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Main Index
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| | | Book Name: The Discipline of Transcendence, Vol 1 | Previous Next | |
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the journey is begun, it will end. Howsoever far it is, it is not far away. The real problem is with those who have not even entered into the stream. They are standing on the bank. These are the worldly people, standing on the bank. The sannyasin, the bhikkhu, is the one who has entered into the river -- knows well that the ocean is far away, but now half the journey is over, just by entering.
NEXT IS THE SROTAPANNA. THE SROTAPANNA DIES SEVEN TIMES AND IS BORN SEVEN TIMES, WHEN HE FINALLY ATTAINS ARHATSHIP.
These are just symbolic, don't take them literally... these are just symbolic things. 'Seven' does not mean exactly seven. It means many times he will die, many times he will be born, but his face is turned towards the ocean. He has entered into the Ganges and the journey has started.
BY THE SEVERANCE OF PASSIONS IS MEANT THAT LIKE THE LIMBS SEVERED THEY ARE NEVER AGAIN MADE USE OF.
And Buddha said that by dropping the passions, he means that it is as if somebody cuts off your hand; then you cannot use it. Or somebody takes your eyes out; then you cannot see through them. A man who is ready to enter into the stream is one who, on his own, voluntarily drops his passions. He says, 'I will not use them again.'
Remember, this is not repression in the freudian meaning of the term. He does not repress it, he simply withdraws his energy from it. Sex remains there -- he does not repress it, he simply does not cooperate any more.
The difference is tremendous. When sex is there and you repress it, you fight with it, you don't go above it, you remain with it. If you fight with it you remain clinging to it, and if you fight with it you will remain afraid of it.
Buddha says one simply does not cooperate with it. A desire, a sexual desire arises -- what will you do? Buddha says you simply watch. Let it be there. It will come and it will go. It will flicker in the mind, will try to attract you; you remain watchful, you don't allow any unconsciousness, otherwise it will enter in you. You simply remain watchful.
Says Buddha, 'A man has to be just mindful. Then the man is like a house where lamps are burning, where lamps
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