Main Index
 
 
Book Name: Yoga - The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 6Previous     Next
 

reflects it. When you are filled with hell, the world can't help, it reflects it.

If you feel responsible yourself, you have started moving in a religious direction. Religion believes in individual revolution. There is no other -- all others are false, pseudo-revolutions. They look like they are changing; they change nothing. They create much fuss about changing -- nothing changes. It is not possible to change anything unless you have changed.

These are the sutras about this responsibility: individual responsibility. In the beginning you will feel a little burdened: that "I am responsible," and you cannot throw the burden on anybody else. But know well, if you are responsible, then there is hope; you can do something. If others are responsible then there is no hope, because what can you do? You may be meditating, but others are creating trouble; you will suffer. You may become a Buddha, but the whole world remains a hell. You will suffer. In the beginning every freedom is felt as a burden -- that's why people are afraid of freedom.

Erich Fromm has written a beautiful book, THE FEAR OF FREEDOM. I love the title. Why are people so much afraid of freedom? One should think otherwise; they should not be afraid of freedom. On the contrary, we think everybody wants freedom, but this is my observation also: deep down nobody wants freedom -- because freedom is a great responsibility. Then only you are responsible. Then you cannot throw responsibility on somebody else's shoulders. Then you don't have any consolation -- if you suffer you suffer for your own causes, for your own self; you have caused it.

But through that burden opens a new door: you can throw it. If I have been causing my miseries I can drop causing them. I have been pedalling the cycle and I am feeling miserable on the cycle and I am tired, and I go on saying, "Stop it," and I go on pedalling.... It is for me to stop pedalling, and the cycle stops. Nobody else is pedalling it.

This is the deepest meaning of the theory of karma: that you are responsible. Once you understand it deeply, that "I am responsible," already half the work is done. In fact, the moment you realize,

Previous Page (4/213) Next Page
 
Go to page: