the world.
it
no more
world becomes ephemeral,
of the world, that the
It
of hands, work,
moving on the vertical line.
that
you have
to
renounce the world and escape
mountains and the monasteries.
—wherever you —
are
It
living an inner
before.
89
loses importance.
simply means that you
life
that
was not possible
MATURITY
now you become
Before you were an extrovert;
As
far as the
body
remembrance
be used
in
is
is
concerned you can manage very
there that
many ways
you
to help
you
move on
to
the
the vertical line.
penetration of the vertical line,
just a ray
of
light
coming
darkness of horizontal
the vertical
easily, if
But the body can
are not the body.
The
Once
an introvert.
your
into
life, is
the be-
ginning of enlightenment.
is
You
will
look the same but you
discovered, one starts
moving on the
vertical line.
That
not be the same. Those
have
a clarity
will
vertical line does not
who
will
of seeing, to them you
not look the same either
you
at least for yourself,
— and
never
will
look the same and you can never be
mean yon have
to
the same.
renounce the world,
hut
certainly
it
that
You
will
be
world
in the
but the world will not be in you.
means
you are no more
Ambitions,
start
desires,
evaporating.
needed
to
drop
jealousies
No
will
effort will
be
them, just your
of the world, that the
movement
wor Id t eeomcs
and they
on
start
the
vertical
disappearing
line
—because
they cannot exist on the vertical
ephemeral, loses
They can
importance.
exist
line.
only in the darkness
of the horizontal where everybody
in competition,
lust, full
of will to power,
somebody
On
become
a great desire to
everybody
is
full
is
of
dominate, to become
special.
the vertical line
all
these stupidities simply disappear.
so light, so weightless, just like a lotus flower
90
—
it is
You
in the
Standing
the Crossroad*
at
water, but the water does not touch
it.
You
remain in the world
but the world no longer has any impact on you.
you stan influencing the
world*
—not with
by your sheer being, your presence, your
grows
It
inside
will
touch people
who
And
conscious effort but just
grace,
who have an open
will
not
to convince themselves
it
—
all
it
will
make
windows,
all
in contact with such a person.
why
they are not coming in contact
But the
lies.
and
come
with such a person, they will find
thousand and one
your beauty. As
heart,
have lived with a closed heart
They
doors closed.
the contrary,
spreading around you.
it starts
people afraid
On
a
thousand and one excuses,
basic feet
a
that they are afraid to
is
be exposed.
The man who
If you
your
see
come
is
close to
you
ugliness,
moving
him you
will see
vertically
will see
becomes almost
your
a mirror.
—you
real face
will see
your continuous ambidousness. you will
your begging bowl.
Perhaps another
A
man.
story* will
help you.
morning, a beggar with a begging bowl,
early in the
The king used
entered the king's garden.
come
to
for a
—
was impossible to meet the king
morning
walk; otherwise
it
for a beggar, the
whole bureaucracy would prevent him. So he had
chosen a time
wanted to be
when
there
paracularfy
was no bureaucracy and when the king
alone, in silence with nature, to drink as
much beauty
and aliveness as nature was showering. The beggar encountered him
there.
The king
said,
"This
The beggar said,
ficult
give
"I
and for a beggar
me
an audience."
is
not the time ...
am a
it is
beggar.
I
don't see anybody
Your bureaucracy
impossible to see you.
I
is
.""
too dif-
insist that
you
MATURITY
The king jus" thought
you want?
and you
Just say
will get
He
of him.
to get rid
it.
"What do
said,
my
Don't disturb
morning
silence."
The beggar
said,
"Think twice before you
offer to give
me
something."
The king
place,
said,
"You seem
don't disturb
my
The beggar
And
peace.
Now
laughed.
a silence that
He
said,
to
fill
to think
I
peace that
is
my
saying
peace and
The king
it
is
He was
disturbed
is
not
certain."
And
what
I
saying something
"He
thought,
over, because
is
just a dream, not a reality."
begging bowl with anything and
does not seem
the beggar said again,
want
I
is
will go.
just for
But
it
you
has to
full."
The king
laughed.
He
said,
your begging bowl cannot be
told him, "Fill his begging
The
treasurer
surer.
are a
He
madman. Do you
bowl with diamonds, precious
And
It
was
a
and
stones."
Nobody
fills
the beggar reminded the trea-
unless the begging
here."
think
called his treasurer
had no idea what had happened.
"Remember,
move from
"You
filled?"
beggars' bowls with diamonds.
to
"A
disturbed
is
to be an ordinary beggar, that
want you
And now am
Don't disturb
it.
first
into the garden, insisting that
the king looked at the beggar.
"I
man. In the
silence."
of tremendous importance.
my
a strange
with the king.
to have an audience
whatever you want, just say
that
be
you entered without permission
you have
be
to
bowl
full
I
challenge between
a
is
am
not going
beggar and
a
king.
And
then there follows
a
very strange story. ... As diamonds
were poured into the begging bowl, the moment they were poured
in
they
would
disappear.
The king was
92
in a very
embarrassed
state.
Standing
But he
I
"Whatever happens, even
said.
cannot be defeated by
And
whole
the
Crossroads
the
at
beggar.
a
I
my whole treasury is gone.
if
have defeated great emperors."
treasury disappeared!
The rumor reached
the capital
and thousands of people gathered to see what was happening. They
m such a trembling,
had never seen the king
when nothing was
Finally,
bowl was
as
still
empty- as
derstand.
will
now
that
you have forgiven me
...
I
begging bowl.
would have
not
human
habit.
if
it.
but
you can
a
I
made
this
tell
begging bowl
a strange
It is
has taken the
it
begging bowl.
skull
to the feet
I
I
said.
found
me
—
I
human
begging bowl.
It
best,
will think
a
few diamonds
treasury."
"You need not be
a
my
the secret of your
-just
whole
of
did not un-
did
I
don't have anything else to offer you.
filled
a
skull
worried.
and out of the
has not forgotten
its
old
Have you looked mto your own begging bowl, your own
head? Give
It
fell
have to forgive me.
The beggar laughed and he
is
and the begging
have never thought about these things.
I
but
This
in the treasury
was before, the long
it
"You
the beggar and said.
left
nervous breakdown.
anything and
it
knows only one
it
will ask for
language, 'more.'
It is
more and more and more.
always empty,
always
it is
beggar."
On
the horizontal line only beggars exist, because they are
more and
rushing for
cannot get to
a position
are higher positions.
and the next
more.
You
fillable.
this
is
more cannot be
you want, but
For
moment
cannot
And
the
a
the
fulfilled
—not
moment you
moment maybe
a flicker
that
get
it
all
you
there
of happiness,
again the same despair and the same race for
fulfill
the idea of more.
It is
intrinsically unrul-
the horizontal line, the line of more and
more
and more.
\\~hat
is
the veracal line?
Of bemg
93
less
and
less
and
less,
to the
MATURITY
point of utter emptiness, to the point of being nobody. Just a signature
it
and
— not even on
sand, but
has disappeared.
it
sannyasin,
who
happy with
can be pure
his
on water; you have not even made
The man of the
immensely happy
is
vertical line
is
the authentic
being nobody, immensely
in
inner purity of emptiness because only emptiness
— who
is
absolutely contented with his nakedness, be-
cause only nothingness can be in tune with the universe.
Once
this
tuning with the universe happens you are no more,
in a sense
are
You
cannot
fulfil!
the idea of more.
It
!
the old sense,
no more. But you
you
are for the
first
time the whole universe. Even
tne
faraway
stars
are
within you,
your nothingness can contain them.
The
flowers and the sun and the
moon
.
.
.
And
unfulfillahlc.
existence.
is
line,
in
intrinsically
is
this
—
the horizontal
the line of
J
a no
i
more
more andj more.
your
i
«p
does not
peared.
and the whole music of
You
are
no more an ego,
has disappeared.
mean
On
ment your
that you
But
that
have disap-
the contrarv,
the
'
mo-
"I" has disappeared, you
have appeared.
It is
such a great ecstasy to be without the feeling of "I," with-
out the feeling of any ego, without asking for anything more.
more can you
ask?
You
have nothingness
—
in this
What
nothingness you
have become, without conquering, the whole universe. Then the
singing birds are not only singing outside you.
because
On
and
less
this
body
less
outside
creates the barrier.
the vertical line
and
They appear
body.
you become more and more consciousness
The whole
94
identification with the
body
disappears. In nothingness, these birds will be within you; these
flowers, these trees,
In
then there
fact,
vision.
And you
become your
and the
whole
is
than
a richer life
When
when
everything has
and the
stars
is
what more do you
.
be within you.
will
the sun
of time and space
.
morning
no "without." Everything has become your
and the
infinity
.
this beautiful
cannot have
within.
moon
within you
and
It
such a great
is
want?
ecstasy to be without
This
exactly the
is
enlightenment: to
existent as
meaning of
become
an ego that the
trie
non-
so
w hole
T
feeling of
I,
without the feeling of
oceanic existence becomes part of
any ego, without
you.
asking for anything
Kabir, a great Indian mystic, was
uneducated but has written such
mendously
One
of
statements.
significant
his statements
tre-
he corrected
before he died.
He had written when
he was young
a beautiful statement.
more,
more
can you ask?
You
have nothingness — in
this
It
was, "Just
as a
dewdrop
the lotus leaf in the early
from
have become, without
morning
conquering, the whole
slips
sun, shining like a pearl, into the
ocean ..."
happened
He
to
said,
lost in the
cosmos.
before dying,
"The same
me." His words
have been searching,
as
"Please change
my
universe.
has
are, "I
Rather than finding myself,
friend.
The dewdrop
he was closing
my
nothingness you
I
got
disappeared into the ocean." Just
his eyes,
statement."
95
he asked
his son,
Kamal,
—
MATURITY
Kamal
wrong
had always suspected that there was something
said, "I
in it."
And he showed him
had already corrected
ized
— had been done
"You
The
correction
already. That's
writing, in
which he
— even before Kabir
real-
why Kabir called him Kamal
Kamal means "miracle." And the man was
are a miracle."
He had changed
miracle.
I
it.
own
his
the line that Kabir wanted:
"My
a
friend,
was seeking and searching myself. Rather than finding myself
I
have found the whole world, the whole universe. The dewdrop
has not disappeared into the ocean but the ocean has disappeared
dewdrop."
into the
And when
is
simply losing
On
its
day,
A Zen
you
he would
say,
[e said, "I
said,
am
you
"What kind of nonsense
is,
but Rinzai
is
one reaches
not.' "
to this peak,
is
one
This
and
less.
You go
inward.
It
will
and
be
that
you can
the ultimate peak
He may
a great scholar,
is
is
in
accumulate
but that does
the essence of the
meditation.
a thought.
create a distance
96
is
the answer will
remain wandering
will
difficult to get
of your thoughts, but you are not
this?"
the ultimate benediction.
not help. Only one thing, a very simple thing,
religious experience,
is
moment when
waiting for the
much knowledge, he may become
the crowd,
less
up, before opening his eyes
dark pathways, blind, suffering, miserable.
whole
and
less
here?"
still
consciousness can reach. This
unless
and
no more.
are
"Rinzai, are
be, 'No. Existence
And
less
when he would wake
His disciples
human
you become
else.
Master, Rinzai, had a very absurd habit, but beautiful.
Even- morning,
I
boundaries, nothing
the vertical line,
And one
dewdrop
the ocean disappears into the dewdrop, the
out from the crowd
You
can get out of
between you and your
—
Standing
And as
thoughts.
the distance grows bigger, the thoughts start falling
have died
like leaves that
Crossroads
the
at
—because
it is
them nourishment.
the thoughts that give
them nounshment, thoughts cannot
thought somewhere standing by
And just
upeksha. Just
be created
And
bubbles.
Have you met any
exist.
—
word of Gautam Buddha
the
to a point
from where
is
stopped.
They simply
the
moment
all
to the thoughts
tunity
moment,
cannot be
"No.
the answer will be,
This silence
is
meditation
— and
cannot be
a Picasso,
all
nourishment
Who
it
is
you
that great, rare
is
not
this
here?"
still
oppor-
guy Rinzai?"
a talent.
Everybody
Rabindranath, a Michelangelo
a
those are talents. But everybody can be enlightened because
not
a talent;
And you
is
your
intrinsic nature,
remain unaware
will
The awareness of your
thoughts.
there
it is
nothing to prevent
it,
wiD
thoughts disappear, you will find
will wait for that great
when
a distance
is
disappear; they are soap
yourself in the same situation, asking. '"Rinzai are
And you
with
When you are not giving
be indifferent to the whole mind and
— and then come
identity-
itself?
be indifferent
try to
you and your
if
of which you are unaware.
you remain surrounded by
ultimate reality arises only
when
it is
there
is
when
nothingness surround-
ing you.
The
vertical line
istence, because
tality.
The
it
is
takes
rare. It
is
you on
flowers that blossom
perhaps the only rare thing in ex-
the journey of eternity and
on those paths
immor-
are inconceivable
the mind, and the experiences that happen are unexplainable.
a
very strange
eyes
show
vertical
field
way
the
man
by
But in
himself becomes the expression. His
the depths of his heart, his gestures
movement. His whole
life radiates,
of energy.
97
show
the grace of the
pulsates,
and
creates a
MATURITY
Those who
who
arc prejudiced, those
and concluded ...
I
are already determined
who
them. But those
feel sorry for
are open,
unprejudiced, have not concluded yet, they will immediately
And
feeling the pulsation, the radiation.
a certain synchronicity
man of the
happen between the heart of the
of one
who
is
The moment
pens, in that
Everybody cannot be
moving
start
These
a Picasso, cannot be a
start
vertical
can
and the heart
not yet
vertical.
.
.
.
the synchronicity hap-
same moment you
also
vertically.
words simply
are
to ex-
plain things that are not explainable
Rabindranatn, a
through words.
A4icbeIangeIo — those
are talents. But
THE LAWS OF AGING
everybody can be
enlightened because
it
Everybody
not a talent;
is
it
is
getting old. Since the
is
day you were born you have been
your
intrinsic nature,
of vv hick
getting
vou are
unaware.
old
— each
moment,
day.
Childhood
is
youth
—
age
because
just
it
old
a
terminates!
each
so
flux,
never
That
is
ends,
is
the
unique quality of old age, that
brings
you
dle age ...
to ultimate rest.
never
a
As
far as
I
But
just for
There are
many
in
if
you want
concerned,
youth, and never
know only one thing
eternal.
am
But
become
me
your sake
that
.
.
is
I
a
few laws
have never been
for
it
mid-
a child,
old and never will die.
I
absolutely unchanging and
.
laws about old age, because
98
all
over the world
Standing
And many
people become old.
is
this
Crossroads
thinkers have been pondering,
what
old age?
The
law
first
de Never's Last Law:
is
law can be the
age, the
which can be known
You know
on
ulate
the
at
The law
known
is
and the
last:
obviously about old
''Never speculate on that
for certain."
perfectly well
you
are getting old.
make you more
that will
it.
first
it is
beautiful:
"Never
now
miserable.
speculate
on
is
everything can be speculated upon, but not death.
door
which can be
that
for certain." In fact, except death nothing
just the
don't spec-
certain in
And
life:
old age
is
to death.
"Middle age
when you
is
begin to exchange your emotions for
symptoms."
"You know you
you
feel
is
when
are getting old
a girl says no.
and
all
relief."
"Old age
is
when you
start to
turn out the lights for economic
rather than romantic reasons."
"Old age
is
is
penod of life when your
that
idea of getting ahead
staying even."
"Old age
is
when you
can do just
as
much
as ever,
but would
rather not."
Old age
is
a
mysterious experience, but
tound by the western mind.
body
this
in the
way.
your
life
whole
On
I
literature
all
these laws have
been
have not been able to discover anyof the East talking about old age in
the contrary, old age has been praised immensely. If
has simply
aged, but if your
moved on
life,
the horizontal line,
you
your consciousness, has moved
are only
vertically,
upward, then you have attained the beauty and the glory of old
age.
Old age
in the East has
been synonymous with wisdom.
99
MATURITY
These
are the
two
youth
being, because being
has been always,
He
pidities.
be always.
will
Childhood
On
—
it is
a
the vertical line
longing to
except
tion;
it is
as a
skeleton.
as beautiful as
Youth
is
On
man
a little foolish
and wrong
— and
dies;
a
has
the vertical line
come
in. It is
it is
his
always,
it
youth, but the youth
is
the point from
is
is
all
kinds of stuis
a
oneself.
simply trembling, afraid of
a
darker.
graveyard and darkness
It
cannot conceive of
is
a celebra-
has ever been.
—
is
bound
all
come
is
where
a search for truth,
to be,
it
is
the experiences
to a state
keeping
not an end,
its
it is
inexperienced.
— good and
where
by anything concerned with body or mind.
Old age on
has remained
the vertical line, old age
But old age has passed through
guest to
know
on becoming darker and
itself
The man who
anything about
nothing but sensuality, sexuality, and
life
in quality
open up. The youth on the hori-
different dimensions
is
from childhood
whole of eternity.
innocent, but that
cannot think of anything except
it
affected
the
becomes
the horizontal line, old age
that goes
right
It is
to
be different from the youth on the hori-
is
The youth on
search for
death;
it
known
never born and never
is
vertical line will
zontal line
vertical,
incalculable.
has not
the vertical line the child
two
these
immense,
is
identified with his body.
zontal line.
is
young and then old and then dead
simply becomes
on the
from childhood
horizontal,
and to immortality. The difference
to old age,
of both the dimensions
On
is
to death; another
youth to old age and
to
one
paths:
door open
it
is
It is
a
bad,
no longer
welcome!
for the ultimate
the beginning of a real
life,
ot an authentic being.
1
lence,
old and
I
continually
make
the distinction
between growing
growing up. Very few people have been fortunate
too
to
grow
Standing
up.
The remainder of humanity
naturally they are
line does death
way
that
exist: that
when one becomes
dimension he has
beauty*, a
again
.
.
is
a
statement in
dhist scriptures that as
I
call a
On
a
true miracle
the horizontal
old age
line,
simply
is
tremolin^. alraid ol
Bud-
Buddha became
became more
older he
and
been noted again and
There
.
the vertical
m
compassion and love.
has
It
Only on
death.
