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all this time had been reclining with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them both as wide as a tiger. "And just how far would you like to go in?" he asked.
The chief of the kings replied, "Not too far, but just enough so we can say that we have been there."
Even when people are seeking God, they want only to go this far -- so that they can say to the world that they have seen Him. But they don't want to go far enough -- because if you go far enough into God, you never come back. They don't want to take another step -- because if you go deep, then there comes a point of no return. They only want to go a little bit, so that they can come back into the world and say to people that, "We have seen God also." But their whole interest is in the world and the respectability that the world can give to them. They have a big bank balance, they have a big palace today; now they even possess God in their homes.
This parable is beautiful.
Replies the chief of the kings, "Not too far, but just enough so we can say that we have been there."
WHEN you go to the temple you are still not going; your face is towards the marketplace. Have you seen it sometimes in you or in others? -- if you are alone in the temple, you don't enjoy your prayer very much. If there are many people watching, then there is great enthusiasm. Then you are so full of spirit. Then your prayer is great, you feel very high -- not because of the prayer, but because the whole town is watching you. And they will think how religious, how virtuous, how close to God you are. You would like them to feel jealous. It is a performance. But your performance is before the people; God is out of it. You are not contacting Him.
Contact Him alone, because it is not a performance. You are not to prove anything to anybody, you are just to open your heart.
The Bauls say,
As you wonder, sitting alone,
the time approaches for death.
Heedless of all, O my insane heart,
you have travelled eight million times
the painful ways of life to death,
to find the measured land,
the body of the man.
Why did you let such human
earth turn
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