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| | | Book Name: The Dhammapada - The Way of the Buddha, Vol 11 | Previous Next | |
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people they were very much puzzled -- they had never thought that monkeys could talk like human beings!
Everybody tries to protect his insanity; hence it is difficult work.
"Psychiatry is a lot of junk," said one man to another.
"Oh?" said his companion. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, today my psychiatrist told me that I am in love with my umbrella. Have you ever heard of anything so silly?"
"It does sound rather daft."
"I mean, me and my umbrella certainly have a sincere affection for each other. But love? That is just ridiculous!"
Affection is okay: "... A certain affection between me and my umbrella, that's okay, but love? That's ridiculous!"
Just watch yourself, the functioning of your mind, how you go on protecting, how you go on defending yourself. And what are you? Nothing but a bundle of insanities!
These sutras are for the bodhisattvas, for those who are going to work with the crowds, with the insane people. These are suggestions for them. Try to understand each single sutra as deeply as possible.
HOLD YOUR TONGUE.
Buddha says: Speak, but speak only when it is absolutely necessary. Speak, but speak only to those who are ready to listen. Don't go on speaking to each and everybody; that is a sheer wastage. Speak only to the disciples because only a disciple is ready to risk. It is really a risk to transform yourself. It is a risk to encounter yourself. It is a risk to find yourself, to know yourself. It is a risk because by knowing yourself all your old projects will fall down to the dust, and your whole life that you have spent working for them will be gone down the drain. You will have to start from ABC, afresh.
Unless you are very courageous you cannot make an effort to know yourself. Yes, you would like to know ABOUT yourself; that is cheap. Knowing about is cheap because it is only information, it is not transformation. But knowing oneself is transformation; it hurts, it cuts you. It has to cut many chunks out of your being which are unnecessary, which are only a drag on you, which are only an unnecessary weight and a barrier to your growth. And it hurts because it goes
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