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| | | Book Name: The Dhammapada - The Way of the Buddha, Vol 3 | Previous Next | |
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simply go up and down, on THIS bank, hoping that by running and rushing and remaining occupied they will reach to the other shore.
I have heard that the pope in the Vatican received a phone call, a long-distance phone call, from New York. The bishop from New York phoned in a very nervous, excited, feverish state: "Sir, immediate instructions are needed: one man who looks like Jesus has entered into the church, and he says, 'I am Jesus Christ.' Now what am I supposed to do?"
The pope pondered over it for a moment and then said, "Look occupied."
What else can you do? If Jesus has come, at least look occupied, do something! Let him see that his people are very busy -- be busy. Even if there is no business, don't be worried.
That's what people are doing -- busy without business, looking very occupied. And all that they are doing is just rushing up and down the same bank. This way you cannot reach the other shore.
FEW CROSS THE RIVER. MOST ARE STRANDED ON THIS SIDE. What does he mean by "this side"? This side means death, time, this momentary existence. That side means deathlessness, timelessness, eternity, God, nirvana. One needs guts to cross the stream, because the other shore is not visible. In fact, only this shore is visible, the other shore is invisible. This shore is gross, the other shore is subtle. This shore is material, the other shore is spiritual -- you cannot see it, it cannot be shown to others.
Even those who have reached to the other shore can only call you, invite you, but they cannot give any proofs. I cannot give you any proof of God; Buddha has not given, Jesus has not given -- nobody who knows can give any proof of God. God cannot be proved. You can only be persuaded to come to the other shore and see on your own.
Buddha says again and again: IHI PASSIKO! Come and see!
BUT THE WISE MAN, FOLLOWING THE WAY,
CROSSES OVER, BEYOND THE REACH OF DEATH.
The only effort of any intelligent person in this world should be, first and foremost, how to know something which cannot be destroyed by death -- because death can happen any moment, next moment, tomorrow. Because death can happen any
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