| |
for the simple reason that the task is hard, and it is good to pass the dark night of the soul with laughter, with gossiping, with joking, with dancing, with singing. It is good to pass the dark night of the soul with joy.
What is the point of crying and weeping and mourning and wearing the black habits of the Christian priests? The night is dark enough, why make it darker? To transform yourself, to change, is painful enough; why make it more miserable?
Once I was operated on, a little operation. I continued to joke with the doctor. He said, "You please wait. Don't make me laugh because I may do something wrong. Leave me alone. I was saying from the very beginning that you need chloroform; otherwise you will go on talking and you will disturb me. But you said local anesthesia will do. So we have given" -- he was doing the operation on my finger -- "so we have given you local anesthesia. But it was wrong -- you don't leave us alone, you just go on joking!"
I said, "Lying down on a surgical table, is it not the right place to joke? And will it not be helpful to you to be laughing and enjoying and doing your work? Just the way a painter paints, a surgeon should do his work. Why make it sad and.... It is already painful; make it light, don't make it heavier."
Hence, my sannyas is a rejoicing. You say you are not wishing to rejoice with me. You say you are not going to laugh with me. You say you are not going to dance with me, sing with me. Then for what are you wanting me to be your master? To make you more sad? Are you not sad enough? To make you more guilty? Have not the Christian priests done enough? Do you want me to make a heavier cross? Is not Jesus' cross weighty enough for you? For what do you want me to be your master?
And to be your master or not, that has to be left to me; you are not to be concerned about it. Your whole concern should be, can you be a disciple? "How can I be a disciple?" should be your question. You are not going to be a master so why bother about the master? That is my business. And I know my business perfectly well. You just leave it to me -- you do your part. And if you succeed in doing your part you
|
|
|