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is taken that the prisoner does not know the lay-out of the jail. Once he knows, he is dangerous and can break through anytime; for knowledge always liberates.
Even the knowledge of the prison liberator and therefore this knowledge is dangerous in the bands of the captive. The best way to keep the prisoner in the dark is to delude him into believing that the prison is a temple of God and no jail, and he is a free human being; and that all the world exists within its four walls; outside these walls there is nothing. And if he finds things unbearable, let him paint the dirty walls. Make a garden, grow flowers -- its fragrance will become a source of joy. Beautify the prison, for it is a house. And the captive who believes all this, will he ever be free?
First and foremost, we do not even remember that we are within a prison. How many kinds of prison-houses we go through from birth to death! Everywhere there are walls -- the walls of the prison. When a Hindu says: "I am a Hindu" and when a Muslim asserts that he is a Muslim, they both do not say they are imprisoned within their respective walls. They assert with such conceit, as if to be a Hindu or a Muslim or a Jain is a matter of great pride. When a man declares "I am an Indian" or "I am a Chinese" it is a matter of great pride for him. Little does he know that these are walls that prevent all men from merging into "One Mankind".
Whatever obstructs, is a barrier. If I refrain from meeting you, whatever stands between us is a barrier. If the Hindu fails to meet a Muslim, it is this wall that comes in the way; and it is the same between the Indian and the Chinese; the outcaste and the Brahmin. Whether this barrier is visible or invisible, whatever stands in the way of union is a wall -- and how many walls there are between man and man!
These walls as exist between a Hindu and a Muslim, defy detection and we are not even aware of their presence. This is why they are dangerous, for we can see through them but we cannot extend our hand in friendship because of them. If a Hindu tries to extend his hand towards a Muslim, the wall stands between and the hand turns back. So is the case between
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