— and
And
old
a grace
been growing old
the
is
to immortality-, to divinity.
naturally,
has only
moving toward
all
not
Crossroads
the
at
death.-
cannot think
of anvthin^ except a
beautiful. This
— not walking on
graveyard, and
Not
water, any drunkard can try that.
it
darkness which goes
turning water into wine, any criminal
can do
This
that.
on becoming darker
is
a true miracle:
Buddha became more
he was in
his
beautiful than
youth: he became
innocent than he was in
hood
—
and darker.
more
conceive of
except as a skeleton.
this
is
growth.
On
the vertical line,
missing the
old ajc
whole opportunity- of life. \\Tien you
celebration
vertical
line,
move on
you
are
the vertical line every day
beautiful as
are corning closer to
ther away.
life,
Then your birth
not
beginning of eternal
.
.
life.
is
it
a
is
man
as
has
far-
ever teen.
is
not the
beginning of death, your birth
ference
itself
his child-
Unless you are moving on the
you
cannot
It
Just
is
the
two
different lines
and so
much
dif-
.
The West
has never thought about
101
it:
the vertical line has never
MATURITY
been mentioned because they haven't been brought up in
atmosphere where the
real riches are inside
you. Even
a spiritual
if they
think
of God, they think of him outside. Gautam Buddha could deny
God
—
I
own
it
there
no God
absolutely
is
to turn inward. If
has to be found inside you.
eternity, in
To
—
we want you
son that
similar,
God
deny
ypur
own
think of oneself
God
for the simple rea-
or anything
exists,
has to be found in your
It
ecstasy.
body-mind
as just a
structure
is
the most
dangerous idea that has happened to people. That destroys their
whole
and
whole beauty, and they
grace, their
afraid
of death and trying to keep old age
In the West, if you say to an old
knows
she
she
for hours to
is
will
nobody
says to
old age
with
not deny
is
an old
it,
family,
when
1
me.
there,
will stand in front
of the mirror
and loved
a
is
I
used to go
When
I
came
On
so young."
that to say to
the con-
somebody, "You
kind of insult.
of one incident that happened.
much
at least
I
interested in a
was staying
palm
reader.
three times per year to their
each time.
Once
without asking they had arranged with the palm
come and look
the palm reader
let
young," and
stay there for at least three or four days
went
reader to
so
woman, "You look
and they were very
They loved me and
home and
as possible.
she will be immensely happy. In the East
so respected
am reminded
a
away
woman, "You look
no longer young, she
look younger than your age,"
I
as far
check whether any youthfulness has remained anywhere.
But she
trary,
are constantly trembling
know
to
was
at
my
hands and say some things about
about
it,
everything was already fixed;
sitting in the sitting
room. So
I
said,
"Okay,
us enjoy that too!"
I
showed him
my
hand; he pondered over
102
it,
and he
said,
"You
Standing
must be
freaked out, "This
At
man
that time
I
What kind of palm
stupid.
is
one of the daughters
was not more than
?"
reading
thirty-five
.
.
— even
.
a blind
could have measured the difference between thirty-five and
She was
eighty.
this
Of course
eighty years old."
at least
Crossroads
tKe
at
guy.
What
You
are
else
"You
said,
I
more
you
West
"I
am
finished with
can he know?"
don't understand.
westernized, educated
in the western style.
to the
and she told me,
really angry,
for
You
In the East
have been
your education and
what he was
can't understand
nohody
says to an old
woman, You look
so
saying."
She
It
was so
young
"What was he
said,
clear there
saying?
no need
is
to
A young man of thirty-
and he
five,
is
saying that
you
that to say to
are
You
somebody
told her a story about
Waldo Emerson.
erson,
"How
A man
Ralph
asked
so
is
respected and loved
eighty years old?"
I
trie
contrary, old age
understand; he was simply showing
his stupidity.
— on
Em-
look
younger than your
age
is
a kind of
old are you?"
insult.
Emerson
hundred and
said,
a
it
.
.
and he had always believed
.
man of truth! What had
he become
senile?
To make
Just
The man
sixty years."
could not believe
was
"Nearabout three
tell
happened,
a slip
that
Emerson
of the tongue?
Had
what you
said.
Or was he joking?
things clear he said, "I did not hear
me how much
?"
.
.
.
103
—
"
MATURITY
Emerson
"You have heard
said
it
—
hundred and
three
sixty-
years.
The man
said, "I
cannot believe
You
it.
don't look
more than
sixty years."
Emerson
"You
said,
three hundred and sixty, and
Perhaps he was the
horizontal and vertical.
East,
and he had
a
are right.
But
first
on the horizontal
western
He
man
I
have lived
even in three hundred and
able to live
sixty."
to use this expression
as
much
of
interested in the
have lived sixty
I
am
I
brought him closer to the
"Actually
said,
in sixty years
that
vertical
am
I
Emerson was immensely
few glimpses
of the Upanishads.
way: on the
are right in a
as
you
sixty years.
I
seers
years;
you
will not
be
have lived
six
times more."
The
ences.
vertical line does
And on
not count years,
the vertical line
is
not only immortality, not only
a feeling
experience of love without hate, the
the
first
whole
the
experience of meditation
—
first
the
it
counts your experi-
treasure
of existence
of godliness, but the
first
experience of compassion,
first
experience of the tre-
mendous explosion of enlightenment.
It is
not
a
coincidence that in the West, the
does not have the same meaning
the dark ages
like
came
as in
the East.
the age of enlightenment.
word
enlightenment
They
say that after
They
Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre, Karl Jaspers
geniuses.
dragging
They
it
refer to people
as
enlightened
don't understand that they are misusing
into the
mud. Neither
is
a
word,
Bertrand Russell enlightened
nor Jean Paul Sartre nor Karl Jaspers.
Enlightenment does not happen on the horizontal
in his old age Jean Paul Sartre
was
104
still
running
after
line.
young
Even
girls.
Bertrand Russell changed
long on the horizontal
age, his interests
The
were
his
wife so
young
stupid as
to
do with genius, has nothing
to
do with discovering your
It is
— and he
lived
to
real,
people's.
word
East understands that the
thentic being.
times
almost a century. But even in his old
line,
as
many
enlightenment has nothing
do with
intellect,
it
has something
au-
God
discovering
within you.
So you need not be worried
about laws. Those laws are
horizontal line.
On
all
on
Trie
the
word
enlightenment has
the vertical line
nothing to do with
there
is
no
love,
growing experience
more and more
and
the
is
genius, has nothing to
of becoming
and
spiritual
and
less
do with
more and more medi-
less physical,
tative
There
law.
and
less
less
intellect.
It
has something to do
mind, more
with discovering your
and more divine and
are so
On
feel
and
less
of
world in which
this trivial material
we
less
much enmeshed.
It
you
the vertical line, slowly
disappearing,
desires
ambitions
disappearing,
discovering
God
within you.
disappear-
power disappearing
disappearing
—
.
.
.
your slavery in
religious, political, national.
And
is
sexuality
ing, will to
an individual.
real, authentic being.
becoming one
is
aspects
You become more
with your individuality growing
minous, the whole humanity
all its
in
clear
and
your eyes
of
lu-
—you
cannot discriminate.
There
are great experiences
on
105
the vertical line;
on
the
hon-
MATURITY
zontai line there
He
lives in the past.
On the horizontal line the old man
only decline.
is
thinks of those beautiful days, those Arabian
nights
when he was young. He
when
there was
no
responsibility
butterflies. In fact, for his
terflies
— even
On
whole
that
there
He
man
is
man
The
psychology.
what happens
infatuated
things that
The
.
.
all
old
.
it is
He
.
.
man on
to think
imagines beautiful
past
come, the whole long
as
because
the hori-
— and what
women.
—
this
— he
has
no
is
no
the
past;
yesterday.
Seventy years gives
life.
wants to become big enough quickly to do
the big people are doing.
man
the same
has
no future
—
the future
means the grave
is
— he
means death, he does
The
talks
life
future
makes him
about the
past.
true about countries. For example, a country
never thinks of the future. That means
dramas of the
.
difficult
child thinks of the future because he has
He
now
because
continuously thinking
is
symptomatic. India always thinks of the
story
but-
you grow old
continuously thinking of the past
is
tremble, the future
like India
as
desires,
do but
not even want to talk about the future.
And
by
—
energy. So the old
no question of thinking of the
space.
after
after
only death. So you want to enjoy
has nothing else to
thinks of days to
him
he has been running
cerebrally sexual; he
there to think about?
old
is
lost the
becomes
of sex. The old
The
running
a child
although enjoying becomes
you have
zontal line
is
ahead there
possible,
as
physically
else
life
the horizontal line, that's
you know
and he was
in old age.
you become more and more
much
thinks also of those beautiful days
of
Rama
and
Sita,
past. It
has
become
It
old;
goes on playing
for centuries
every village performs that drama.
106
it
the same
goes on thinking
—
about Buddha and Mahavira and Admatha. and the Ragveda and
the Upanishads. Everything has passed.
waiting to die: there
is
no
Now the
of
— and
old man — ___________
mind of the
that
the idea
is
the best age was millions of years ago:
it
was
is
simplv
future.
According to the Indian idea
mentality, the
country
the old
.
called satyuga. the age of truth.
After that
man
started falling.
can see the psychological
The
You
the future, of the
parallel:
there are four ages: childhood, the
young man. middle
age. the old
child thinks of
golden future; the old
man.
man
thinks of the
According to these four he has prolife itself.
The first
age was innocent, just like
a child,
jected four ages for
very balanced.
ple that
it
They
give the
golden
past.
But
happens only on the
exam-
horizontal
On
line.
has four legs just like a tathe vertical line
ble, perfectly balanced.
decline
And
past
starts.
.
.
the
then the
golden, the
is
.
present
In India, the idea of evolution
has never existed, but
on the contrary
just the opposite idea.
The word
not even used in the West
future
golden, the
is
golden,
is
it
is
is
a
— you may
life
of tremendous
celebration.
word
not have even heard of the
but
this
m India they have been thinking
about devolution, not evolunon:
down." In the second
becomes
four
a tripod. It
less. In
stage
is still
"We
of the
fall,
one leg
balanced, but not as
the third stage
it
loses
107
we
are falling
lost:
the table
are shrinking,
another
is
much
lee:
now
as it
it is
was with
standing
/MATURITY
only on two
even two
legs, absolutely
legs are
And this is the fourth stage:
unbalanced.
not available; you are standing on one leg
— how
long you can stand?
The
stage
first
named by
simply
word
called satyuga, the age
the number;
The
legs are left.
is
treta is
third stage
is
of truth. The second
the third, because only three
And
Dwa
called dwapar.
— moving through many other languages
"two."
is
it
a Sanskrit
is
finally
becomes
it
the fourth age they have called kaliyuga, the age of
darkness.
We
of darkness
are living in the age
old man, that ahead there
—
this
is
the
mind of the
only darkness and nothing
is
child thinks of the future, of the golden future; the old
of the golden
On
past.
But
this
is
golden;
it is
a life
man
golden, the present
is
is
change
every
trains;
moment
there
is
line.
golden, the
of tremendous celebration.
So rather than being worried about the laws of old
about which line your
The
thinks
happens only on the horizontal
the vertical line, the past
future
else.
train
is
moving
on. There
is
age, think
still
time to
always time to change trains because from
that bifurcation
is
available.
the horizontal to the vertical; only that
108
is
You
can
shift, shift
important.
from
SYMPTOMS
THE STRANGER IN THE DRAWING
An
older
woman
ROOM
says she has noticed a change in her behavior that
she finds disturbing. "I'm aware of great anger sometimes, for not
much
reason. It passes over very quickly, but I
before.
Perhaps I always had
o,
but
It is
Every
every
woman
has a
.
happens
it
change.
it
a
.
?
after a
woman
has a
in the unconscious,
in the unconscious. Consciously
you
—and
use
woman so you use your female faculties
the
certain age that polarities
very subtle process.
man
man
.
was not aware of it
the
more you
and
are a
them
more exhausted they are. But the unused unconscious remains very
young and
and by
it
fresh.
When
the female part has been used too
becomes weaker and then
a
much, by
moment comes when
it is
so
weak that the unconscious male part becomes stronger than the female.
In the beginning the female was the stronger part
you were
woman,
a
woman. For example, you were
thirty percent
man
—
why
the thirty percent was repressed,
woman makes
weaker and weaker.
that's
seventy percent
forced into the unconscious by the seventy percent
tinuous use of the
—
A moment
this
conscious part weaker and
comes when
109
woman. Con-
it falls
below
thirty
—
MATURITY
— then suddenly the wheel
percent
becomes very
over.
It
never
knew about
become feminine
before.
it
as
strong,
and the stronger part takes
turns
and you are surprised because you
And
men
the same happens to
— men
they grow older.
Somewhere nearabout
the age of forty-nine, at the age of men-
woman
opause, the balance in
Once
changing.
starts
periods
balance
the
stop,
the monthly
starts
changing. Sooner or later one finds a
new
very
Everything that comes
has to go. Everything
One
strange.
coming
with
has always been there
ways been
disappear, there must
it
has never
denly
he a time
when
it
that,
room and
And
comes,- at forty nine
it is
Just
sits
it
tries to
it
has alIt
was
affairs;
Now sud-
in the
it.
possess everything!
Don't
it.
new
man nor woman.
It
attitude.
was
superseded by another
is
to accept
with
You
cannot repress
this
it,
don't
awareness
You will know that you are neither
also just a role to
be
a
woman
— now
role; the rejected part has surfaced.
it is
The con-
quered part has become the conqueror now. But you are neither
that's
why
this
game
is
it,
fight
become more and more aware of it, and
will bring a totally
drawing
powerful.
try to repress
now.
upstairs.
So the only thing
goes.
watch
it
—but
in the basement.
come
to
comes out of the basement
not only
it
.
it
goes. /\t fourteen sex
or thereahouts
.
This stranger
never part of your household
arises has to
.
know how
this stranger.
fall.
Every wave that
in
puzzled, confused,
is
because one does not
live
that arises has to
being
possible.
110
—
Symptoms
If you
were
really
completely a
You were
not take possession of you.
one day
it
was the female part
Now
the role.
the other part
women become more
so dangerous!
about
You
It is
You
it.
woman,
neither
woman
man
nor
was more powerful;
that
it
played
trying to play the role. All old
is
masculine
the male energies could
—
why
that's
mothers-in-law are
nothing can be done
a natural thing that happens;
have only to be aware.
have to watch and stand aloof
and see the whole game. Then a third
which
entity,
clear
—you
is
becomes
neither,
are just a witnessing
Old women
become
self,
more masculine— tkat s
j
a witnessing soul.
Maleness
ness
is
in the
wky motkers-inlaw
in the body, female-
is
body
—
the
are so dangerous!
mind follows
shadows, reflections. Deeper in your
It
a natural tiling
is
core, in the very core of your being,
you
are neither
—
tkat kappens, notking
neither
man nor
woman.
Now that fact has to be un-
can be done about
derstood
—once
^ou
can laugh
once
the
at
is
it
it is
understood you
whole
only kave to be
And
thing.
understood the whole
power of anger, of hardness,
appear.
it.
You
will not
will dis-
become
a
woman
again but
you
will not
be a
man either. You will become totally different.
And
this
is
what one
scendence, surpassing
really
— and man
of surpassing himself. That's
woman,
surpass
this role, that role,
all
is.
his
is
This
is
what
religions call tran-
the only animal
beauty
—
that
who
is
he can surpass man,
good, bad, moral, immoral.
and come to a point where he
111
is
capable
He
can
only pure consciousness,
—
MATURITY
just a
watcher on the
hill.
So don't be worried about
it
—
just
watch
Just be happy!
it.
MENOPAUSE-ITS NOT JUST
A
Deeper
in
in
the very core of
THING"
A forty-eight-year-old
your being you are
neit her
"GIRL
your core,
neither
nor woman.
says he
has a sexual block, which he experiences as
man
an unwillingness
to
he really wants when he
Now
woman. He has
that fact has to be
understood— once
man
say what
with a
is
noticed too, that his
sexuality seems to be on the decline.
it
is
This
understood you can
is
mm? Some-
the time,
where around forty-nine
years there
laugh at the whole
comes
thing.
And
once
it
is
menopause
or anger, olJ
very subtle but
pause
is
now
even
so.
men
for
too, not
women. The man's meno-
only for
understood the whole
power
a
there
research
scientific
This has been a
it is
known
says
fact for
hardness, will
Tantra for centuries
disappear.
sically
.
.
.
because ba-
the man's chemistry and the
woman's chemistry cannot be
different.
be
different,
but
it
cannot
that different.
When a woman becomes
teen, fourteen, a
it
It is
that
will
sexually mature
man becomes mature around
be very unfair
that the
around twelve,
the same time.
thir-
Then
woman has a menopause around forty112
—
ymptoms
nine and that
God
no menopause;
has
male chauvinist! That
also a
is
man
There is a difference with men
up
tected
now
to
— but within
unfair and that
is
—
that will simply
not possible.
why it has never been de-
that's
these past
is
prove that
few years much research has
been done and they have come to feel that there is a male menopause.
And just
as
the
eight days, a
woman
has the
monthly periods
after
each twenty-
man has periods too. For
woman
three or four days the
goes
into a depressive state, into a negative
state
—
so does a
man. But because the
woman's blood
need
to
visible there
is
wonder
so
much
is
about
no
It
will be very unfair
tkat tke
woman
has a
it
menopause around
and the woman knows that her period
man
the negativity and everything arise
and she becomes very dark, dismal
and tkat
forty-nine
has come, and that the depression and
kas no
menopause,? tkat will
inside.
simply prove tkat
Man's
release
not that
is
but a certain energy
month
also
—
visible,
released each
is
for three or four days a
becomes
a
man
victim of depression,
negativity. If you
keep
few months you
will
a
God
is
also a male
ckauvinist!
unfair
Tkat
and tkat
is
is
not
record for a
possitle.
be able to see
that exactly after twenty-eight days
you again become negative
for
no reason
to you.
closer
And
at all. Just
it
keep
a small diary
and
it
— out of
will
the blue,
become
clear
happens around forty-nine that menopause comes
— nothing
—but with
decline
for three or four days
to
be worried about,
it is
natural. Sexual energies
the decline of sexual energies, spiritual energies
in
MATURITY
can increase. If one takes
become
sexuality can
is
just accept
it.
And
it
in a negative
there
be so and don't think
it
in terms
—
of "blocks"
—
that will
be wrong.
