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then they don't go very far. They just remain on the formal, the cliche level. They say some formal prayer to God but they really are not moved, thrilled by it. It is not an ecstasy. They are not mad with it. They don't go headlong. They move very cautiously -- and all caution is based on fear.
Be conscious but never be cautious. The distinction is very subtle. Consciousness is not rooted in fear. Caution is rooted in fear. One is cautious so that one may never go wrong, but then one cannot go very far. The very fear will not allow you to investigate new lifestyles, new channelisations of energy, new directions, new lands; it will not allow you. You will always tread on the same path again and again, shuttling backwards and forwards, shuttling backwards and forwards. One becomes like a goods train.
Consciousness simply says, 'Be conscious of whatsoever you are doing, wherever you are going. Just remain alert so you can enjoy it to the very last drop.' So nothing is missed, you are alert.
Fear is one of the most basic problems to be faced, encountered, and if you feel it is less, make it even lesser. It is like the weeds in the garden. One has to go on continuously pulling them. up and throwing them away, otherwise they tend to overrun the whole garden. If you allow the weeds, sooner or later roses will disappear, flowers will disappear and there will be weeds all over the garden.
One has to go on continuously pulling them up. Only then can the garden remain beautiful. When all the roots are uprooted, then there is no problem. You can relax. This is the whole effort, the 'sadhana', the very inner discipline, the work. So, fear seems to be your chief characteristic.
Gurdjieff used to say to his disciples, 'Find your chief characteristic,' because around that everything is hooked. For example, [one] has a guilt feeling; that is her chief characteristic and everything is hooked around it. If she loses the guilt feeling, then everything will drop by itself. If you drop your fear, there is nothing else to drop. Everything will drop automatically because everything is just part of the fear.
So it has been good. But insights give
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