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Main Index
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philosophy, that you have to be open, that you have to inquire, that you have to doubt, that you have to question, and that you have to remain available to truth in whatsoever form it comes. That you are NOT to decide beforehand; you have not to fall into that kind of attitude which has already concluded without knowing. You are not to be a victim of the fallacy of APRIORIISM -- that you have already accepted from the very beginning without inquiring, without knowing, without experiencing.
I have tried hard to see why Bacon should call Pythagoras a fanatic. Fanaticism came out of the Judaic mind; it was never part of the Hindu mind or the Chinese mind or the Greek mind. It came out of the Jews. And it spread to Christians and Mohammedans because both are offshoots of Judaism.
The idea that "We are the chosen people of God" is dangerous. It creates fanaticism. The idea that "We have the truth, and nobody else" is dangerous, that "There is only one God and no other Gods" is dangerous -- because that one God is going to be my God. And then what will happen to YOUR God? Then you are wrong, then you are a sinner. Then you have to be persuaded, converted. If you allow easily, okay; otherwise you have to be forced and coerced so that you can drop the wrong God.
Pythagoras lived in so many countries, with so many different visions of life, with so many philosophical standpoints, with so many religions -- he could not be a fanatic. It seems Bacon knew nothing about Pythagoras.
The first sutra says:
RENDER TO THE IMMORTAL GODS...
He does not use the word 'God' but 'Gods' -- that is significant. That is the state of a non-fanatic mind. 'Gods' -- why plural? Why not 'God'? Because the moment you say 'God' you are falling into that dangerous trap... then what will happen to other peoples' Gods?
Pythagoras is not a monotheist; he does not believe in one God. He says: All the peoples of the world and all their approaches are true. And he KNOWS it, because he has followed many many paths; almost all existent paths Pythagoras followed many many paths; almost all existent paths Pythagoras followed. And he always reached the same peak.
There
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