If a
man
has to be
done
energy,
something
after forty-
feel a sexual decline,
then something
wrong. Something
is
—
that
moving upward, he
means he
is
not
stuck.
is
rising energies
And
of spirituality— because
a
is
Let
a block, then
is
nine does not
it
it.
just accept
it,
has to be done. If a
of sexuality can
sexual interest
feels a decline in sexual
then there
ming energy
it is
can prove a great blessing;
it
work upon
to
young man of twenty or twenty-five
become
—because
of uplifting your energies.
way
no need
is
spirituality
move upward. And when
a greater possibility
So don't take
of
rising energies
the same energy that can
lessens, there
then the declining energy of
a right step,
tne same energy
that can
in the
West
ment
upward.
become
has
problem, because in the West sex
seems to be the only
move
it
life.
So the mo-
sexual energy starts declining a
man
almost
East
we
feels
feel
he
is
dying. In the
very happy
when
the
sexual energy declines, tremendously
happy, because one
Nothing
to
one year things
you
will
color.
so
be worried about
will settle
will
like
—
and you
life
not be so
much
will
is
will
no block
come onto
be more
.
there.
.
.
and
that
and in
is
Within
a higher plane:
human
beings. In fact, to look at a
114
that nightmare.
men and women
like
men and women
— of human
there
and
in a different light
women. There
world rather than
world
finished with that turmoil
be able to see
Men
much
is
a different
will not
be
beings in the
a totally different
woman
as
woman,
Symptoms
man
at a
sex
is
as
man
no longer
is
not right
—but
a dividing force,
you
human
see
THE DIRTY OLD
It is
When
sex creates that division.
beings.
MAN
because of a long, long history of repressiveness in society that
man
the dirty old
your puritans
exists. It is
because of your
saints,
your
priests,
man
that the old dirty
exists.
If people are
sexual
are
I
live their
In fact to look at a
joyously, by the time they
nearing forty-two
am
four
life
allowed to
— remember,
woman
saying forty-two, not eighty-
—
when
-just
man
a
as
as
woman,
man,
is
at
not
they are nearing
right— tut sex creates
forty- two, sex will start losing
on them.
Just as sex arises
grip
its
comes very powerful by the time one
is
sex
fourteen, in exactly the same way by
I
the time one
is
forty-two
is
no longer a
dividing force, you see
dis-
it starts
human
appearing.
It is
a natural course.
en
that division,
and be-
teings.
And
when sex disappears, the old man has a
love, has a compassion, of a totally different kind.
his love,
rity,
no
desire;
is
Sex gives you pleasure.
become
so deeply that
no
lust in
a joy.
And
sex gives
into sex; then pleasure
irrelevant
is
he wants to get nothing out of it. His love has a pu-
an innocence; his love
you have gone
There
— not
it is
is
you
pleasure only
the end result. If sex has
repressed, but because
no more of any value
115
when
.
.
.
you experienced
you have known
it
it,
MATURITY
You
and knowledge always brings freedom.
and because you have known
the mystery
it,
known
have
it
totally,
finished, there
is
is
nothing more to explore. In that knowing, the whole energy, the
sexual energy,
of
Then
joy.
is
transmuted into love, compassion.
the old
man
is
man
the most beautiful
the cleanest
There
man
is
One
gives out
in the world,
in the world.
no expression
any
in
language like the "clean old man."
people are allowed
If
to live their sexual
joyously, by the
life
have never heard
almost
all
forty-two— remember,
I
am
saying forty-two,
not eighty-four— just
rid
of
languages.
The
body becomes
becomes
tired, the
all
this
man,"
sion, the "dirty old
that the
time they are nearing
But
it.
exists in
reason
—but
When
the
body
is
is
body
old, the
to get
the mind,
because of repressed desires,
kers.
expres-
body wants
sexuality
I
still
han-
not capable
and the mind continuously haunts
when
they are nearing
forty-two, sex will
start
losing
its
grip
you
something
for
body
man
is
in a mess.
His eyes are sexual,
body dead and
dull.
And
mind goes on goading him. He
having
starts
reminds
and her
sister
me
of the story of the
starts
a dirty look, a dirty face;
man who
overheard
he
his wife
discussing his frequent out-of-town business tnps.
The
kept suggesting that the wife should worry about her husband
being unchaperoned
main
his
having something ugly in him.
It
sister
is
incapable of doing, really the old
lusty; his
on tnem.
that the
attractive,
at
those posh resort convention hotels with so
unattached career
tu
women
around.
—
Symptoms
"Me
He's too
worry?"
too decent
loyal,
The body sooner
But
old.
if you
you, they are
too old."
.
.
or later becomes old;
bound
far
sage.
But
he
caught in
the most beautiful
if desires are
A very
old
there,
still
as
man
in the world, because
man was
If you are
becoming
Remember
a
old man, eighty-
reduced the charge from rape
dead weapon.
with
remember
old,
that old age can
has great desires to
do
this,
that old age
much
there
at least
—he
—modern
by the
Once
the
cannot be
It is
free.
future.
rifts
he
is
man
are a
The young man
exploding in him.
thinks about sex
little
a great difference,
every three minutes sex
is
Women
that
he
the Great, Josef Stalin,
research says that every
the cause of many
young man
Every child thinks
and in the
once every three minutes.
may be
the climax of
lives in the future,
instincts, all instincts
think of sex every six minutes.
that
that.
—Alexander
lives in desires
possessed
is
be the most beautiful experience
do
to
going to be somebody special
Mao Zedong
a
arrested while attempting to sexually
woman. Seeing such an
to assault
is
he
the innocence of a child, or
because the child has hopes for the future, he
Sex
become
running like an undercurrent, then
four, in court, the magistrate
too
to
a turmoil.
molest a young
is
bound
deeper than the innocence of a child ... he becomes
even
life.
it is
something ugly in you. Either the
to create
an innocence the same
attains to
is
.
cheat on me.
have not lived your desires they will clamor around
man becomes
old
"Why, he'd never
said the wife.
better, they
almost double
between husbands and wives!
somehow
flashes in the
mind
possessed by such great natural forces that he
Ambition
is
there,
117
and time
is
running
fast,
and he
MATURITY
has to
and
do something and he has
desires
and
to
be something. All those hopes
of childhood have to be
fantasies
fulfilled;
he
in
is
a great rush, in a hurry.
The
old
man knows that those childish desires were really childish.
The
old
man knows
The
old
man is in the same state as when the storm has gone and silence
that
all
those days of youth and turmoil are gone.
prevails
—
that silence
mendous beauty,
old
This expression,
dirty old man,
trie
man
ful.
exists
almost
languages.
depth, richness. If the
mature, which
The body
tired,
But people only grow
very
in age, they
grow
up.
Hence
Grow
up,
become more mature,
become more
old age
the problem.
is
the
alert
last
opportunity given
And how does one prepare for death?
By becoming more
sexuality— but the
If
ecause ot
repressed desires,
And
and aware.
to you: before death comes, prepare.
wants
to get rid of all
min
is
all
becomes old, the body
becomes
tre-
then he will be beauti-
rarely the case,
don't
in
really
is
can be of
there,
the
still
some lurking
and the body
body
those
meditative.
is
is
desires are
getting old and
not capable of
don't
desires,
hankers.
Meditate over those
still
be
fulfilling
worried.
desires,
watch,
be aware. Just by being aware and
watchful and
alert,
those desires and the energy contained in
them
can be transmuted. But before death comes, be free of all desires.
When
objects
I
say be free
of
of desire. Then there
divine, that pure longing
is
all
is
desires
a
I
pure longing
God. Then there
118
mean be
simply
—
is
free
of
all
that pure longing
is
pure creativity with
Symptoms
no
object,
with no address, with no direction, with no destina-
—
pure energy,
tion
just
what buddhahood
pool of energy going nowhere. That's
a
is.
BITTERNESS
We
is
we
are bitter because
if this
more
thing
to
it,
then
is all,
what we should
everybody
feeling sour because
should be;
are not
this
and unless
that
—
all
It is
Why am
alive,
I
a
because nothing
remains without any
It is
very
down
happening.
happening."
bliss. It
comes anger,
is
somewhere
"What am
Why am
Time
I
I
is
contin-
else
deep
doing here?
forced to be
goes on passing and
life
creates bitterness.
with old people, even
difficult for the
life
found one
One
kinds of negativities.
not accidental that old people become very
difficult to live
is
is
is
is
this bitterness
complaint against existence:
here? Nothing
not what
is
something more
uously complaining, but the real complaint
down.
Everybody
nothing. There must be some-
Out of
cannot drop one's bitterness.
jealousy, violence, hatred
is
feeling this
is
be.
if they are
bitter. It is
your
own parents.
simple reason that their whole
the drain and they are feeling bitter.
cuse to throw their negativity; they
very
life
has
It
gone
They jump upon any ex-
catharting and freaking out
start
over anything. They cannot tolerate children being happy, dancing,
singing, shouting with joy
—they cannot
them because they have missed
saying,
dare
"Don't be a nuisance to
you be
ever the
so joyous!"
young people
They
are
their
tolerate
life.
And
it.
It is
in fact
a nuisance for
when
they are
us," they are simply saying,
are against
"How
young people, and whatso-
doing the old always think they are wrong.
119
—
MATURITY
In
called
they are simply feeling bitter about the whole thing
fact,
and they go on finding excuses.
life,
who
old person
he
tifully,
beauty,
is
is
not bitter
really a
grown
—
very rare to find an
means he has
that
up.
It is
Then
lived really beau-
old people have tremendous
which no young man can ever have. They have
They have
ripeness, maturity, they are seasoned.
much
lived so
a certain
much and
seen so
that they are
tremen-
dously grateful to God.
But
^ou
have heard
it
type of old man, because
that
about angry young
man
is
in old age
young man can ever
life is
be as angry as old
Nobody
a
gone, what
You
talks
young men, but
Nobody
that
nobody can be
is
is
coming,
one
there for
to
One is simply angry.
have heard about angry
can ever be
is
Only
really
no young man
J
my own
experience
a Christ.
—because death
be happy about?
about angry old men
but
Buddha,
means
it
an awakened person can be nonbitter
men, tut really no
people.
very hard to find that
is
as
angry
old people.
about angry old men,
talks
my own
but
as
experience
—
I
have
watched young people, old people
as
is
angry as the old.
that
nobody can be
as
angry
as
the
old.
Bitterness
You
have to go beyond
becomes
a
revolution.
bndge
it,
to take
you have
great fragrance.
tremendous yes
The same energy
really
arises
that
120
a state
of ignorance.
to learn the awareness that
you beyond. And
The moment you have
plaints, all nos, a
is
that very
going
gone beyond
—
just yes, yes, yes
was
bitter
becomes
all
—
is
a
com-
there
is
fragrance.
TRANSITIONS
FROM NO TO
brings freedom.
Consciousness
only the freedom to do
YES
Freedom does not mean
right; if that
were the meaning of
freedom, what kind of freedom would
free only to
do
right,
the alternatives
—
to
then you are not
do
right, to
free.
be? If you are
it
Freedom
implies both
do wrong. Freedom implies the
right to say yes or to say no.
And
this
something subtle to be understood: saying no
is
like
more of a freedom than
ing,
it is
say no,
a
more
means you have obeyed, yes means you have
sur-
—where
aloof;
it is
That's
Whenever you
is
free.
No
No
like a cloud.
defines
are stubborn,
asserted yourself,
no means you
you more
psychologists say that
mother. Even
when
is
is
Yes
is
between seven and fourteen
no more and more. By
getting out of the psychological
when
to say yes
clearly than yes.
No is very solid and substantial, like a rock.
years of age each child starts learning to say
saying no, he
say yes,
means you
the freedom?
no means you have
why
Whenever you
feel
are ready to fight.
vague,
not philosophiz-
you don't
feel
free because yes
keeping
And I am
simple fact you can observe in yourself.
you
rendered
saying yes.
feels
there
is
no need
to say no,
of the
he will say no. Even
in his favor, he will say no.
121
womb
There
is
much
at
MATURITY
he has to learn to say no more and more. By the time he
stake;
no
fourteen, sexually mature, he will say the ultimate
mother
— he
will
to the mother,
am
fall
he
is
in love
I
my own
do
And
if
watch
the parents
.
.
.
when
their children will
my own
insist,
"Have long
hippies
And
a bath;
I
find as
it is
many
And
says, "I
my
to live
life, I
short hair," he will have long
hair,"
become
he will have short
hair.
parents then they will see,
is
next to godliness," the chil-
every kind of dirt.
They
will
be
they
dirty,
they won't clean themselves, they won't use soap.
unnatural, that
no animal ever
rationalizations as possible, but
rationalizations are just cover-ups.
say no.
He
no
have become an
I
want
they will find rationalizations that soap
skin, that
his ultimate
have short hair because they will have to learn no.
start living in
won't take
woman.
a
right.
"Have
If the parents insist "Cleanliness
dren will
is
to the
thing."
hair. If the parents insist,
Just
woman. That
have chosen
individual, independent in
to
a
turning his back on the mother.
finished with you,
want
with
is
of course
The
when you want
real
dangerous to the
is
uses soap.
deep
thing
to say no,
They can
down
those
all
they want to
is,
you have
to find
reasons.
Hence, no gives you
gives
you
a sense
When you
said yes,
of intelligence.
say yes,
who
a sense
nobody
To
you
why
is
to be asked.
a definition, a style,
Watch
to
bound
have already
is
no need of any
When
you
sharpens your intelligence,
it
say
gives
freedom.
the psychology of the no.
be in harmony, and
also
When you
you why? There
It
it
intelligence.
reasoning or argument, you have already said yes.
no,
that,
no
say yes needs
you why.
asks
bothers to ask
of freedom; not only
it is
It is
so hard for
human
beings
because of consciousness. Consciousness
122
Transitions
freedom gives you the capacity to say no, and there
gives freedom,
is
more
no than
possibility to say
Without
yes, there
to say yes.
no harmony; yes
is
come
time to grow up, to mature, to
can say yes and yet remain
free,
is
harmony. But
to such a maturity
where you can
it
takes
where you
say yes
and yet
remain unique, where you can say
yes and yet not
become
The freedom
no
is
brought by
is
very childish freedom.
a
good
that
a slave.
fourteen-year-olds.
gets caught in
becomes
up
seven-year-olds
for
a
no
But
and
it
It
It is
to
up, to mature, to
come
whole
his
saying, then
to suck a
life
maturity where you
he has
can say yes and yet
ultimate growth
with such joy
grow
person
if a
stopped growing.
The
takes time to
is
as a child says
to say yes
remain
free,
wnere
no. That
you can say yes and
is
a
second childhood.
who
And
the
man
yet remain unique,
can say yes with tremendous
freedom and joy, with no
with no
attached,
strings
conditions
—
a
mony
a sage.
again,
with no
yes
and yet not
pure and simple joy, a
pure and simple yes
become
wnere you can say
hesitation,
—
become a
that
That man
and
his
man
lives in har-
harmony
is
of
a totally different
from the harmony of trees, animals, and birds. They live
because they cannot say no, and the sage
he
does not say no.
all
human
where,
beings
still
slave.
has
Between
lives in
dimension
in
harmony
harmony because
the two, the birds and the buddhas, are
—un-grown
up, immature, childish, stuck
trying to say no, to have
123
some
some-
feeling of freedom.
MATURITY
am
I
no when
not saying don't learn to say no.
it
is
is
Slowly
it.
a higher freedom that comes with yes, and
a greater
is
saying learn to say
time to say no but don't get stuck with
slowly, see that there
The
am
I
ultimate growth
harmony.
INTEGRATION AND
CENTERING
,
to say yes with
such joy as a child
Integration
TLt
says no.
is
a
second childhood.
And
man who
the
can say yes with
deepest core of your being. At your
very center you are integrated, otherwise
and
with no
joy,
hesitation, with
strings attached,
no
with
If the cart
pure and simple yes —
that
man
has become
is
—
moving
life.
are alive,
are.
You
must be
You may
a
achievement.
You
in
and see
have been carrying
124
an
the
the hub.
hub
is
there.
first
it.
it
life is
hub
it,
moving, so
to the
wheel of
you cannot
it is
be.
thing and very fun-
It is
all
are breathing,
not be aware, but
Without
So the
have just to go
is
you may not
you
damental: becoming
You
there
which
the
it,
are conscious;
there.
a sage.
all.
it.
You
there
on
at
a center?
moves on
it
You may know
you
without
center
wheel moves
know
joy, a
exist
exist
moves because
cart
unmoving
no conditions— a pure
and simple
you could not
How can you
The
tremendous freedom
already there at the
is
is
not the
issue.
a discovery, not an
along.
But you have
—
become too
attached to the periphery, and your back
You
center.
have become too outgoing, so you cannot look
Create a
The word
insight.
little
insight
outward, legs
your eyes and just go
when we
If you
Out of
in
.
.
.
and not with
you
the clouds
to happen,
it
We go on doing
it
come
will
r
tionmode
action
mode
other
is
—you simply
mode
is
will
will
come
the recep-
come by
want
it.
to
It is
that
it,
—
not going to
is
come on
its
you simply allow
is
it
I
.
—
wrong.
to
will
all along.
it
~~
*
of
Money
is
not going
become powerful,
if
you
have to do something about
own.
mode
to happen.
We
to
a discovery,
is
carrying
an inaction
That forgotten language has
an ^ see
\/
I
I
/ ou nave been
an action mode; the action
mode. And there
h,
t
you want
you
in
S°
.
You
sorts
You
not an achievement.
legal, illegal, right,
a politician,
It
it.
j
compete,
all
are.
ust to
sit. It is
way.
just sitting. If
become
There
i
The
receive.
have to use
ways and means
to
^ou
do
outgoing.
want
&
& If you
1
have to struggle for
and you
life.
—you
more money you cannot just
not going to
,
^
The
something.
to the surface.
will see the
two modes of
are
the action
is
means
effort. Just relax
center arising.
One
it
drowning.
are
can simply allow
There
—
Sit silently, relax the periphery,
drowning and one cannot do anything.
as if one is
even
move away from you.
beautiful
is
in.
open outward, hands spread
"sight in, to look in, to see in." Eyes
close
to the
is
too:
mode
is
the outgoing
you don't do anything,
have forgotten that language.
be learned again.
Integration has not to be brought in
125
—
it is
already there.
