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man of great mastery over yourself. I also hope one day I will not be a thief but a master like you."
Nagarjuna said, "Why postpone it? It is a very simple secret. You can become a master."
He said, "You don't understand. I am a thief, I am a born thief. I cannot resist the temptation."
Nagarjuna said, "It does not matter at all. You can remain a thief. I will give you a small meditation: whatever you do, even if you go to steal in the palace, just be a witness of what you are doing. I don't want you not to be a thief; do whatever you want to do, but do it with full awareness. Just be a witness."
He said, "This seems to be simple. I have been going to many saints. They say, `First you drop stealing, otherwise you cannot be religious.' You are the first man who is not asking me to drop stealing."
Nagarjuna said, "Those saints that you have met are not saints. No saint will ask you to drop stealing. Why? Do it perfectly well. Just remain a witness."
The thief could not understand the strategy. After the third or fourth day he came back to Nagarjuna and said, "You are very clever. In these four days there have been so many opportunities to steal, but as I go to steal, to take something, immediately my hand relaxes. The moment I witness myself stealing it seems to be so embarrassing that I pull my hand back. For four days I have not been able to steal anything."
Nagarjuna said, "Now it is your problem; I have nothing to do with it. You can choose. You can choose witnessing, or you can choose stealing."
The man said, "Only in these four days have I been able to feel my own dignity. I cannot drop witnessing. I am coming with you."
What witnessing does is again throw you back to your center. At the center you are a buddha. On the periphery, who you are does not matter. Once you start living at the center, slowly, slowly your circumference will start changing its colors. It will become as pure as you are at the center. It will become as compassionate as you are at the center. It will take all the fragrance of the center in all your activities.
The authentic religion does not preach morality. Morality
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