And Now, And Here- 第21部分

if　someone　were　to　bee　fully　aware；　even　in　his　sleep；　he　would　have　the　same　experience　as　in　meditation。

for　example；　if　we　were　to　put　a　person　under　anesthetic；　and　in　his　unconscious　state　bring　him　on　a　stretcher　to　a　garden　where　flowers　are　in　full　bloom；　where　fragrance　is　in　the　air；　where　the　sun　is　shining　and　the　birds　are　singing；　the　man　would　be　pletely　unaware　of　all　this。

after　we　brought　him　back　and　he　was　out　of　the　anesthesia；　if　we　asked　him　how　he　liked　the　garden；　he　would　not　be　able　to　tell　us　anything。

then；　if　you　were　to　take　him　to　the　same　garden　when　he　was　fully　conscious；　he　would　experience　everything　present　there　when　he　had　been　brought　in　before。

in　both　cases；　although　the　man　was　brought　to　the　same　place；　he　was　unaware　of　the　beautiful　surroundings　in　the　first　instance；　while　in　the　second　instance　he　would　be　fully　aware　of　the　flowers；　the　fragrance；　the　song　of　the　birds；　the　rising　sun。

so　although　you　will　undoubtedly　reach　as　far　in　an　unconscious　state　as　you　will　reach　in　a　conscious　state；　to　reach　some　place　in　an　unconscious　state　is　as　good　as　not　reaching　there　at　all。

in　sleep　we　reach　the　same　paradise　we　reach　in　meditation；　but　we　are　unaware　of　it。

each　night　we　travel　to　this　paradise；　and　then　we　e　back　……　unaware。

although　the　fresh　breeze　and　the　lovely　fragrance　of　the　place　touch　us；　and　the　songs　of　the　birds　ring　in　our　ears；　we　are　never　aware　of　it。

and　yet；　in　spite　of　returning　from　this　paradise　totally　unaware　of　it；　one　might　say；　〃i　feel　very　good　this　morning。

i　feel　very　peaceful。

i　slept　well　last　night。

〃　

what　do　you　feel　so　good　about？　having　slept　well；　what　good　happened？　it　cannot　be　only　because　you　slept　……　surely　you　must　have　been　somewhere；　something　must　have　happened　to　you。

but　in　the　morning　you　have　no　knowledge　of　it；　except　for　a　vague　idea　of　feeling　good。

one　who　has　had　a　deep　sleep　at　night　gets　up　refreshed　in　the　morning。

this　shows　the　person　has　reached　a　rejuvenating　source　in　sleep　……　but　in　an　unconscious　state。

one　who　is　unable　to　sleep　well　at　night　finds　himself　more　tired　in　the　morning　than　he　was　the　previous　evening。

and　if　a　person　does　not　sleep　well　for　a　few　days　it　bees　difficult　for　him　to　survive；　because　his　connection　with　the　source　of　life　is　broken。

he　is　unable　to　reach　the　place　it　is　essential　he　should。

the　worst　punishment　in　the　world　is　not　death　……　as　a　punishment　death　is　easy；　it　occurs　in　a　few　moments。

the　worst　punishment　ever　devised　on　earth　is　not　letting　a　person　go　to　sleep。

even　to　this　day；　there　are　countries　like　china　and　russia　where　prisoners　are　made　to　go　without　sleep。

the　torture　a　prisoner　goes　through；　if　he　is　not　allowed　to　sleep　for　fifteen　days；　is　beyond　our　imagination　……　he　almost　goes　mad。

he　begins　to　divulge　all　the　information　he　otherwise　would　not　have　let　the　enemy　know。

he　begins　to　blabber；　totally　unaware　of　its　implications。

in　china；　systematic　methods　have　been　devised。

for　six　months　prisoners　are　not　allowed　to　sleep。

consequently；　they　bee　totally　insane。

they　pletely　forget　who　they　are；　what　their　names　are；　what　their　religion　is；　which　town　or　city　they　e　from；　what　their　country　is　……　they　forget　everything。