We
MATURITY
have forgotten
derstand
how
to look at
Move from
it.
we
it,
mode more and more
the action
I'm not saying to leave the world of action
make you
—because
one mode
people
action
silently;
mode
mode.
the outgoing
is
And
there
is
your
life,
have only
and
who
that
it is
cannot think of
impossible.
They
is
ac-
sitting
They cannot
are interested only in ac-
tion. If something
being done, then
is
they are interested. If it
you dont do
are
allow themselves a moment's relaxation.
an inaction mode too
to
You
that will
doing something. There are
tion,
an action
mode— the
to the
You
lopsided again.
lopsided right now.
is
un-
to
mode.
receptive, passive
There
how
have forgotten
set,
then what
is
is
just a sun-
the point of looking
anything, you simply
at it?
allow
it
to happen.
You
tion, if something
Vv^e have forgotten
has
TLt
that language.
are interested only in ac-
become too
relaxed a
forgotten language
little:
few moments,
has to he learned
other
look
are
You
you supposed
In fact there
effortless.
Your
simply look.
to do?
is
no
fixed.
This has to be
you have
for a
to
go
for a
few hours, some-
mode of life, just
lowing things
do anything.
happening. This
times for a few days, totally to the
again.
to
is
You
effort,
at a
sitting
to happen.
sunset
you
and
al-
When you
are not expected
When you look at a flower, what
simply look.
even of looking
eyes are open, the flower
126
is
at
the flower.
there ... a
It is
moment of
—
ransitions
when
deep communion comes
Then
disappear.
there
the looked at and the looker both
beauty, then there
is
benediction.
is
suddenly you are not the observer, and the flower
served
you
—because
to observe there
and the flower
are there
each other's boundaries.
The
the flower, and there
a
truth, call
flower enters into you, you enter into
sudden
revelation." Call
rare
moments have
to
it
beauty,
moments,
I
I
cannot say you have to
and will be very deeply misinterpreted. No,
I
train
on the lawn and look
at
the eyes and just look at your inner world
ing; desires arising, going.
Look
at
mode
can simply say to
moments more and more. Sometimes, simply
anything. Relax
I
cannot say that you have to do something
because again that will be using the language of the action
allow these
call it
be allowed more and more.
cannot say they have to be cultivated,
for those
Now
be some action.
and somehow you overlap
there,
is
still
not the ob-
God.
it
These
is
must
is
Then
don't do
the sky. Sometimes close
— thoughts moving,
the colorful
float-
dream world
that
goes on within you. Just look. Don't say, "I want to stop these
thoughts"
say, "I
because
As
—
am
you have moved
again
meditating
if you start
if you are
There
is
not
.
.
go! All thoughts,
saying that,
you have
They
The meditation
is
started
doing something.
you just
are
no longer
here,
transparent. Just try for a single
used in some
you
am
are disappearing.
have gone from the world,
when you have become
second not to be.
127
I
you can simply disappear.
start feeling that
how the world looks when you
still
based on the truth that
teach that sometimes
Sitting in the garden,
when you
go away from me"
one of the most ancient meditations
saying to you.
mode. Don't
.
monasteries of Tibet.
Just see
—
into the action
absolutely
MATURITY
In your
own home,
Just think,
you
be
one day you
as if
you
will not be.
be dead; the radio will
will
are not.
One
continue, the wife will
still
prepare the breakfast, the children will
school. Think: today
you
still
you
are gone,
day you will be gone,
still
be getting ready for
Become
just are not.
ghost. Just sitting in
your
a
you
chair,
simply disappear, you simply think,
"I
Sitting in
trie
garden,
And just
just start feeling that
you are disappearing,
Just see
now
have no more
see
ues.
There
and
silence.
as it
continue
missed.
]
have gone from the
not/'
the house contin-
be tremendous peace
Everything will continue
as
it
is.
Nothing
Then what
will
something,
are
You
you have become
will
What is the point?
will disappear
—
you had signed your name on
sands,
Just try for a single
ob-
be gone, and whatsoever
you have done
absolutely transparent.
doing
doing something,
sessed with action?
be
the point of
is
always remaining occupied,
no longer here, when
second not to
will
am
Without you, everything will
is.
the
when you
how
I
j
world looks when you
world,
reality;
as if
the
and the wind comes, and the
signature
disappears
.
.
.
and every-
be.
thing
is
finished.
Be
as
if
you had
never existed.
It is
really a beautiful meditation.
You
can try
it
many
times in
twenty-four hours. Just half a second will do; for half a second, simply stop
.
.
.
you
are not
become more and more
.
.
.
and the world continues.
alert to the fact that
When you
without you the world
continues perfectly well, then you will be able to learn another part
128
—
.
of your being that has been neglected for long, for lives
mode. You simply
the receptive
become
low, you
— and
that
al-
Things go
a door.
on happening without you.
This
when he
what Buddha means
is
says,
"Become
driftwood.
a
Float in the stream like timber, and
wherever the stream goes
you; you don't
effort."
The whole Buddhist approach belongs to the receptive mode. That's
why you
Buddha
see
sitting
under
ting
^ou
You
it
many
times in twenty-four
hours. Just
Ufa
second will do;
tor
a second. simply
sit-
not doing anything.
don't have that type of im-
age ofJesus.
can try
a
and doing nothing. He's simply
sitting there, he's
really a
heautiful meditation,
Llf
images are of sitting,
tree. All his
is
take
let it
make any
It
stop
.
.
.
you are not
.
.
an d the world
continues,
en you
He still goes on following
tecome more and
the action
mode. That's where Chris-
tianity has
missed the deepest possibil-
ity:
Christianity
became
Christian missionary goes
The
active.
on serving
more
alert to the fact
that without
you the
world continues
the poor, goes to the hospital, does
perfectly well, then
this
and
that,
and
his
whole
effort
is
to
do something good. Yes, very good
but he remains in the action mode,
and
God
can only be
the receptive
known
mode. So
missionary will be a
good man, but
you will he atle to
learn another part of
only in
a Christian
good man,
a
very
not, in the eastern sense, a saint.
129
your teing.
is
MATURITY
Now
even in the East
worshiped
as a
—because
Mahatma
who
person
a
I
goes on doing things
the East
poor,
is
There
ill.
is
are
thousands of lepers, blind people, uneducated people; they need
education, they need medicine, they need service, they need a
thousand and one things. Suddenly the active person has become
important
—
cutta has
become very
so
Gandhi
is
a
Mahatma, and Mother Teresa of Cal-
important. But
mode
they have attained to the receptive
Now if Buddha
comes, nobody
because he will not be running
be
sitting
under
done by him
tree,
tuned,
you
bodhi
He
will
is
nothing
at
vibes are created
much in
To
it.
is
one
have come to
the center
know
receptive
see that she
thing,
will
happen
his
have to be
at-
to
be
al-
doing good work.
am
I
is
very easy, there
is
is
totally
saying: let
mode,
first
an-
good
attain to the passive, first
—which
is
always there,
—when you have recognized
a
arises,
man
all
love
mind.
You become
Now, nobody
can say what
—whether he
130
a
arises.
arises,
world.
that center,
worries disappear
body now and no longer
a blessing to the
to such a
under
Buddha
is
but they
And when your inner being flowers and you
because you are no longer
showering,
will
again
nothing is
sitting
and to be good
suddenly death disappears for you. Suddenly
a
that
his being,
Mother Teresa
the integration inside
Then compassion
He will
being good.
always there
is
you
do good works.
other. I'm not saying don't
attain to the nonactive.
by
recognize a
Anybody can
works come out of your
First attain to the
To
recognize a
To do good work
Not
whole world by
those vibrations
have to grow.
whether
going to pay respect to him,
school or a hospital.
transforms the
but to look
ready on the path.
is
at
or not.
tree, just sitting silently.
— tremendous
are very subtle.
bodhi
a
a
nobody looks
prayer
will
go and become
a rev-
Transitions
olutionary like Jesus and chase the moneylenders from the temple,
or whether he will go and serve poor people, or whether he will just
continue
sitting
whether he
under the bodhi
become
will
God. Nobody knows,
My
whole
needed, nothing more
inside you.
But you have
to
is
have to dig for
it;
needed.
to
You
have
it
nothing
that
already there, existing
it.
the treasure
is
To do good work
would
like to give
is
make ap-
there.
I
sing the glory of
make you aware
proaches, doors, ways to discover
You
his fragrance, or
unpredictable.
it is
is
and spreading
Meera and dance and
a
here
effort
tree
you
is
a tech-
one thing, and to be
nique.
It is a
very simple technique,
but in the beginning
hard. If
you
simple.
If
you
try,
you don't
think about
it, it
will
it
will find
try
good
looks very
it
another.
is
and only
you
do
is:
do only
Try
it
—because
comes only from your
it,
I
m
not
I
am
saying
which
enjoy. If you don't enjoy, don't
it.
are
that
totally
saying dont do good
look very hard.
worics.
The technique
is
enjoyment
let
good worics come
out of your being
center. If you
good.
doing something and you enjoy
you
start
getting reconnected with
the center. If you
do something you don't enjoy, you
nected from the center. Joy
where
else.
You
So
are
let it
be
arises
a criterion,
from the center and from no-
and be
a fanatic
about
it.
walking on the road; suddenly you recognize that you
are not enjoying the walk. Stop. Finished
I
are discon-
used to do
it
in
my university days,
131
—
this
is
not to be done.
and people thought
that
I
MATURITY
was
crazy.
Suddenly
would
I
and then
stop,
spot for half an hour, an hour, unless
again.
I
would remain
walking
started enjoying
I
in that
My professors were so afraid that when there were examinations they
me
take
Only do
that which
you enjoy.
If
would put me
to the university hall.
would
leave
there:
Had
me
at
dont enjoy, dont do
denly
ing
I
it, I
and
They
the door and wait
my
reached to
I
not? If I was taking
you
in a car
my bath
realized that
I
desk or
and sud-
was not enjoy-
would stop. What is
the point
Try it— because
it.
then? If I was eating and
enjoyment comes only
from your center.
If
suddenly that
then
I
would
recognized
was not enjoying,
stop.
had joined the mathematics
I
you are doing
I
I
class in
my high school. The first day,
something and you
I
enjoy
it,
you
start
went
in
and the teacher was just
troducing the subject. In the middle
getting reconnected
with the center. Joy
stood up and tried to walk out.
said,
"Where
out asking,
arises
are
He
you going? With-
won't allow you
I
I
in
from the center,
again."
and from nowhere
else.
in-
So
criterion,
let
it
am
ahout
be worried. That's
not asking. Finished
enjoying
it!
subject that
fanatic
will find
I
I
—
I
why
am
I
not
some other
can enjoy, because
if
I
it.
cannot enjoy
it.
And, by and by,
whenever you
"I'm not coming back
said,
again; don't
he a
and he a
I
it
became
It is
torture,
a key.
I
are enjoying something,
132
it I
am
it is
not going to do
violence."
suddenly recognized that
you
are centered.
Enjoy-
_
Transitions
ment is just
the sound of being centered.
joying something, you are off center.
need. If people think you crazy,
few days you
You were
missing yourself.
own
by your
will,
let
Whenever you
Then don't force it;
them think you
experience, find
doing
a
are not en-
there
crazy.
is
no
Within
a
how you were
thousand and one things, that
you never enjoyed, and still you were doing them because you were
taught
You were just fulfilling your duties.
to.
People have destroyed even such
come home and you
done.
kiss
your wife because
Now, a beautiful thing like a kiss,
a flowerlike thing, has
By and
a beautiful thing as love.
it
has to be so,
it
You
has to be
^^^^
been destroyed.
by, without enjoying
you
it,
never you are
will
go on
kissing
forget the joy
being.
You
you meet
it,
your wife; you
will
enjoying something,
of kissing another human
shake hands with anybody
—
cold,
you are centered.
with no meaning in
with no message in
it,
Enjoyment
is
no warmth
soun J of
flowing.
It is
just
dead hands shaking
each other and saying hello.
start,
ture, this cold gesture.
You become
And then you say, "How to
The
center
*
frozen,
you become an
ice cube.
enter to the center?"
available
is
U
centered
Then you
by and by, learning this dead ges-
just the
when you
are
warm, when you
up
are
flowing, melting, in love, in joy, in dance, in delight.
It is
you. Just go on doing only those things that you
love to do
and you enjoy.
you will
I
enjoy.
If
you don't
There
is
There
are persons
enjoy, stop. Find something else that
bound
have never come across
a
who may
really
to
to
be something that you will enjoy.
person
who
cannot enjoy anything.
not enjoy one thing, then another,
133
—
MATURITY
then another, but
ing. Let there
life is vast.
Don't remain engaged; become
be more streaming of energy. Let
flow,
it
float-
let it
meet
with other energies that surround you. Soon you will be able
to see that the
how
problem was not
become
to
problem was
how
you
Let there be more
it
flow, let
to flow. In a flowing energy,
are suddenly integrated.
the reason
is
woman
are
will
how
to
one
have
a
was not
become
have forgotten
glow, your face has
intellect
starts
your being;
a
because
how
we
secret
may be hungry and
What
is
eyes
a radiance,
no longer
arises,
poet
are rare
dull.
your walk
it
now. You
painting,
may be
man
the secret of
and
is
that
poor, but
in the world.
it?
The
secret
134
whole
you can
still
that
he
must be
there
started to enjoy.
secret.
A
painter
see that his face
when he
Nobody
is
moments
don't learn the secret.
something you have
That's the
the richest
you
burning bright in
song
But these
The
is
is
feel
Your
time.
first
Something
?
to flow.
he
you
are a totally different being.
problem was that you
A
in love with a
has a quality of dance in
integrate
contented.
fall
suddenly you
for the
and your
to see that
the problem
hap-
or a man, and suddenly
feel integrated,
energies that surround
Soon you
It
the same.
Sometimes you
it
meet with other
you.
you have forgotten
that
pens sometimes accidentally too, but
streaming of energy.
Let
integrated, the
is
is
is
is
so
singing his song
richer than he
enjoying
this
is.
mo-
Transitions
ment. Whenever you enjoy something, you are in tune with yourself
and you are in tune with the universe
—because your
center
is
the center of all.
So
mate
let this
for you:
small insight be a cli-
do only that which you
enjoy, otherwise stop.
You
are read-
enever you enjoy
ing a newspaper and halfway through
something, you arc
it
you suddenly recognize
are not enjoying
necessity.
Stop
it
ing to
then there
it,
is
tunc with yourself
no
Then why are you reading?
and you
here and now. If you are talk-
somebody and
in
you
that
arc in tunc
with the universe —
in the middle
because your center
you recognize
joying
it,
you
that
you have
the center of
just said half a
You
sentence, stop then and there.
are not enjoying,
you
is
are not en-
are not obliged
to continue. In the beginning
it
j
let this
all.
So
small insight
he a climate for you:
will
do only that which
look
a little weird.
there
tice
is
any problem.
I
don't think
You
can prac-
you enjoy, otherwise
stop.
it.
Within
will
But
a
few days many contacts
be made with the center, and
then you will understand what
and again
that that
not in the future.
herenow,
it is
It
I
which you
mean when I go on repeating again
are seeking
has nothing to
already the case.
135
is
already in you.
do with the
future.
It is
It is
already
MATURITY
WHEN
An
BIRTH
AND DEATH BECOME ONE
ancient tree, just by the side of my house, has been dancing in
the rain, and
its
Not only
beauty.
old leaves are falling with such grace and such
is
the tree dancing in the rain and the wind, the
old leaves leaving the tree are also dancing; there
Except man, in the whole existence nobody
age; in fact, existence
ripening;
it
knows about maturing.
dance, to live
time to
knows nothing about
and
as intensely
It
knows about
that there
as totally as possible,
leaves
of the almond
tree
going to
are not dying; they are simply
by the
rest,
same earth from which they have
into the
a
is
time to
and there
is
a
tree.
of my house
There
no
is
sad-
in falling to rest into
Perhaps another day, another time they
some other form, on some other
side
melting and merging
arisen.
no mourning, but an immense peace
eternity.
in
old age.
knows
from old
suffers
rest.
Those old
ness,
It
celebration.
is
may be back again,
They
will
dance again;
they will sing again; they will rejoice the moment.
knows only
Existence
from death to
birth,
and
a circular
it is
change from birth to death,
an eternal process. Every birth im-
plies
death and every death implies birth. Every birth
by
death and every death
a
tence
not
is
afraid.
There
is
is
no
succeeded by
fear
a birth.
anywhere except
is
preceded
Hence
exis-
in the
mind
of man.
Man
Where
is
seems to be the only sick species in the whole cosmos.
this sickness? It
should really have been otherwise
.
.
.
man
should have enjoyed more, loved more, lived more each moment.
Whether
it is
of childhood or of youth or of old
136
age,
whether
it is
Transitions
of birth or of death,
to
all
it
does not matter
at all.
these small episodes.
Thousands of births have happened
And
deaths.
more
you
You are transcendental
who
those
deeply, as if
dies every
you
thing in
is
it
and thousands of
to you,
can see clearly can understand
even
it
happening every moment. Something
is
moment and someborn anew.
r
and
Life
—
in
—
death are not so separate, not separated
by seventy
years.
and
Life
Existence knows
death are just like two wings of a
nothing about old
happening.
simultaneously
bird,
ace. It
Neither can
life exist
nor can death
knows about
without death,
without
exist
ripening
life.
Obviously they are not opposites;
knows
about maturing.
obviously they are complementaries.
They need each other
it
knows
that tkere
It
is
a
for their ex-
time to dance, to live
they
istence,
They
are part
interdependent.
are
But because man
he
so asleep,
as intensely
of one cosmic whole.
is
is
so unaware,
and tkere
1
fact.
Just a
as
totally as possible,
incapable of seeing a
simple and obvious
and
is
a time
little
to rest.
awareness, not
see
you
much, and you can
changing every moment.
are
And change means something is
Then
birth
dying
is
being reborn.
and death become one; then childhood and
cence become one with old age and
There
is
innocence
is
norance.
—something
a difference, yet there
really
The
poor, because
its
is
it is
old man, ripe in age,
137
its
inno-
innocence.
no opposition. The
child's
almost synonymous with ig-
who
has passed through
all
the
MATURITY
experiences of darkness and
ery,
who
of love and hate, ofjoy and mis-
light,
has been matured through
life
no more
in different situations, has
come
to a point
ence.
