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a saint.
And then when a man passes who possesses money, condemnation arises in you, and you think, "What will happen to this sinner? He will be condemned to hell. And you feel compassion for this sinner. Then you are not simple. Because distinctions have entered, you are distinct.
It makes no difference how the distinction has been created. A king lives in a palace -- he is distinct from those who live in huts. A king wears clothes which you cannot wear -- they are so valuable that he is distinct. A man lives naked on the street and you cannot live naked in the street -- so he is distinct. Wherever distinction is, ego exists. When there is no distinction, ego disappears; and non-ego is simplicity.
SIMPLE IS HE, WITHOUT DISTINCTION.
TO ALL APPEARANCES HE IS A FOOL.
This is the deepest saying that Chuang Tzu has uttered. It is difficult to understand because we always think that an enlightened person, a perfect man, is a man of wisdom. And he says: TO ALL APPEARANCES HE IS A FOOL....
But this is how it should be. Amongst so many fools, how can a wise man be otherwise? To all appearances he will be a fool and that is the only way. How can he change this foolish world and so many fools, to sanity? He will have to be naked, and go under the table and crow like a rooster. Only then can he change you. He must become crazy like you, he must be a fool, he must allow you to laugh at him. Then you will not feel jealous, then you will not feel hurt, then you will not be angry with him, then you can tolerate him, then you can forget him and forgive him, then you can leave him alone to himself.
Many great mystics have behaved like fools and their contemporaries were at a loss about what to make out of their lives -- and the greatest wisdom existed in them. To be wise amongst you is really foolish. It won't do; you will create much trouble. Socrates was poisoned because he didn't know Chuang Tzu. Had he known Chuang Tzu, there would have been no need for him to be poisoned. He tried to behave like a wise man; amongst fools he tried to be wise.
Chuang Tzu says: To all appearances the wise man will be like a fool.
Chuang
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