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Since Jesus there has never been peace in the world. Jesus created a religion. He brought something into the world which created such a division, such a conflict in all minds, that he became the focus of all history. That is why we say 'before Christ', 'after Christ'; he became the focal point.
History is divided, time is divided, with Jesus. He stands on the boundary. Before Jesus it is as if time was of a different quality; after Jesus time became of a different quality. With Jesus, history starts. His attitude, his approach towards the human mind, is very different from that of a Buddha or a Lao Tzu. The ultimate goal is one, the ultimate flowering is going to be one, but Jesus' approach is absolutely different. He is unique.
What is he saying? He is saying that through conflict growth is achieved; through struggle centering happens; through war peace flowers. But don't take him literally; whatsoever he is saying is a parable. Christianity took it literally and missed the point. Then Christians took the sword in their hands, and they have killed millions unnecessarily, because that was not the meaning of Jesus. Then the church, Jesus' church, became a warring church, it became a crusade. Christians have been fighting Mohammedans, Hindus, Buddhists -- they have been fighting everywhere. But they missed the point. Jesus was talking of something else. He was not talking of the swords of this world; he brought a sword of a different world. What is this sword? It is a symbol. You have to be cut into two, because in you two things meet: this world -- the earth -- and heaven; they meet in you. One part of you belongs to the mud, to the dirt; one part of you belongs to the divine. You are a meeting point, and Jesus brought a sword to cut you asunder, so the earth falls to the earth and the divine enters into the divine.
You cannot make any distinction as to what belongs to the earth. When you are hungry, do you think you are hungry? Jesus says, "No, take my sword and cut it!" Hunger belongs to the body because it is a bodily need. Consciousness has no hunger; it becomes aware because the body has no consciousness.
You may have heard one old
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