Misery comes ... he watches. Happiness comes and he
where he
is
a participant in
He
watches.
on
the
hill.
become
has
but he remains on
ply watching in utter silence.
awareness, not much,
The innocence of old
from
change
means something
is
dying— something
is
from experience;
rich
It is
And
from
tions;
from
failures,
from
birth
Then
one,-
it is
all
from
rich
all
the failures,
it is
rich
mul-
innocence cannot
Its
Its
and
are innocent, the child
its
the old man.
with old age and
its
have
a
child
is
But
qualitative
difference.
The
innocent because he has not
soul; the old
man
come out of the
ing into the tunnel, the other
their innocences
entered yet into the dark night of the
innocence.
is
is
innocent
tunnel.
getting out of the tunnel.
much; one has already
is
rich
it is
with wisdom.
innocence become one
the hell that
rich
from wrong ac-
the successes;
Both
to suffer
it is
innocence can be synonymous only
then
childhood and
rich.
be synonymous with ignorance.
and death
become
is
successes;
right actions,
tidimensionally.
being reborn.
age
you
see
are changing every
moment.
down
the sunlit peak of the mountain, sim-
little
and you can
watcher
a
Everything passes
in the dark valleys,
Just a
any experi-
suffered enough.
ahead of him; the other has
138
left
One
One
— he
is
has
enter-
One is going
cannot avoid
the hell behind him.
ransitions
Knowingly or unknowingly, there
of every
deluge
human
—
you
being:
becoming
are
after old age, death.
trembling in the heart
a
is
much
in
your unconscious;
in
your marrow. The very word frightens you
what death
that death
I
is,
ginning.
ning
is
.
has
it
to
your blood,
in
— not
in
your bones,
that
life,
you
you know
are afraid.
be absolutely aware that death
the evening
.
gone deep
is
not the end.
nothing begins and nothing ends. Just look
In existence,
.
have been made
but just because of thousands of years of conditioning
want you
around
age the
of death that the very idea has become deep-rooted
the end of your
is
after old
And for centuries you
so
afraid
and
old,
The morning
is
is
moving toward
not the end nor
moving toward
morning the be-
the
is
all
the evening and the eve-
the morning. Everything
is
simply moving
into different forms.
There
Why
is
no beginning and there
should
tion. In this idea
it
is
no end.
be otherwise with man?
Man
hell, his
created a
rift
not an excep-
of being exceptional, in being more special than
the other animals and the trees and the birds,
own
is
paranoia.
The
idea that
between you and
we
man
has created his
are exceptional beings has
existence.
That
rift
causes
all
your
fears
and your misery, causes unnecessary anguish and angst in you.
And
all
cial,
have emphasized the
been
your so-called
a single effort to
whether
leaders,
rift;
religious or political or so-
they have widened
bridge the
rift,
to bring
it.
There has not
man back
to the
earth, to bring
man back with
with the
and to declare an absolute unity with existence.
That
trees,
is
the animals and with the birds and
the truth of our being
— once
it is
understood you are
neither worried about old age nor worried about death, because
looking around you, you can be absolutely
139
satisfied that
nothing
MATURITY
ever begins,
has been always there; nothing ever ends,
it
it
will
remain always there.
But the idea of being old
now your
you with
fills
great anxiety.
days of life, of love, of rejoicings are over, that
name.
will exist only in
It
will not
be
a rejoicing
means
It
now you
but only a dragging
toward the grave. Obviously you
cannot enjoy the idea that you are
burden in existence, just stand-
just a
Just look
around
.
.
.
trie
all
ing in a queue that
one of the
not the end nor
is
moment toward
evening
the graveyard.
greatest failures
is
tures
the
moving every
is
and
of all cul-
civilizations in the
all
It is
world
morning the
that they
beginning.
morning
The
vide a meaningful
moving
is
have not been able to pro-
toward the evening
life,
a creative
ex-
istence for their old; that they have
not been able to provide
subtle
a
I
beauty and grace, not only to old age
an J tke evening
is
but to death
moving toward the
And
j
itself.
the problem
becomes more
complicated because the more you
morning. Everything
]
is
simply moving into
are afraid
of death, the more you will
be
of
afraid
life
too.
Each moment
different forms.
lived, death
who
love with
of death.
life,
How
because
can you love
religions started
only
way
to
it is life
renouncing
renounce death.
is
comes
afraid
life:
was
A man
of death cannot be in
finally that takes
life? It
closer. ...
you
to the doors
for this reason that
renounce
life
If you don't live
because that
life, if
you
all
the
is
the
are already
finished with the job of living, loving, dancing, singing, then nat-
140
you need not be
urally
afraid
of death; you have died already.
We have called these dead people saints; we have worshiped
them. We have worshiped them because we knew we would also
be
like to
At
least
like
we
if
we
renounced
am no more
him
the pleasures,
showed him those
very strangely
—
person
On
all
the joys;
He
like to live like
.
all
that
life offers
has closed his eyes.
there
were so many
beautiful flowers in the
me,
at
we would also
that a so-called saint
a little
the temptation to
flowers?"
show."
part of the
happened once
a religious
courage.
has returned the ticket to existence, saying, "I
into the garden
resist
gather courage,
all
He
he has rejected.
It
much
The saint cannot die because he has already died.
you: utterly dead."
has
don't ha\e that
can worship and show our intentions: "If we had cour-
age or one day
He
we
them, although
.
.
annoyed,
condemn me,
and you are
one point he
was
me.
morning
irritated,
sun.
I
He looked
and he could not
saying, "I thought
still
took
I
beautiful dahlias, and
you were
enjoying the beauty of the
right, that if
is
visiting
you
are enjoying the
beauty of the flowers you cannot avoid enjoying the beauty of
human
beings.
You
cannot avoid enjoying the beauty of women;
you cannot avoid enjoying the beauty of music and dance.
If you
are interested in the beauty
of the flowers, you have shown
you
are
still
that
you
are
aware of beauty,
interested in
life,
how
you cannot yet renounce
that
love. If
can you avoid love?
Beauty provokes love; love imparts beauty.
I
you
am
said,
are
"On
wrong.
this
Who
not yet dead!
on
point you are right, but
ever told
To be
dead. If you are alive
you
that
I
am
religious the basic
you can only be
really religious."
141
the second point
a religious
person?
requirement
a hypocrite,
is
to
I
be
you cannot be
MATURITY
When you see a bird on the wing, it is impossible not to rejoice
in
its
freedom.
on
spread
And when you
the horizon
— even
see the sunset with
if you close
of closing the eyes will show your
whelmed by
Life
is
all
the colors
your eyes, your very effort
You
interest.
have been over-
the beauty of it.
another
name of
love,
and love
is
nothing but being
sensitive to beauty.
I
cannot renounce
itself
And
life,
religion
and the
politicians
deprive
man of his
I
is
because
just
life
been given to
— manufactured
to deprive
life is
his
his joy, to
have
and death
—
his
with love, aware of tremen-
a
man who is so capable
song continues.
happening or death
is
itself."
a totally different
around, and has the courage to rejoice each
of life and death together. Only
in life
man of
priests
To me the religious person is one who
totally alive, intensely alive, aflame
all
I
I
me by existence
man of his humanity
dignity, to deprive
am not a religious person in that sense.
dous beauty
It
happening,
moment
of rejoicing
does not matter whether
his
song
is
not disturbed,
dance does not waver.
Only such an adventurous
is
has
man-made, manufactured by the
definition of being religious.
is
can renounce religion but
said to that so-called saint, "I
religious.
But
stitutes, false,
statues,
in the
soul,
only such a pilgrim of existence
name of religion man has been given poor sub-
phony, meaningless, just toys to play with. Worshiping
chanting
man-made
have been cowards and
mantras, paying tributes to those
escapists
and who were not able to
cause they were so afraid of death, and calling
distracted
man from
You need
beautiful
when
true
and authentic
them saints,
start
And
thinking about you
142
live life
be-
religion has
religiousness.
not be worried about old age.
people
who
it is
even more
as ancient.
That
means you have
everything,
attained to the real transcendence,
now
it is
your maturity.
You
you have
lived
have not renounced any-
you have simply passed through every experience. You
thing but
have grown so experienced that
now you need
experiences again and again. This
not repeat those
is
transcendence.
You
should rejoice, and
I
would
To .me
like the
whole world
the rejoicing that
our birthright in
is
the religious
to understand
accepting with deep gratitude the old
person
is
one
who
is
totally alive, intensely
age and the final consummation of old
alive,
aflame with
age into death. If you are not graceful
about
it,
if you
cannot laugh
you cannot disappear
—
at it
love,
into the eternal,
—you have
leaving a laughter behind
not lived
rightly.
You
aware of
if
tremendous beauty
all
around, and has the
have been
courage to rejoice
dominated and directed by wrong
each
people.
prophets, your messiahs, your saviors;
they
may have been your incarnations
of gods, but they have
inals in
all
been crim-
of
life
and death together.
Only
a
man who
is
so capable of rejoicing
the sense that they have dein
prived you of life and they have
your hearts with
My
moment
They may have been your
effort
heart with laughter.
in every situation
and death— his
song continues.
fear.
here
life
filled
to
is
your
fill
Your every
whether
it is
fiber
of being should love to dance
day or night, whether you are
down
or up. Irrespective of the situation, an undercurrent of cheerfulness
should continue. That
is
authentic religiousness to me.
143
MATURITY
A few
"An
you:
sutras for
ancient
man
is
can get a better look
"An
ancient
girls at parties
who
one
the
at
man
is
who
"Women
ancient
you can
his glasses in
only
are finished!
They
women
are
with young
flirts
him home."
is
that since
giving
start
like the simple things in life
men." Once the
bed so he
he dreams about."
so his wife will take
old to set a bad example,
you
girls
one
"The beauty of being
the old
wears
no longer
are too
good advice."
—
start liking
you
for example,
you,
means
it
of you, you are
afraid
perfectly acceptable.
"Inside every older person there
is
a
younger person
wondering what happened."
GAME
DROPPING OUT OF THE
You become mature
only
when
you remain
Your
toys
childish.
meditation has started; otherwise
may go on changing
—
small chil-
dren are playing with small toys, and big children, aged children,
elderly children are playing with big toys
—but
there
is
no
quali-
tative difference.
You
on the
will
table
say,
higher,
can see
.
.
sometimes your child
.
when you
are sitting at the side
"Look, Daddy,
on the
and you laugh
more money,
table,
at
just
neighbors, "Look!
will
I
am
and he
do
on the
bigger than you."
says,
"Look,
I
am
w atch how you walk. You
am
bigger than you."
144
He will
chair,
He
is
stand
and he
standing
bigger than you,"
him. But what are you doing?
I
it.
When you
are saying to
have
all
the
Or when you become
a
how you
president of a country, or a prime minister, look
You
are telling everybody,
on the
biggest chair." These
with what haughtiness, with what ego.
"I
have defeated you
are the
all.
I
am
sitting
walk,
same games! From your childhood
to
your old age, you go
on playing the same games. You can play the game of Monopoly,
or
you can go and play the
market
a
—
bigger
it
makes no
difference,
outgoing mind
ness, the
moon, and even
Reaching
You
the same
it is
in the stock
game just played on
.
that this
it,
.
the root of your childish-
is
Small children
.
start
reaching for the
the biggest scientists are trying to reach the
— they have
childish.
game of monopoly
scale.
Once you understand
moon
real
reached. There
outside,
is
not
much
difference.
you may reach other stars but you
remain
will
Even if you reach the moon, what are you going to do there?
be the same! With the same rubbish in your head, with
will
all
the holy
cow dung that you go on carrying in your heart, you will be
standing
on
a
the
moon. There
poor man, you can be very
you can be world famous
—
will
rich;
it
be no difference
you can be
new dimension and becomes meditation
Meditation
is
mind turning toward
.
unless
.
its
You
all!
absolutely
makes no difference
mind takes a turn and starts moving inward,
at
anonymous,
at all.
Unless the
mind takes a totally
.
own
source.
Meditation makes you mature; meditation makes you
grown-up. Growing
because
I
in age
politics
— even
three, eighty-four!
The
going to awaken?
When
sleep
at
and
all
still
playing games, ugly
the age of eighty-two, eighty-
seems to be so deep.
will they think
death will take
really a
not really becoming a grown-up,
see people eighty years old
games of power
And
is
can be
that
145
When
are they
of the inner world?
you have accumulated
—your
MATURITY
power, your money, your
Nothing will be
Mind
way
a
is
Your whole
to
Death
will
left,
not even a
be
will
life
prestige.
come and
trace.
nullified.
destroy
all
that
understand the object,
you have made; death
meditation
a
is
way
prove that
M
ind
is
come and
your palaces were
all
nothing but palaces made of playing
to understand the
su bject.
will
cards.
a
Maturity
know something
is
to
is
deathless,
concern wit k the
you
in
contents,
and
meditation
is
that
something in you
a
death
—
that
know
to
that will transcend
Mind
meditation.
is
I
knows
concern with the
the world; meditation
God. Mind
is
a
way
knows
to understand
container— the
the object; meditation
Mind
consciousness.
understand the subject.
way
a
Mind
is
to
a
concern with the contents, and med-
becomes obsessed with
the clouds
is
itation
and
is
a
concern with the conconsciousness.
Mind
becomes obsessed with the
clouds,
the
tainer,
meditation searches
(or the sky.
come amid
Clouds
and meditation searches for the
Clouds come and go; sky remains,
go, the sky
remains,
abides.
ai
abides
Search for the inner sky.
you have found
never
die.
life
die.
And
The body
to
because
know
it is
will die, the
it is
sky.
to
going to
know
die.
mind
life.
Only
a
it,
will die, but
What you
if
then you will
you
will
call life is
never
not
meditator knows what
because he has reached the very source of eternity.
146
And
real
life is
—
PUZZLES
JUSTIFIABLE
I
am fifty,
What
but I don't yet feel really mature and fully grown up.
me?
the matter with
is
HOMICIDE
aybe you have not yet killed anybody. That's a must
if you
want
very very
sons
you
will
you have
are
a
become mature, you have
skillful
murderer. Unless you
never become mature.
to kill
You
your teachers, you have
have to
to kill
— they go on keeping you
kill a
kill
your
parents,
leaders.
childish.
dependent, they don't allow you independence.
It
happened:
his feet,
a
Buddha
monk was
blessed
see this blessed
his father,
taking leave from
he has
him and
monk? He
They
much
"What
saying?"
is
One
Buddha
a
Buddha
— he was
When he came to touch
"Do
has killed his mother, he has killed
he has
killed his king."
The
surprised, they could not believe their ears:
disciple gathered
Do you mean
They make
said to his other disciples,
killed his relatives,
people were very
mean?
a
few per-
your
a
going far away to spread Buddha's message.
you
become
to
clamoring inside you, and they don't allow you to become
all
grown-up person
you
to
courage and asked,
"Sir,
murderer has some virtue?
147
what do you
You
are calling
MATURITY
him
blessed?"
murdered himself
has even
Buddha
Buddha laughed and he
committed
has
which he
sings a song, says a gatha, in
means by
that,
suicide."
is
the world; that's
Then
what he
explains
brought up
how you
That
as a child.
your
is
have been trained for
way
first
have become very dependent
—you always go on looking
you always go on looking
for authorities to
into
remain
years, to
Everything was ordered and you were expected to obey.
figures,
he
it.
Everybody
child.
— he
"Not only
said,
a
You
for father
you what
tell
should be done, what should not be done.
Maturity means the understanding to decide for oneself, the
understanding to be decisive on your own.
feet
—
that's
what maturity
spoil almost every child,
is.
But
more or
less.
and the college and the university
It is
And
— they
on your own
stand
happens because parents
then there
are
is
the school
ready to spoil you.
all
very rare that somebody becomes mature.
The
society
is
not happy with mature people. Mature people
are dangerous people because a
his
rarely
it
To
own
being.
He
honor.
He
own
sacrifice everything,
Society
is
childish.
afraid
what
life
but he
— he
is
— and
according to
— he does not
is.
He
does not
he does not bother about
at
it
any
never ready to
that's
World War,
this strange
scale, in the
thing
their opinion
lives
Everybody should be kept
In the First
lives
cost.
He
is
sacrifice his
ready to
freedom.
of these people; society wants everybody to remain
seven and fourteen
aware of
say,
respectability, for prestige;
lives his
own
goes on doing his
bother about what people
hanker for
mature person
at
an age somewhere between
where people
for the
first
are.
time psychologists became
phenomenon. For
the
first
time on a large
army, people's mental ages were researched.
148
And it was
—
Puzzles
a strange discovery: the
people in the army had an average mental
Your body may be
age of twelve.
your mind remains some-
fifty,
where below fourteen.
Before fourteen you are repressed
pression
becomes
By
difficult.
not been repressed then there
because once he becomes
Before fourteen he
put anything into
is
his
You
to
he will believe in
it,
can
tell
become
a father,
to
—
for thousands
know:
If you
dependent, do
— he
being he^ becomes powerful.
suggestible,
is
that
arises,
doubt
a
you can hypnotize
you want and he
will listen
arises.
After fourteen sexuality
Now
he himself is
person independent from the parents
known
long before psychol-
world. Priests have found
to repress a child, if you
as early as possible
all
you can
now she herself is able to become a mother.
is
be done before fourteen, then there
why
him ever
feminine. Before fourteen
can be done before seven, success
That's
fourteen, if he has
it
out long be-
of years they have watched and they have come
want
it
fourteen re-
possibility to repress
the age of fourteen. This has been
ogists entered into the
after
it.
So nature, biology, makes
fore
is
with sexuality he becomes independent.
able to
at
no
him everything
After fourteen logic
arises;
is
soft,
mind
him.
the time a child
a sexual
weak,
—because
—
to
make
a child
the earlier, the better. If
far
is
want
more
no
certain. If
possibility to
cannot
it
do
it
it.
kinds of people are interested in children and
their education. All the religions are interested, they say children
should receive religious education.
Why?
Before they become in-
dependent, their minds should be conditioned.
