| |
they are not against you.
That is why in the East, particularly in India, in China and in Japan, such an ugly phenomenon never happened as happened in Greece where Socrates was poisoned and killed. It happened in Jerusalem -- Jesus was killed, crucified. It happened in Iran, in Egypt, in other countries -- many wise men were killed, murdered. It never happened in India, in China, in Japan, because in these three countries people came to realize that to behave as a wise man is to invite calamity.
Behave like a fool, like a madman, just be mad. That is the first step of the wise man -- to make you at ease so you are not afraid of him.
This is why I told you that story. The prince became friendly with the man. He was afraid of other doctors, learned experts, because they were trying to change him, cure him, and he was not mad. He did not think that he was mad, no madman ever thinks that he is mad. If a madman ever comes to realize that he is mad, madness has disappeared. He is mad no more.
So all those wise men who were trying to cure the prince were foolish, and only this old sage was wise. He behaved foolishly. The court laughed, the king laughed, the queen laughed and said, "What? How is this man going to change the prince? He himself is crazy and seems to be deeper in madness than the prince.
Even the prince was shocked. He said, "What are you doing? What do you mean?" But this man must have been an enlightened sage.
Chuang Tzu is talking about this type of phenomenon, this phenomenal man.
TO ALL APPEARENCES HE IS A FOOL.
HIS STEPS LEAVE NO TRACE.
You cannot follow him. You cannot follow an enlightened man -- no, never -- because he leaves no trace, there are no footprints. He is like a bird in the sky: he moves and no trace is left.
Why does a wise man not leave traces? So that you should not be able to follow. No wise man likes you to follow him because when you follow you become imitators. He is always moving in such a zig-zag way that you cannot follow. If you try to follow him, you will miss. Can you follow me? It is impossible, because you don't know what I am going to be tomorrow. You
|
|
|