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| | | Book Name: The Dhammapada - The Way of the Buddha, Vol 7 | Previous Next | |
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the bartender sympathetically, "your only child I assume."
But very few people are so alert. They go on repeating the same things again and again. And not only in one life, in many many lives you have been doing the same things.
Desire means you are dragged out of the moment; that creates a tension, that creates anxiety, that creates hope. And then finally hope turns sour, becomes frustration. Each hope leads you into anguish. Buddha calls it the only impurity. Cut the roots of desire, live in the moment so totally, pull yourself out of the past and don't project yourself into the future. Let this moment be all and all. And your life will have such a purity, such a crystal-clear consciousness that right now you cannot imagine.
In fact, listening to buddhas you start creating new desires: a desire of becoming pure, a desire of becoming a sannyasin some day, a desire of meditating tomorrow. That's how you misinterpret them. Your misinterpretations rarely, very rarely can be of any help, only accidentally. Otherwise, ninety-nine point nine percent, you will go on playing the same stupid game, even in the name of religion.
An old country doctor found his work load too heavy and managed to persuade a young doctor to share his practice. "Just remember, son," cautioned the older man, "these are simple country folk. They don't have much of a way with words, and sometimes they won't be able to describe their symptoms accurately. But just keep your eyes open, and you will be able to diagnose their ailments with no trouble at all."
That very evening the two doctors were called to the aid of a beautiful young girl who lay in a stupor. The older doctor took her pulse while the younger man tried to take her temperature. His efforts only seemed to upset her, and her violent tossing and turning caused him to drop the thermometer. He bent over and picked it up and put it back in his bag.
He waved the older doctor aside and whispered a few words into the young woman's ear. Whatever he said seemed to soothe her and the two men went on their way. When they got in the car, the old doctor demanded to know what the young man had said to the patient.
"I
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