So the
free,
who
greatest
really
work
for a
man who
really
wants to become conscious,
become dehypnotized
—who wants
149
to have
wants to become
who
no
really
wants to
limitations
of any
MATURITY
who
kind,
drop
wants to flow in
many things from
you have
says
you have
father
to kill
the inside.
is
he needs to
that
or
when Buddha
father, that doesn't
your father and mother
kill
and mother that you are carrying within you, the
Watch, observe, and you
something and suddenly you
do
—
And when I say,
your mother and
go and actually
to
a total existence
You
it!"
will find
will hear
You
it.
are
mean
that
—but
the
idea.
going to do
your mother's voice: "Don't
can watch and you will hear the voice, the actual
—
you. You
going
too much
cream — watch. Suddenly moment comes when
mother
from
"Don't
too much — enough enough. Stop!" And
voice
a tape inside
it is
are
to eat
ice
the
speaks
a
within:
eat
time you
at that
If you are
all
is
start feeling guilty.
going to make love to
a
woman or to a man, suddenly
going to commit
This
is
a crime,
you
the trap. Escape before
making love
to
It is
— you cannot
taught love
is
going to commit
a
man
it.
woman who
or a
go, because for
something wrong.
How
many
is
needed.
ready to drop
all
You
any map, on your own. Ready to
It
Zen
happened
that
Master. For
a
dream,
a
all
goes totally
you have been
it
suddenly?
these voices
all
.
.
.
great
parental voices,
go into the unknown without
risk.
one man, Alexander
Eliot,
was studying under
months he was doing meditations, zazen, and he
was entering into the deeper waters of
he had
years
have to be ready to drop
authorities, ready to
really
can you drop
Unless you are very capable of murdering
courage
Beware!
sin.
too late." Even while you are
it is
between, destroying
very rare to find
into love
are
are
your wife, your mother and your father, your teach-
ers are there in
a
"You
the teachers are standing there in a queue and saying,
very strange dream.
150
his
own
being.
One
night
Zen people know about
this
—
Puzzles
dream
—but
for Eliot
He
shocked.
relates his
had
"I recently
was
a floating
was
it
dream.
dream
a
huddle of a
he was
strange;
.
which Bodhidharma appeared. He
in
man
.
.
he was
a westerner,
— round,
ghostly, with bulging eyes
and bulbous brow."
me, Bodhidharma
Just like
have painted
was not
his face,
like that
a
dangerous man.
And Zen people
very lovingly, in a very dangerous way.
— not
actually,
men
one of the most beautiful
picture of a
is
Bodhidharma you
not physically. Physically he was
ever
— but
if
you come
But
that's all a
ander Eliot became very
"Was he
made
this
Eliot
much
tell.
perspiring and trembling.
come you have not
'You seem
what
yet. Fifty years
Kill
is
immediately
of all old
tapes,
Start living
as if
nobody
to
be
grown-up man,' he
you have never
'yet
killed anyone.
I
he awoke, and he found himself
that
"What does
this strange
mean when
it
I
man mean: How
you
are not
simply shows you have not killed anybody
already too late
all
say if you are feeling
— now
don't waste time anymore.
the impressions inside you.
Wash your
inside
unwind your mind.
your
life,
has taught
from
this
moment,
you anything
—
not worth anything, because
151
all
as if you
fresh, clean,
and you will see maturity coming very soon.
life is
a
yet killed anybody?"
grown-up man,
yet a
scared and started trembling.
"
was so shocked
That's
going
grinning, or grimacing? His coarse bristling whiskers
impossible to
come?'
is
Master does. Even in the dream, Alex-
whispered through the beard,
How
across a
will start getting scared! If you look
into the eyes of Bodhidharma, he looks like a murderer, he
to kill you.
He
that
is
don't
from
know
T
,
ABC
And without maturity
beautiful happens only
MATURITY
in a
To
mature mind,
be
a
that
all
grown-up
is
is
great happens only in a mature mind.
a blessing.
But people simply grow
old, they
never become grown-ups. In age they go on growing but in consciousness they go
fetus;
it
has not
your body
is
on
shrinking. Their consciousness remains in the
come out of the womb,
born
—you
are yet
unborn.
Take your
hands
Start living your
life,
—
it
as
if
you dont know,
as
if
notody has taught
tKis
clean, Irom
and you
life.
You
anybody
tations.
Don't
live
live
else's
ture,
maturity coming very
your
life
father's life, live
WITHOUT ATTITUDE
being
ma-
another day you say "Be like a
Ifeel
my child is
repressed
for expression. If I let
my
and starved
child dance,
sing, then childish attitudes
What
to
come up.
do?
Being mature does not mean adopting
to
expec-
child." If I adopt a mature attitude,
soon.
fact,
are not
your mother's
One day you emphasize
will see
own
life.
LIFE
ABC-
into your
life
your
fulfill
your
you anything— fresh,
is
here to
and don't
moment,
from
not yet born. Only
it is
a
mature
attitude. In
adopting a mature attitude will be one of the greatest barriers
becoming mature. Adoption means something imposed, adop-
tion
means something
out of you.
It is
a
mask,
cultivated,
a
practiced.
painted face;
152
it
is
It
is
not your
not arising
real being.
—
Puzzles
That's
what everybody has been doing. That's why on the
people only appear to be mature
mature
Their maturity
And
out of him.
and your
politicians
you
the world and
immature and
Man
be
false,
will find
leaders.
will
immaturity
Go
and
arising,
—
scratch
or scratch your
watch any parliament of
just
never see such a gathering of so
many
childish people together.
pseudo.
Be! Adoption
others. If you adopt,
I
have not been
a barrier to being.
is
telling
And
you
you
to adopt anything.
the only
way
be
to
is
from the very beginning. Because your parents have not
start
lowed you
tal
only skin-deep, oi not even that much.
been deceiving himself and
has
and they remain
attitudes
not only the so-called ordinary people
and you
saints
is
im-
man a little bit and you will find childishness arising
Scratch any
will
are not, they are utterly
— deep down, they have adopted
childish.
your
— they
earth
your childhood, you
in
are stuck
age of the so-called normal people
al-
somewhere. The men-
not more than between
is
ten and thirteen years, not even fourteen!
to
And you may be
seventy
or eighty, but your mental age remains stuck somewhere before
you became
sexually mature.
The moment
ually mature, at thirteen or fourteen,
goes on becoming
by other
tected
and then there
that's
what
is
is
no end
personality
just a
taste.
as
one
to
is.
arise.
it.
deeply
Buddha
is
is
They
as
your
false.
is
person becomes sex-
sealed forever.
One
falsity
has to be pro-
by other
has to be defended
lie
Then he
You become just a heap
lies,
of rubbish
Personality has to be dropped, only then
showcase thing;
Individuality
can dig
and more
falsities,
does individuality
ality
false
he
a
don't
it is
reality,
mean
the same thing. Person-
exhibition,
it is
it is
said,
153
reality.
not a showplace thing.
one wants into you and he
reported to have
not
"You can
will find the
taste
One
same
me from any-
MATURITY
where and you
wil
1
find the
same
you
taste, just as
taste the
from anywhere and you
salty." Individuality
Individuality
whole,
it
is
one
is
the center
it
it is
schizophrenic:
something
is
they never meet.
Personality
is
one thing and the
is
cumference
organic.
will find
one whole,
is
organic. Personality
ocean
cir-
else,
and
Not only do
they
is
never meet, not only are they
differ-
schizophrenic, the
center
is
one thing
and the circumference
is
something
opposed
each other, they are in
a
N
to
constant
fight.
So the first thing to understand is,
and
else,
tney never meet.
ent, they are diametrically
never adopt
a
mature
attitude. Either
ot
be mature or be immature.
If you are
— by
only do they never
immature, then be immature
meet, not only are
being immature you will be allowing
growth.
they different, they
Then
there; don't
let
be
false,
don't be insin-
you
are childish, so
are diametrically
cere about
opposed to each
you
other, they are in a
ish.
constant
Accept
a division in
wrong with being
taught that something
adopting attitudes.
to be mature,
it,
—
so what?
go with
it.
Be
child-
Don't create
your being, otherwise
fight.
are creating a
and
is
wrong
fundamental mad-
You just be yourself.
ness.
is
If
are childish
you
Nothing
it.
the immaturity be
childish.
in
Because you have been
being childish you have started
From your very childhood you have been
how
can
a
child be mature?
he has to be childish.
154
A
child
is
trying
a child;
—
—
Puzzles
But
they
it is
pretending, they
start
from
lies
not allowed, so small children become diplomats
behaving in
start
their very beginnings
then one day you
start
and the
false
lie
ways, they
become
And
goes on growing.
searching for truth; then
you have
to
go into
the scriptures, and scriptures contain
The
no
truth at
in
your being,
—they
truth
that
The Veda,
ture.
ble
all.
are in
You
are carrying
you,
it is
the real scrip-
is
the Koran, the Bi-
Let immaturity he
your consciousness!
all
that
is
born with truth in
is
truth.
But you
is
there, don't oe (ai se,
needed by
his
being
—
started learning
dont oe
and of course you
atout
childish.
j
30 with
I
which has never been allowed,
will surface.
"What!
Am
And you
.
you are
so
you are
at
Accept
it.
it,
Dont
i
create a division in
!
will feel afraid:
going to be childish
I
If
childish— so what? Be
whenever you
drop the personality, your childishness,
it.
lies.
will feel a great fear
arising in you, because
insincere
life
Be courageous
lies.
all
contained
from God. Everybody
a gift
Drop
is
1
§
your hein3 / otherwise
I
this
point?
that
I
When
everybody knows
am a great professor
tor or an engineer
PhD
and
The
fear arises
I
am
—
— and
or a doc-
I
have
you are creatin3 a
j
^ou
going to be childish?"
—
fundamental madness,
a
the fear of public
j
—
just he yourself.
opinion, of what people will think.
That same
same
will
fear has
my
fear has destroyed
you from the very beginning. The
been the poison: "What
father think?
What
will
my mother think? What
will people think, the teachers
155
and the
—
—
MATURITY
society?"
show
And
He knows
his heart.
he creates
want
the small child
Everybody
cry because
it
diplomacy,
is
He
this
You
political.
is
is
You
because that keeps her quiet.
show
say to
say to
it.
If
you
because he expects you to say
you
are feeling
it
then
artificial
you,"
"I will die
my
world, you are
it is
a real rose. If
male ego, buttressing him
through him, then
fulfill
burdened with so much
are
The world
is
not the problem.
The
go on saying, "Renounce the world."
not the problem
Renounce
the
at
all.
Renounce
that
artificial
is
the
have created there. Be
painful to be true
and inauthentic
an
it is
true, authentic.
it is
is,
because
within, then without;
closest thing to
can you see
you, your
God
is
the prob-
say to
you
that the
that
world
the problem.
is
is
no need
it is
it
not cheap.
will
be very
To be
It is
to
you
that pseudofamily that
Sometimes
is
untrue
a trick, a
an armor. But then you will miss the
you have been carrying
know what God
that
cheap, convenient, comfortable.
strategy to protect yourself;
truth that
—
so-called religious people
falsity
all
and to be authentic,
is
I
plastic
the problem. There
renounce your family but renounce
First
"I love
flower, a plastic flower.
And you
lem.
you
pays to smile,
your wife,
my
poison!
is
not because you are feeling
it,
are simply pretending, massaging his
because you have some ends to
this
say a certain thing
has beauty, then
it
—
your husband,
without you, you are the only person in
life,"
it
You
cry.
which people
that
being political
smile because
You
because that makes things easy.
will not
be accepted by others, so
will
expected of you to
is
— he
becoming cunning
that will not
camouflage.
a face, a
to see. This
starts
God
in
can be
first in,
own
your soul. Then you
known
then out
—because
156
Buddha?
never
only within you.
that
is
the
there
how
All nonsense.
You
being. If you miss
in Krishna, Christ,
will
God
Puzzles
God
cannot see
how
lies
in Christ if
around yourself? The
way
lies
You
God
that
man
cannot
and for about ninety-nine percent of people he
without
live
function
Because
lies?
Lies function like a lubrication;
on
You
is
right.
without
lies;
Why cannot
lies
you
To
colliding with people.
smile and the other smiles
lubrication.
is
live
shock absorbers.
as buffers,
don't go
you have almost for-
are lost in the jungle of lies.
Friedrich Nietzsche has said that
man
And
in yourself.
are continuously creating
much
are so
your being.
to
see
God in yourself if you
can you see a
gotten the
you cannot
You may
—
this
he untrue and
inauthentic
cheap,
is
be feeling
convenient,
may be
angry inside, you
full
of rage,
comfortable.
but you go on saying to your wife,
"I love
you."
To
express the rage
express
unless
your rage you
know how
man who
to express
your
love.
much
that
an armor. But
tk n
is
you will miss the
A
trutk that you have
cannot be angry cannot be
anger so
it
never
loving either, because he has to repress
his
protect yourself
you can
will
a
is
trick, a strategy to
is
to get into trouble.
But remember,
It
teen carrying
in
your
he becomes
soul.
incapable
else
of
—because
expressing
all
anything
things are joined to-
gether inside your being, they are not separate. There are no watertight
compartments between anger and love; they
mixed with each
you
will
surprised
other.
It is
is
arising
all
together,
the same energy. If you repress anger
have to repress love too.
— anger
are
with
it.
If
you
express love,
Either suppress
157
all,
or
you
all
will
will
be
have
MATURITY
to be expressed.
You have to
understand
this
arithmetic of your inner
organic unity. Either be expressive or be repressive.
The
choice
is
not that you can repress anger and express love; then your love will
be
false
because
warmth.
it
won't have any
be
will just
It
be
will always
a
afraid in
heat,
mannerism,
a
moving deeper
it
won't have the quality of
mild phenomenon, and you
into
it.
People only pretend to love because they are expected to love.
They
love their children, they love their wife or husband, their
spouses, their friends, because they are expected to
They
in
fulfill
is
joy in
expected, just because that
—
it
it is
cold,
it is
embarrassed,
You make
It
you
feel
no celebration
dissolve into
But
on the head
is
ugly.
will
be surprised
allowed
known
his
it
fact that
if you
He
is
on the
you
arises
To
it
has
how
— and he was not
a
woman
It is
murderer; the society
much and went
Then anger
and then you
arises,
are almost
avoid that madness you
then
all
—you
is
a
well-
woman,
respon-
too deeply into love.
that
is
civilization
hidden inside
mad.
make
158
bliss,
because he
go too deep you become wild, because your
surface.
it.
can you
happened many times
times a lover has simply killed the
simply dared too
When you
And
far into
have never allowed your anger
that a lover has killed the
many
the child
can take you to the ultimate
love and then suddenly the anger came.
suffocated her
sible.
—
And
but you never go
and you have never been dissolved in your anger,
allow love to dissolve you?
no
the child will never be able to
woman
far out,
it.
is
embarrassed.
love to your
can take you really
you can
is
the thing to do, but there
is
And
dead.
forgive you, because a cold pat
feels
There
certain things.
You come home and you pat your child's head just because
them.
that
these things as if they are duties.
do
love in a very superficial way.
Puzzles
It is
never
a
tremendous phenomenon. Yes, people are
they say that
you of a
just like a sneeze:
it is
certain energy that
not the
real picture
it
when
right
relaxes tensions,
relieves
it
was getting heavy on you. But
of love. Love has to be ecstasy
this
— not
like a
sneeze, not just a release but a realization, a liberation. Unless
know
love
known
as a liberation,
But
love.
that
is
as ecstasy, as
allowed
all.
laughter, if
—
samadhi, you have not
if
you have allowed
you have allowed
you have never been
If
tears, if
a preventive force,
anger, if
you have
you have
never been holding anything, you have never been controlling
you have
lived a
do not mean
of great
side. It
own
a life
discipline,
is
of licentiousness. The
but the discipline
inner experiences.
You
thing in
it
Control
is
—
ugly, discipline
life
A
It
fall
comes from your
comes by experiencing
is
It
does not
the
the aspects,
comes out of under-
means capacity
who
mean
man
disciplined
and
who
is
control,
one
who
who
commit
is
not control.
It is
who
it
to learn,
means
to
is
goes on learning through
—who
risks,
always ready to go into the
does not cling to the
mistakes,
who
is
known and
always ready to
always ready to be laughed
159
hence the
be capable of
goes into everything, unafraid
always ready to
in a ditch
all
all
beautiful.
explores and adventures,
is
discipline
the dimensions.
dark night of the unknown,
who
I
not imposed from the out-
comes from the encounter with
discipline basically
experiences,
who
The
uncontrol
if
of uncontrol can be
that understanding brings discipline.
disciple. It
learning.
all
is
life
—
have been in anger and you have understood some-
The word
word
It
of your being.
comes by exploring
standing.
And remember, by
of uncontrol.
not an adopted attitude.
possibilities
it
life
you
possible only if you are not pseudo, if you
have been authentic in everything
you have allowed
is
at
by
others.
MATURITY
Only people who
to live
are courageous
and love and
know and
enough
to
be called fools are able
be.
Maturity comes through more and more, deeper and deeper
experiences of life, not by avoiding
life.
By avoiding life you remain
childish.
One
childish.
when
thing more:
A
I
say be like a child
mean be
don't
I
child has to be childish; otherwise he will miss that
But
great experience of childhood.
whether you
A
are
ishness simply
J isciplincd man
one
who
is
goes on
learning through
a
What
does
it
who
old, child-
you have
that
To
be
like a child
phenomenon.
different
totally
always total
experiences,
shows
not been growing.
is
life
young or
mean? One, the
—whatsoever
child
is
the child
is
goes
doing he becomes absorbed in
into everything,
is
unafraid— who
who
risks,
never
he
collecting
is
on the beach, then
seashells
then
ness,
who
If
all
that concerns
the seashells and the beach.
sorbed in
into the dark night o(
is
of not knowing.
edge means the
You
past,
utterly lost in
is
are
He
is
is
it.
is
ab-
That
one of the
concentration, that
that
the second thing: a child
cause he has none.
him
He
fundamentals of being like
unknown.
sity,
a state
it,
quality of being total
That
And
else
all
is
always ready to go
the
he
simply disappears from his conscious-
explores and
adventures,
partial.
it,
a child.
is
inten-
wholeness.
innocent.
He
functions from
never functions out of knowledge be-
always function out of knowledge.
