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Main Index
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| | | Book Name: The Dhammapada - The Way of the Buddha, Vol 9 | Previous Next | |
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you only that which you have given in the first place to the world.
LIKE A BORDER TOWN WELL GUARDED,
GUARD YOURSELF WITHIN AND WITHOUT.
That's what he calls awareness: Be on guard.
LET NOT A SINGLE MOMENT PASS
LEST YOU FALL INTO DARKNESS.
Not even a single moment should be left unguarded. Each moment you have to be alert, conscious. Walking, walk consciously. Breathing, breathe consciously. Eating, eat consciously. Do whatsoever you are doing, but bring the quality of consciousness into your work. Sitting, sit consciously. Let consciousness become a constant, running underground stream, so you go on doing your usual things, but there is an undercurrent of consciousness. That will make your life religious -- not going to the church, not going to the temple, not praying to some imaginary God, not repeating scriptures.
FEEL SHAME ONLY WHEN SHAME IS DUE.
FEAR ONLY WHAT IS FEARFUL.
SEE EVIL ONLY IN WHAT IS EVIL.
LEST YOU MISTAKE THE TRUE WAY
AND FALL INTO DARKNESS.
Buddha says: FEEL SHAME ONLY WHEN SHAME IS DUE. Don't be bothered what others say. Unless YOUR consciousness says it is shameful there is no need to be worried. Even if the whole world says that what you are doing is shameful, let them say it; you need not be worried about it.
This is a very revolutionary message. Ordinarily you have been told to follow others, to follow the collective, to follow the official religion, to follow whatsoever has been told for centuries. Buddha says it is immaterial what others say. What really matters is that if YOUR consciousness says it is shameful, then drop it. In fact, there will be no need to drop it; it will drop on its own accord. Let your consciousness be decisive in every matter.
FEAR ONLY WHAT IS FEARFUL... and don't be afraid of hell and don't be afraid of punishment after death. These are strategies of the priests to exploit people, to exploit their fear. Everybody is afraid because everybody has become an ego and the ego is always afraid. The ego means you think yourself separate from the whole; then fear arises because you are not separate from the whole. And when
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