| |
to you. You have a certain problem, and that problem has to be understood. He is silent because of this understanding. He is respectful towards your problem, your difficulty; he is respectful about what I am saying to you. And he is in deep listening because your problem may be his problem also. So he is alert, watching, listening, learning.
The word discipline itself means exactly what learning means. Hence the word disciple -- 'one who learns'. Discipline is a sort of learning. There is nothing to force in it, but a simple awareness that life is a tremendous opportunity to learn. In each moment one has to go on learning. No moment should be missed, because once missed, it is gone forever. That opportunity for learning is lost; you cannot reclaim it.
So one keeps alert. Through alertness one remains silent. Through silence one happens to be disciplined. This is the discipline that is brought by awareness, not by will. When you bring anything by will you are fighting. You are dividing yourself in two: the one who is to be disciplined and the one who is going to discipline -- so you are already two. There is going to be continuous conflict -- how can you be happy divided?
So when I use the word discipline, I mean a deep awareness in which you are undivided. So don't try to control, rather try to become more alert. The whole energy should be flowing in the direction of awareness. Whatsoever you do, don't do it sleepily; don't be a sleepwalker. Keep alert, aflame. Even small things, ordinary, trivia -- walking on the street -- bring the quality of awareness to it. Walk slowly, gracefully, alert... as if each step is significant, as if a dancer is dancing on the stage... each step the dancer is fully alert. Walking also should be like dancing.
So if you can be alert in your ordinary day-to-day life, a discipline will come on its own, and it will be beautiful because it will not divide you. Your house will not be divided; you will remain undivided.
That is the meaning of the word individual -- that which cannot be divided. You become individual... one.
So try to understand the distinction between the two. That is the difference
|
|
|