Knowl-
knowledge means the old and the
160
told,
knowledge means
situation
that
which you have gathered. And every new
new, no knowledge
is
about engineering or technology
cause a machine
human
situation
unique. If you
is
—
when you
w ant to
applicable be-
is
are
behaving in
communicating with
are
alive
function rightly in
it
you
will
a
be-
of any other. Each situation
a repetition
r
I'm not talking
it.
there, the past
machine. But
when you
atmosphere,
no
ings,
a
is
applicable to
is
is
have to func-
tion through a state of ignorance, like a child. Don't bring your
knowledge
into
it,
forget
new, don't respond
all
knowledge. Respond to the
new from
to the
the old
you
what
happening around you.
is
will miss: there will
always go on missing the
it.
be no bridge between you and
You
be
will always
late,
you
In the dream, the person
a train,
and they
rushing and running and
is
This dream happens again and again to millions of people,
one of the commonest dreams.
Why
does
this
is
There
is
never made. They cannot
thing,
I
something hinders.
teach
always a gap.
is it? It is
you ignorance. And when
I
this
learning
—he cannot
is
an
alive process.
knowledge
say be like a child
He
that hinders.
I
mean always
is
a
dead phe-
function from the standpoint of knowledge.
If a child lives in a multilingual
guages.
get into any-
And the learner has to remember
Have you not watched and observed
fast.
life.
They try, but the bridge
keep learning, never become knowledgeable. Knowledge
nomenon,
is
dream come again
commune, they cannot
What
left.
this
and again to millions of people on the earth? They are missing
are always late.
will
train.
reaches the station, and by the time he reaches, the train has
They
as
the old. If you respond from
People go on dreaming again and again of
always miss
new
children learn so
atmosphere he learns
learns the language that the
161
it? Little
mother
all
the lan-
speaks, the father
MATURITY
speaks, the neighbors speak
very
it
easily,
with no problem.
becomes very
start
— he may leam
three, four, five languages
Once you have learned a language then
difficult to learn
functioning from the standpoint of knowledgeability.
you cannot teach
tricks. It
Respond
to the
new
is
true.
It is
said
dog new
the old
But what makes a dog
old?
Not physical
rates
goes on learning to the very end,
even while he
as
now you
another language because
age, because a Soc-
A
dying.
is
Buddha
new, dont respond
goes on learning to the very end.
new from
to the
old.
If
the
you respond
What makes
makes
a
dog
a
We
have not
a single
there will he no
statue
bridge tetween you
and what
of Buddha or Krishna
them
picts
he late, you will
childlike.
He
from the
state
So
always go on missing
I
is
And
trust;
trusts the
is:
to function
first,
remain
the age
but some-
continued to function
of not knowing.
when
I
say be like a child
a learner, function
from the
of not knowing. That's what in-
from not knowing
the third thing, and the
last: a
otherwise he cannot survive.
mother,
old,
never
mean be total. And the second thing
state
nocence
that they
him remained always young,
will always
the train.
Not
of eighty, became very
thing in
y©u
as old.
that de-
became old! Krishna lived up to
is
happening around
of
Knowledge
old.
remains young.
you.
old?
Buddha remains young, Krishna
from the old you will
miss.-
dog
is
innocence.
child has a natural quality
When
the child
trusts the milk, trusts that the
\62
is
born he
milk will be nour-
ishing him, trusts that everything
okay. His trust
is
is
no doubt about anything. He's not
is
so
start
much
afraid
is
fear,
his
hand
into the
can
know what
trust
what
to realize
truth
Science depends on doubt
become
is.
—
much
so
can learn again the ways
godliness
then only will
is,
This has to be understood.
that's
why
whole of education
the
cannot grow without doubt. Religiousness depends on
trust.
Remember,
These
you bring
if
You
trust into a scientific
whole
will not
be able to discover anything. Doubt
You
point.
on doubt,
trust, it
it
cannot
are diametrically opposite directions.
miss the
there.
— he knows
the education of doubt. Science depends
happen without
go
that a child can
the third quality.
if you
is,
know what
of trust, then only will you
you come
is
is
trust
the child can go and
much
so
trust
he knows no doubting. That
If you
has
is
His
fire.
of anything. His
—because
playing with a snake. His trust
and poke
no
mother
that the
afraid
absolute, there
is
work you
will
be able to get anything, you
will not
the
is
methodology
have to doubt and doubt and doubt; you have to go on
doubting until you stumble upon something that cannot be
doubted, that
to accept
facts
may
it
is
—but
arise
Then
indubitable.
still
with
only, in helplessness,
a grain
of doubt that tomorrow
and the whole thing
only for the time being
.
.
.
will
is it
accepted
searchers will find
as truth
new
new
have to be dropped. So
Science never comes to any ultimate
truth but only tentative truth, approximate truth.
being
you have
because
facts,
new
hypotheses, tentative, arbitrary.
Only
who knows?
data.
for the time
— tomorrow
So science comes only
What Newton had
reto
discovered has
been thrown down the drain by Albert Einstein, and what he has
discovered will be thrown out by
is
the methodology. Trust
is
somebody
not needed.
163
else.
You
In science, doubt
have to
trust
only
—
MATURITY
when
there
no
is
possibility to
doubt
for the time being, in a kind
Because no further doubt
and
sides
of helplessness.
is
a diametrically
rate
it,
Just as
is
What
can you do?
have looked from
opposite dimension. Just
in
that
from existence,
that this
long to
science
means
It
is
it
science
are not sepa-
that we are part
belongs to
mothering universe.
is
arisen.
of
we be-
us, that
are not homeless, that the universe
the method,
in religion trust
we
our home. That
that
it,
as in
all
What does trust
the method.
is
mean?
douht
You
possible.
the method, in religion trust
is
that too only tentatively,
doubts are dissolved and a kind of certainty has
all
Religion
doubt
is
— and
we
is
a
We can be chil-
the
dren with the universe just as the child
method. VC^hat does
mean?
trust
that
we
means
It
whenever the need
trusts that
the mother will
when he
are not
is
feed him,
arises
come and take care
hungry she
when he
will
come and
feels
cold the
separate from
mother
existence, that
part of
we
are
that this
it,
will
come and hug him and
The
give warmth, love, care.
trusts.
is
All that he needs to
ever he
our home.
is
in
some need
is
child
do when-
scream and
cry so that the mother's attention
tracted
gion says
this
universe
expressions. Jesus called
Father
is
a
will
it
looks a
little
is
not
our mother or our
is
father,
all.
Reli-
hence these
informal. If you have to translate abba
be closer to daddy than to
father.
absurd; the church won't allow
right.
that's
at-
God "Abba," which is far better than father.
formal word, abba
rightly,
this
is
toward him,
is
But Jesus used
to call
164
But
it.
to call
God Daddy
The church
him Abba, which
is
will say
daddy.
In fact, a prayer has to be informal. "Father" looks so far away.
is
no wonder
that
by
calling
God
the Father
away, distant somewhere, in heaven. Daddy
touch him, he
is
we
have put him
feels closer
almost tangible, you can talk to him.
and still you cannot
Religion
becomes
is
trust
a father.
The
ation.
fight
on shouting
to reach him.
is
are not against nature,
no
fight, there
is
you
are
great cooper-
in religious experience, just as trust does
scientific exploration.
Science means exploring the
without and religion means exploring the within. Science
religion of things, religion
is
see a flower through the ear
howsoever musical an
The
ear
the science of being. Just as
—howsoever
sensitive
ear.
If you
to see the color, the light, the form,
ear can only catch sounds,
it
is
the
you cannot
an ear you have,
you have, you cannot
through the
want
God-
seems to be stupid and absurd.
Doubt does not work
not work in
You
There
not fighting with nature.
a
approach toward existence: the world
a childlike
mother or
a
whether you will be able
far
—you can
With
Father sitting somewhere high in the heavens you can go
It
has
see a flower
its
you
limitations.
will
have to
look through the eyes. The eyes are so beautiful but they have their
limitations
greatest
deaf,
—you cannot hear music through
music will not be able to penetrate the
you
will
Doubt
through
the eyes.
is
trust
have to hear through the
the door to things. Trust
is
godliness
And remember, you
eyes.
Even
The
the
eyes are
ears.
is
the door to being.
Only
known.
can commit the
so-called religious people have
fallacy in
been fighting
two ways. The
science, the church
has been fighting science. That was a foolish fight because the
church wanted science to depend on
taking revenge
— now
trust.
And now
science
science wants religion to also depend
165
is
on
MATURITY
Man
doubt, on skepticism, on logic.
so foolish that he goes
is
The church
repeating the same mistakes again and again.
Middle Ages was
are
now
stupid;
people
world.
And
to
You
can use doubt
so has trust
no need
think they are scientists
its
own
method, but
as a
world, but
to use trust to
doubt has
will say that
know
it
also has
has
its
limitations.
That's
all.
I
why
who may
have
all
may have won
scientists
the education that
awards, or
is
There
no need
a mess. If trust
were
would not have been born
in the East science has
have come across Indian
limitations.
its
about things and there
scientific exploration, science
own
its
it
doubt about the inner; then you are creating
used for
at
in the
doing the same stupidity again.
The man of understanding
is
who
on
remained very primitive.
— even
a scientist in India
possible in the West,
is
maybe even
if
he
is
a
Nobel
who
laureate,
He
remains somewhere, deep down, unscientific, superstitious.
goes on trying in some ways
or unaware
—
to
impose
— known or unknown
on
trust
the outside world.
to him,
And
aware
the very,
very religious person from the West remains somewhere, deep
down, doubtful. The West has explored the
and the East has explored the
You
standing
have to use both.
who
possibilities
And
can use both.
he uses
trust.
And
he
is
free
man
working
when
of doubt
of trust.
call that
When
uses doubt, skepticism, logic;
tating,
I
possibilities
a
man of under-
in a scientific lab
he
praying in his temple, medi-
— he
is
neither
bound by
trust
nor bound by doubt.
Don't be bound by your
will
eyes,
remain poor.
You
when
by your
have both! So
and when you want to
dental that
ears or
listening to
eyes, otherwise
when you want
listen close
your
eyes.
t66
to see use
It is
music people close their
you
not acci-
eyes. If you
Pussies
know how
are
to listen to music
you
will close
your
eyes, because eyes
no longer needed.
So
Trust
is
with doubt and
it
trust.
the quality of the child. These
is
three qualities
j
—
rant in spite
—
for you.
is
the meaning,
f
a
is
mental emotional
kind of senti-
state.
That
adult Kas to be
|
allowed to be
not
is
Every child has to
j
be allowed to be
childish, as every
adult has to be allowed to be adultish,
but an adult can also have the qualities
allowed to be
childish, as every
this
Childishness
needed
i
to be
of knowledge, and the
of trust
quality
Every child has
the quality of being
the quality of remaining igno-
total,
\
of being
a
child.
j
adultish, tut an adult
can also nave the
J
qualities of being a
I
chill Childish ness
Childishness
is
j
is
not needed, that tantrum quality
not needed, that sentimentality
needed
is
—but maturity can cope
is
I
not
1
tantrum quality
with the
like a child.
There
is
between them. In
of being
I
no contradiction
I
you can be-
1
qualities
fact,
come mature only
if
you
is
not
perI
fectly well
not needed, that
are like a
j
needed, that
sentimentality
is
not
needed— hut maturity
can cope perfectly
child.
But
mained
it.
Let
it
if
your childishness has
unfulfilled,
you have to allow
I
qualities of being like
—
j
a child.
come, and let it be fulfilled
the sooner the better, otherwise
will
go on clinging
very end. Allow
it
well with the
re-
to
you
to
it
f
your
expression and
it
167
will
be gone. Once
it is
allowed
—
MATURITY
it
will
have
fulfilled.
time and will go, and
its
go into
better to
It is
it
it
right
now
because the more you postpone the more
and then you
you
It
will
will start
mature with
than postpone
difficult
it
becomes
it
will find a childlike quality arising. Childishness
will disappear.
your child
you very much
will leave
will
be temporarily there, then
be fresh and young.
the
that
lies
you
are carrying
when you become
can mature only
will
be gone and
after that child
Then you can become
growing.
all
And
it
mature.
around
truthful,
is
attained
You
cannot
yourself.
You
when you become
true.
FROM
why
But
a
TO SENSUALITY
drop sex by going through
Is it really possible to
mind and body
SEX
will never stop asking for
you
are
hurry to drop
it,
in such a hurry to
you
the very desire to drop
will
it
seems
my
it.
drop
it?
never be able to drop
will not allow
it? It
you
If you are in
it.
such
The very hurry,
to understand
it
totally.
How can you understand something that you have already decided
is
wrong,
have not
it
peace.
listened!
Give
a
You
have already judged, you
chance to your sexuality.
a justice
of the
The first case came into court and he heard one party. Then he
"Wait,
now listen to my judgment." The
zled because he
He
sir?
has to be dropped?
have heard that Mulla Nasruddin was made
I
said,
that
had not yet heard the opposite
leaned close to Nasruddin and
Judgment?
You
said,
court clerk was puz-
party.
"What
have not heard the other side!"
168
are
you doing,
Puzzles
Nasruddin
"What do you mean,
said,
want to confuse me? Now things are
I
And if
I
you
hear the other side
am going to be confused. Then judgment will be very difficult."
But
at all.
will
You
it
be
a
chance to your
you
have not heard the other party
have heard your so-called
lateness against sex
right,
You
judgment?
has
the ages
become
—they
their articu-
—you have heard them. You have never given
own
sexuality to have
are prejudiced.
on carrying
it.
its
say.
No,
Why? Who knows?
Then
thing to be dropped.
thing to go
down
saints
whole sex energy
are very vocal. Their
a
clear!
Do
the other side?
.
.
.
?
Who
knows?
may
It
It
not be the
may be
Remain open. I'm not
not be
this will
the right
saying anything
except remain open. Meditate deeply. While you are making love,
let
meditativeness penetrate your love
the prejudices that
problem.
is
problem
a
make you more
for you.
the antisexual
It is
mean
Krishna,
lowers.
pened
I
don't
I
don't
a
I
I
don't
mean Mahavir,
I
it
a
dictum
it
a rule.
don't
And what
that sex
that sex has to disappear.
sex disappears
— they made
all
fol-
hap-
had
You
a dic-
And this is just putting things in a wrong or-
way round. Not that he
become a Buddha
say
Mohammed; I mean the
Sex disappears because Buddha has come to
the other
has
When
the source, a great source.
made
the
that creates perversion.
Christ or
Buddha only when
tum, they made
der.
mean
those con-
itself that is
They watched Buddha and they saw
disappeared, so they
can become
mind
all
all
and then you think
not sex energy
mean Buddha,
They have been
really?
It is
sexual,
—
been sources of perversion.
All the religions have
the religions,
Watch! And forget
you have been brought up with
ditionings against sex
sexuality
act.
—he
has
has
his
inner source, not
dropped sex and
that's
become a Buddha, hence
why he
sex has dis-
appeared. But from the outside people watched Buddha and they saw
169
—
MATURITY
sex had disappeared
Buddha
is
—
so drop sex if you
want
to
become
"Become
not interested in money, so they thought,
interested in
dis-
money if you want to become a Buddha."
But these
are
all
wrong
approaches! This
not looking for the
is
cause, but misunderstanding the effect as the cause.
inside
Buddha.
a
He
buddhahood.
become awakened
has
The
cause
is
to his inner being.
When one becomes awakened to one's inner being one is so blissful
that
who
sure
from somebody
Who begs for small moments of pleaWho goes begging? When you are the
bothers about sex?
else?
emperor and you have the
you
yourself,
man,
she
you
to give
is
will not
a
treasure, the infinite treasure within
go to ask
woman, you
a
begging and you are begging
—both
before each other with their begging bowls:
moments of pleasure,
And both
are beggars!
you
will give
I
How
has not yet
ing
wrong. For the
is
become more
energies.
been
I
in
happened
to you,
more
"You
give
is
wrong
all
in
it.
Blood would flow from
a masochist
judgment
more
is
few
— noth-
wrong. Just
relaxed with your
saints
very famous Christian
a
have
and the people
are sadists.
great desire to torture
He
he used to whip
his
body, and thousands of people
who
Now both
his
are
body every
ill:
Jerome
is
gather together to see this great
They want
— they
saint.
that
to see this great austerity.
phenomenon
a
While buddha-
things will continue
accepting,
have heard about Jerome,
would come
me
the ages.
was so much against the body
day.
are beggars standing
Otherwise you will be in the trouble Christian
down
that
few moments of pleasure."
moment don't judge
watchful,
a
can beggars give?
But I'm not saying something
hood
a
go to ask
will not
And you know
few moments of pleasure.
to torture people, they
cannot, and this
170
man
is
have
doing
a
it
—
Puzzles
on
own; they
his
happy watching
are very
Jerome condemned the body as the
crement."
it.
"vile
are pathological.
body," the "sack of ex-
He was tormented in his cave by visions of beautiful girls.
He permitted marriage but very grudgingly
way of producing virgins. The reason is
perfect beings
necessary
Both
on the
why
evil, that's
So sex is
earth.
ted marriage; otherwise
to
—because
produce
it
was the only
virgins, the
a
he permit-
it is
a sin.
Another man, Clement of Al-
ood
woman
"Every
wrote:
exandria,
has not yet happened
should be overwhelmed with shame
at
the thought that she
because she
I
is
to you, all tilings will
woman
the door to hell."
continue— nothing
have always been surprised by
these people. If
to hell, then
hell
a
is
—
woman
no
is
woman
can enter through the
into
hell,
woman? They must be
judgment
itself.
woman
i
woman is
the door to hell, then
have been written by
women
men
what
and
relaxed with your
energies.
all
have never been so neurotic;
many women
they have been
man
watchful, more
were men.
don't hear of
as
Just tecome more
about man? If
about man? Because these scriptures
fact,
wrong,
accepting, more
And what
In
is
in heaven,
naturally!
these saints
trie
moment, dont judge —
what about
all
is
can enter
Man
— and
wrong. For
the door
the door cannot enter
okay
most
saints.
that's
They have been more normal,
more down-to-earth. They have not been
has proved to be.
They
are
171
why you
more
graceful and
so foolish
more round
—
MATURITY
more rooted
in their being,
you don't hear about many
you cannot
man
is
find a parallel
in the earth,
women
woman.
more
centered. Hence,
Clement of Alexandria
like
No woman
has ever said that
the door to hell.
And
women
not that
it is
have never been mystics. No, there
was Meera, and there was Rabiya, and there was
but they have never said anything like
said that love
And
is
the door to
another
this.
God.
Origen, castrated himself
saint,
One
much
into
start
your
creating fantasies.
fantasies. Christine
felt
God's hand
But
trouble?
