| |
named Jagat. And this was his only teacher, and he was his only disciple, so somebody suggested, "Why don't you call yourself Jagat Guru?" And the idea was really very fulfilling! He started calling himself Jagat Guru.
I said, "This is absolutely logical. In fact, the shankaracharyas are not Jagat guru, you are. But you were saying the story is very long -- the story is so short, only two persons!"
Man is in search of being somebody.
He cannot allow himself just to be himself.
Just to be himself means nobody.
I was a professor in a university, and just near my quarter lived the head of the economics department. And I was wondering: he was an Indian but his name was Doctor Gilbert Shaw. This is a strange name because in India...Gilbert Shaw?
Finally, I introduced myself to him. And I asked him, "Just one enquiry I have, that's why I have come to you. How come you have got such a strange name, Dr. Gilbert Shaw?"
He became serious. But I said, "You will have to tell me. Otherwise, I am going to come every day and I will make it known to everybody else in the university: `Ask how this man has become Gilbert Shaw.' So you simply tell me."
He became afraid -- he said, "You don't tell anybody because I have been here for two years and nobody has enquired. The reality is, my name used to be Gither Sahai. But when I went to London for my Ph.D., I changed to Gilbert Shaw. And when I came back... it looks more prestigious. Just the name seems to be impressive to people -- Gilbert Shaw. Gither Sahai... there are so many Gither Sahais." Gither is one of the names of Krishna, and Sahai is his caste.
Seeing thousands of people, I have come to know such sick minds. Even changing the name, giving it some color so that it looks Western -- as if he is the son of George Bernard Shaw, or at least some faraway relative.
People want to be somebody. But it is out of fear. The fear is that nobody knows you; whether you exist or not makes no difference to the world. Whether you have been here or not, nobody will remember.
People are not interested in living but being remembered.
What use is it to be remembered
|
|
|