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is the difference.
There is a difference between the lamp of Mahavira and the lamp of Mohammed. It is only due to this difference that there is a difference between a Jaina and a Mohammedan. Lamps are made differently. The lamp of Christ and the lamp of Buddha are also different; they are bound to be so. But these are differences of body, of surroundings and of shape. To those who are fond of shapes and surroundings, that light will not be visible, because whosoever sees the light will forget the lamp. It is impossible that one will still remember the lamp after he has seen the light. The lamp is remembered only after the light is no longer seen.
The condition of a follower is such that he can only remain in the dark shadow of the lamp and look out from there. From there he cannot see the light; only the bottom of the lamp is seen. The bottoms of all lamps are different, and there is deep darkness under them. Their followers stand quarreling over the bottoms. Therefore, whenever I see someone standing in someone's shadow, I speak against this rather harshly.
That is why I always say that a follower can never understand. To become a follower, he has to stand in the shadow, in the darkness, beneath the lamp. The more one is a follower, the more he is in the density of the shadow. Followers who are standing on the shadow's periphery can understand others a little, but those who are directly in the shadow's density can never understand. However, if someone really wants to see the light, he will have to go completely out of the shadow's periphery. Once he sees the light, the controversy over lamps no longer has any meaning for him.
Thus, for me, there is no difference whether I speak on Christ or Krishna or Buddha. I am talking about the same light -- a light which has illuminated many lamps. But I am not influenced by the lamps. I am speaking only about that which I know. Whenever I feel a certain resonance, whenever I feel that the same note is vibrating, I am not able to deny it, because to deny it would be equally wrong. It would be like standing with my back to the light. The follower commits the error of sitting under the bottom of the
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