Ebner, another nun,
of copulating with the Virgin Mary.
great repression, the convents
places
of the so-called
of succubi, beautiful
male
saints,
or incubi,
monks
because of
visiting
These demons took the form either
who jumped
into the beds of
would-be
handsome young men who interrupted
sleep or the meditations
tianity that
And
and monasteries became the
evil spirits.
girls
if you
Then you will have
believed herself pregnant with a child by Jesus. There were
who dreamed
sui-
pathology in the Chris-
Now why give God such
avoid men, then you will
to put too
—murderers,
nun, Mathilde of Magdeburg,
fondling her bosom.
Kashmir
On the contrary, Meera
cidal people! All this repression created great
tian world.
Lalla in
the
of the nuns. Such pathology arose in Chris-
people started dreaming
all
kinds of things.
And many
nuns confessed in the courts that the devil came in the night and made
love to them.
They even
of sexual organ he has
Pathology,
ill
in the courts that
man
can ever
—
described the devil's physiology, what kind
forked, so that
it
enters both the holes.
people, gone neurotic!
And
those nuns confessed
once you have made love to the devil then no
satisfy
you
— he
is
the greatest lover, he brings such
orgasms. This nonsense happened not only in Christianity,
172
it
hap-
pened
over the. world. But Christianity comes to the utmost
all
peak in
it.
Please, don't
be against
of sex more and more.
get rid of
appears
you
If you
Yes, there
it.
—but
it is
sex; otherwise
is
a point
own
first,
it.
into the trap
fall
of it you will never
of transcendence
not that you are against
has to be found
will
to get rid
find better blessings arising inside
The higher
when
sex dis-
disappears only
It
when
your bejng, never before
that.
then the lower disappears of
its
accord.
Let
—
lower
be
it
a
fundamental rule in your
moment the
will see that the interest in the
You
through
never be against the
life:
search for the higher. Never be against the lower, search for
the higher, and the
ask, "Is
it
higher dawns on you suddenly you
lower has disappeared.
drop sex by going
possible, really possible, to
it?"
I'm not saying
will
want
you
that.
I'm saying that
be able to understand
it.
if
you go through
Understanding
is
it
you
freedom, under-
standing liberates.
I'm not against
want
to
drop
understand
it, it
not that sex
become
a
it,
is
sex, so don't
how
be in
a
hurry to drop
can you understand
will never disappear!
And
it?
And when
simply cut off from your being,
When
nonsexual being.
come more sensuous than
it
if
it.
If
you don't
disappears,
it is
you
it is
not that you
sex disappears, in fact
you be-
ever because the whole energy
is
ab-
sorbed by your being.
A Buddha
smells
more
more
totally
the flowers
is
more sensuous than you
intensely than
you
than you touch.
more
smell.
are.
you can
173
he
smells,
he
When he touches, he touches
When he looks
beautiful than
When
at
see
the flowers, he sees
—because
his
whole
Puzzles
sexual energy has spread
senses.
Please,
It is
genitals,
dont te
it
otherwise
sex,-
grace
you will
fall
into the
and
trap of sex more
more.
If
you want
to
—
where
localized in the
gone
over the body.
has
all
coming?
that
sex
It is
trans-
the same
you were decrying and
condemning which
get rid of
—from
—
grace
It is
formed, transfigured.
mud
The
so beautiful.
is
unearthly
the
is it
his
no longer
Hence, Buddha
against
over
all
become
has
a lo-
you will
it
tus flower.
never get rid of
y„,
t [, ere
is
it.
So never be against
a point
when
of transcendence
ing to
become your
And when
sex
is
sex;
really transfigured,
not that you are
against
it.
It
disappears only
a great gift
it
sex was from
is
go-
lotus flower.
then you understand what
sex disappears— tut
it is
when
whole
On
God
life, it is
to you.
—
it
on the higher
the only energy
is
your
your whole energy.
the lower planes,
planes
It is
you
have. So don't carry any antagonism,
you
find tetter
otherwise you will
tlessings arising inside
your teing, never
tefore that.
sive.
A man who
understand.
understand
And
is
a
repres-
represses cannot
man who
never
never transformed.
174
become
cannot
transfigured,
AN ONGOING JOURNEY
X
J" our consciousness
\/
far
infinitely infinite.
It is
/
is
you can
bigger than the whole universe.
You
cannot
"Enough." There
say,
There
is
always a possibility to go
turing
is
such
is
to a point
more and more.
always
Even
who
wants to stop
Just think, if Einstein
of
his intelligence
it?
a great scientist like Albert
Einstein has used only fifteen percent of his intelligence.
They never use more than
say about ordinary people?
where
on growing. And growing, ma-
a beautiful experience, that
We are stopped in every way.
come
What
to
five percent.
was capable of using one hundred percent
he would have given the world unimaginable
richness.
And
if
cent, then
everybody
dodos,
torture?
—which
is
go to heaven and
whose only
masochists,
as
long a
There
life as
is
no need
he wants,
We can create so much wealth that
needs to hoard
was
self-
it
as
to
intelligence,
go anywhere.
healthy a
life as
becomes just like
air
we
can
We
can
he wants.
—nobody
it.
Using your intelligence
Awareness
with those dead
qualification
everybody uses one hundred percent
man
live
simply a psychological disease.
create paradise here.
give
using his consciousness one hundred per-
who would like to
saints,
If
is
is
totally
means the beginning of maturity.
only a methodology.
175
First,
become aware of how
MATURITY
much
intelligence
not
faith are
you
intelligent.
They
everybody uses one
how much
using.
And just
will see that
are
make you
intelligence,
no need to
go anywhere.
you
You
are
watching you
much.
are not using
many ways
alert.
you
awareness will
can use
it.
Wc
can
you
will bring
to
your
one hundred percent intelligence,
make you almost
divine.
And
you
to
will
aware-
Awareness
ness does not stop there.
helps
man
give
intelligence
in that
Awareness
is
intel-
we can
create paradise here.
Tk ere
your
Awareness is a methodology to
watch
There
hundred percent
Belief and
at all?
it
are taking a decision against
ligence.
If
you using
are using, or are
use your intelligence
as long a
fully.
life
as he wants, as
healthy a
wants,
life
as he
can create
Intelligence
much wealth
that
becomes
lilce
just
air— nobody needs to
hoard
it.
Using your
to the world,
to the objects. Intelligence will give
In
it
you
road, connecting
you more
so
your outgoing
is
fact,
science,
there
is
work anymore,
telligence.
everything.
more technology.
no need
if
we
for
man
to
can use our in-
Machines can do almost
And you need
not go on
carrying, according to Jesus, the cross
intelligence totally
on your
means the beginning
o( maturity.
That
shoulders.
stupid.
is
Machines can do everything, and
you
are freed for the
slavery; otherwise,
that
you
feel
you
it is
time from
only in
are free.
have to earn the bread, you have to earn some
176
first
money
name
But you
to
make
a shelter, a house,
So
is
money
for medicine,
for other things.
seems you are independent, but you are not. The old slavery
it
no more
chains
money
there;
—your
now you
children,
are not chained, but there are invisible
your old parents, your
your job.
sick wife,
Man is not yet free. He is working eight hours and still carrying
files
home. Working late
Still
the
end
to
files
it.
go on growing on
the
his table,
Can you
call
them
free? Just think
is
only one
work and man
possibility,
You
sculptures.
there
is
doing
a
is
will
be completely
so
much
You
free to
be creative.
can paint, you can
be done to make
to
God, even he may
will
Awareness
Adam
And
far better.
one day he
You
make
this earth.
it
start feeling jealous,
thinking that
and Eve out of heaven; those people
will
be no surprise that
knock on your doors and
will release
this earth beautiful. If
say,
your intelligence,
if there
"May
will
I
is
a
come
it
are
God,
in?"
make you mature.
then maturity goes on growing.
Ordinarily
old:
about yourself:
can do thousands of things to beautify
was wrong to drive
old
be no
can make beautiful gardens, ponds.
There
And
to
supertechnology, which can do
can play your guitar, sing your song.
You
and -there seems
really free?
There
all
home, working on Sundays.
Enter any office and you will see these people, see these
people's tables.
Are you
in the night at
is
one
you simply grow
thing,
growing up
is
old,
you don't grow
up.
Growing
totally different. All animals
grow
no animal, except man, can grow up. Growing old simply
means you
are
coming
closer to
your death, not much of an
achievement. Growing up means you are coming to realize the
deathless, the eternal that has
no beginning and no end.
disappears. All paranoia disappears.
Ill
You
are not mortals.
All fear
MATURITY
Growing
old,
you
You know you
mortals.
Growing
are mortals.
will
up,
you become im-
You
be changing many houses.
will
be changing many forms, but each
form
TK ere
to
maturing.
make
be done to
this
earth beautiful.
there
he
a
is
may
God
If
bodies.
comes
a
deserve better forms,
And,
finally,
there
moment when you
don't
You
need any body.
even
can remain just
pure consciousness spread
over
all
start feeling
existence.
was wrong
Ad am
You
better
jealous, thinking that
it
be better than the past one,
because you are growing, you are
much
so
is
will
to drive
and Cve out
It is
not a
loss, it is a gain.
A dewdrop slipping from the loYou
tus leaf into the ocean.
.
think the poor drop
lost,
its
identity.
is
.
.
can
has lost
But just look from
a dif-
of heaven; those
ferent dimension: the drop has be-
people are doing
better.
If
God,
there
far
is
come
a
the ocean.
become
He has
is
the
method
to
first
knock on your
doors and will say,
"May
I
come
wake up your
intelligence, then to
wake up your
being, then to help
you become mature,
in;
alization
mately to
make you one with
Maturation
stop, not
universe
vast.
oceanic.
Awareness
will
has not lost
become
anything, he has
one day he
He
even
is
a
is
is
re-
ulti-
the whole.
an ongoing
So
you the
of immortality, and
process. There
semicolon anywhere ...
infinite.
give
it
is
goes on and on.
the possibility of your maturing.
178
no
full
The
You
can become so huge.
fined to your body.
It
can be within you.
And
it
And you
.
can spread
there
Your
.
all
is
consciousness
is
over existence and
It is
not con-
all
no place where you
"Here ends the universe."
plate that says,
never begins;
.
the
stars
will find a
just not possible.
It
never ends.
are part
of
it.
You
have been here always and you
be here always. Only forms change, and forms don't matter.
will
What
matters
is
remember
the content. So
that, particularly in
America, where containers matter more than the content.
cares
about the content?
Remember,
The
container has to be beautiful.
the container
is
not you.
You
are the content.
Forms change, your being remains the same. And
ing, maturing, goes
And you
ask,
Who
it
goes on grow-
on becoming more enriched.
"What
is
the relationship
between awareness and
maturity?"
Awareness
is
the method; maturation
more aware and you
will
It is
Become
the result.
have more maturity; hence,
awareness and don't talk about maturity.
you
is
I
teach
you
going to happen
if
are aware.
There
First,
are three steps
of awareness.
become aware of your body
or carrying water from the well.
scious.
Don't go on doing things
Be
— walking, chopping wood,
watchful, be
like a
zombie,
alert,
like a
aware, con-
somnambulist,
a sleepwalker.
When you
then
have become aware of your body and
move deeper
—
ination, projections.
to
your mind and
When you
its
its
actions,
activity, thoughts,
imag-
have become deeply aware of the
mind, you will be surprised.
When
you become aware of your bodily
179
processes,
you
will
MATURITY
be surprised there too.
move
it
with
full
I
can
awareness.
move my hand
When
there
I
is
There
moer,
trie
don't
container
You
not you.
is
it
with
grace, there
are
speakers. ...
orators,
know any oratory;
thing to say, that
is
an orator, not
full
speaking,
takes
cU.
on
it
am
I
awareness,
I
am
not
a speaker.
But when you
goes on becoming
enri
have some-
If I
each word, each pause ...
goes on
growing, maturing,
more
I
have never
I
enough. But
speaking to you with
teing remains the
it
beauty.
is
me it looks foolish.
to
are the content.
And
awareness,
learned the art of speaking, because
Forms change, your
same.
full
can
I
can speak without awareness.
I
R,
move
mechanically,
starts
aware of
are
becoming
art.
It
the nuances of poetry and
music. This
is
bound
happen
to
if
you speak with awareness. Then
every gesture, every
word
When you become
surprise.
has a beauty of its
aware of the mind, you are
The more you become
the track. If
awareness.
own. There
aware, the
less
thoughts
ninety-nine percent awareness, there
because
it is
is
is
no
are only
When you have
only one percent thought,
the same energy.
As you become more aware, there
thoughts; they die out.
the
move on
there
you have one percent awareness, there
ninety-nine percent thoughts, in exact proportion.
grace.
in for a greater
you have one hundred percent thoughts,
If
is
mind becomes
When you
are
is
180
available for
one hundred percent aware,
absolutely silent. That
deeper.
no energy
is
the time to
move
still
.An Ongoing Journey
The
third step: to
In other words,
become aware of feelings, moods, emotions.
and
activity; third, the heart
When you move
new
again a
body
the
first
—
good grows, and
Love grows, hate
disappearing.
and bring your awareness
to the heart
is
—
its
functions.
its
surprise. All that
mind
action; second, the
its
all
that
is
there,
bad
starts
dis-
Compassion grows, anger
appears.
disappears. Sharing grows, greed dis-
Awareness
appears.
When
heart
your awareness of the
complete, the
is
last
method; maturation
and
surprise
the result.
the greatest surprise:
any
to take
happens on
heart,
you suddenly
your being,
quantum
at
more aware and you
find yourself in
are
be aware
There
And
is
this
what
I
is
you
this
is
it is
Only
There
your
you
on anybody
And
is a
talk atout
else to
maturity.
It
of.
to
happen
is
going
you are
if
aware.
enlightenment.
miss, only
sibility
nothing
and dont
j
the ultimate purity. This
call
And
is
I
teach you awareness
or to be conscious
of,
maturity; hence,
aware only of
awareness, conscious only of consciousness.
ave more
the very center.
There you
Become
leap
own accord. From the
its
is
you don't have
A
step.
the
is
the
are responsible.
If
You
cannot
dump
the respon-
else.
so simple
first
birthright!
step
and
is
saying that the
natural, that
difficult.
first
step
181
you just have
to begin.
The whole journey
is
is
simple.
almost the whole journey.
—
Author
out the
Osho
is
contemporary mystic whose
a
and teachings
life
have influenced millions of people of all ages and from
all
walks of
London
Times in
as
life.
He
has been described
by the Sunday
one of the "1000 Makers of the 20th Century"
and by Sunday Mid-Day
(India) as
with Gandhi, Nehru, and Buddha
one of the ten people
— who have changed
— along
the destiny
of India.
About
his
own work Osho
the conditions for the birth of a
often characterized this
has said that he
new
is
helping to create
kind of human being.
He
has
new human being as "Zorba the Buddha"
capable of enjoying both the earthy pleasures of a Zorba the Greek
and the
silent serenity
thread through
passes
all
of
a
Gautama
aspects of Osho's
the Buddha.
work
is
Running
a vision that
like a
encom-
both the timeless wisdom of the East and the highest potential
of Western science and technology.
He
is
also
known
for his revolutionary contribution to the sci-
ence of inner transformation, with an approach to meditation that
acknowledges the accelerated pace of contemporary life. His unique
"Active Meditations" are designed to
stresses
of body and mind, so that
it
first
is
release the
easier to experience the
thought-free and relaxed state of meditation.
182
accumulated
Med
at ion
it
Osko Commune
Osho Commune
Osho
Nesort
Internation<
International, the meditation resort that
established in India as an oasis
where
could be put into practice, continues to
his teachings
attract
thousands
of visitors per year from more than one hundred different countries
around the world. Located about one hundred miles southeast of
Bombay
in
Pune, India, the
tree-lined suburb
itself does
known
as
facilities
cover thirty-two acres in a
Koregaon Park. Although the
not provide accommodation for guests, there
is
resort
a plentiful
variety of nearby hotels.
The
resort meditation
a qualitatively
ticipate
new
programs are based on Osho's vision of
kind of human being
joyously in everyday
life
who
is
able both to par-
and to relax into
programs take place in modern, air-conditioned
silence.
facilities
Most
and in-
clude everything from short to extended meditation courses, creative arts, holistic health treatments, personal
growth, and the "Zen"
approach to sports and recreation. Programs are offered throughout
the year, alongside a
Outdoor
cafes
full daily
schedule of Osho's active meditations.
and restaurants within the
both traditional Indian
fare
and
a variety
183
resort
grounds serve
of international
dishes,
all
Meditation Resort
made with
farm.
organically
The campus
has
grown
its
own
For booking information
vegetables from the
commune's own
private supply of safe, filtered water.
call
(323)
563-6075
in the
USA
or
check osho.com for the Pune Information Center nearest you.
For more information:
A
comprehensive
line tour
tapes,
site in different
of the meditation
Osho information
Osho's
Osho
Web
WWW.OShO.com
resort,
talks.
International
York,
NY
10022
Telephone: (212) 588-9888
Fax: (212)
information about books and
centers worldwide, and selections
570 Lexington Avenue
New
languages, featuring an on-
588-1977
email: osho-int@osho.org.
184
from
$11.95/$18.99 Can.
a culture infatuated with youth and determined to avoid old age
Incosts,
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What
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Osho
the
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grave?
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takes us back to the roots of what
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Both
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in
He
true maturity can bring.
he reminds us
in
the fulfillment
of the pleasures that only
outlines the ten major growth cycles
in
human
from the self-centered universe of the preschooler to the flowering of wis-
life,
dom and compassion
Osho's
sly
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of
in
old age.
humor runs
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compassion and understanding
with a profound
distracted from the
deeper meaning and purpose
our
ultimately, to flower into
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Osho
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tation
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it
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uniqueness and maturity with an
joy.
one
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teachers of the twentieth century. Beginning
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of
in
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young people from the West who wanted
and transformation. More than a decade
spiritual
to
after his
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ages
in virtually
$11.95
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OSHO
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all
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1
I
Gurus
1
06/03/03
SAIY
0001 57734
a'Dl.lVlAKI
I
IN
S UKIhFIN
175 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N
DISTRIBUTED
PRINTED
IN
IN
CANADA BY
H. B.
Y.
10010
FENN AND COMPANY.
LTD.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
780312"205614