lack　of　sleep　throws　their　consciousness　into　plete　disorder；　into　chaos。

in　that　condition　they　can　be　made　to　learn　anything。

when　the　american　soldiers　captured　in　korea　returned　from　the　prison　camps　of　russia　and　china；　denial　of　sleep　had　left　them　in　such　terrible　shape　that　when　they　came　out　they　were　openly　antagonistic　to　america　and　in　favor　of　munism。

first　these　soldiers　were　not　allowed　to　sleep；　and　when　their　consciousnesses　became　disordered；　they　were　indoctrinated　into　munism。

once　their　identities　were　thrown　into　chaos；　through　repeated　suggestions　they　were　told　they　were　munists。

so　before　their　release　they　were　pletely　brainwashed。

looking　at　these　soldiers；　american　psychologists　were　dumbfounded。

if　a　person　is　denied　sleep；　he　bees　cut　off　from　the　very　source　of　life。

atheism　will　continue　to　grow　in　the　world　in　the　same　ratio　as　sleep　continues　to　get　lighter。

in　countries　where　people　have　lighter　sleep；　atheism　will　be　more　on　the　increase　there。

and　in　countries　where　people　have　deeper　sleep；　the　more　theism　will　be　on　the　increase。

but　this　theism　and　atheism　are　a　totally　strange　thing　for　man；　because　they　grow　out　of　an　unconscious　state。

a　person　who　has　a　deep　sleep　spends　the　next　day　in　peace；　while　the　one　who　does　not　have　a　deep　sleep　remains　restless　and　troubled　the　following　day。

how　in　the　world　can　a　restless　and　troubled　mind　be　receptive　to　god？　a　mind　which　is　disturbed；　dissatisfied；　tense　and　angry；　refuses　to　accept　god；　denies　his　existence。

science　is　not　at　the　bottom　of　the　increasing　atheism　in　the　west；　the　disorderly；　chaotic　condition　of　sleep　is　at　the　root　of　it。

in　new　york；　at　least　thirty　percent　of　the　people　cannot　sleep　without　tranquilizers。

psychologists　believe　that　if　this　condition　prevails　for　the　next　hundred　years；　not　a　single　person　will　be　able　to　sleep　without　medication。

people　have　pletely　lost　sleep。

if　a　man　who　has　lost　sleep　were　to　ask　you　how　you　go　to　sleep；　and　your　answer　were；　〃all　i　do　is　put　my　head　on　the　pillow　and　fall　asleep；〃　he　will　not　believe　you。

he　will　find　this　impossible　and　suspect　there　must　be　some　trick　he　doesnt　know　to　it　……　because　he　lays　his　head　on　the　pillow　too；　and　nothing　happens。

god　forbid；　but　a　time　may　e；　after　a　thousand　or　two　thousand　years；　when　everyone　will　have　lost　natural　sleep；　and　people　will　refuse　to　believe　that　a　thousand　or　two　thousand　years　before　their　time；　people　simply　rested　their　heads　on　their　pillows　and　fell　asleep。

they　will　take　this　as　fiction；　a　mythical　story　from　the　puranas。

they　will　not　believe　it　to　be　true。

they　will　say；　〃this　is　not　possible；　because　if　that　isnt　true　about　us；　how　can　it　be　true　about　anyone　else？〃　

i　am　drawing　your　attention　to　all　of　this　because　three　or　four　thousand　years　ago　people　would　close　their　eyes　and　go　into　meditation　as　easily　as　you　go　to　sleep　today。

two　thousand　years　from　now　it　will　be　difficult　to　sleep　in　new　york　……　it　is　difficult　even　today。

it　is　being　difficult　to　sleep　in　bombay；　and　soon　it　will　bee　difficult　in　dwarka　as　well　……　it　is　just　a　matter　of　time。

today　it　is　hard　to　believe　there　was　a　time　when　a　man　could　close　his　eyes　and　go　into　meditation　……　because　now；　when　you　sit　with　your　eyes　closed；　you　reach　nowhere；　inside；　thoughts　keep　hovering　around　and　you　remain　where　you　are。

in　the　past；　meditation　was　as　easy　for　those　who　were　close　to　nature　as　sleep　is　for　those　who　live　close　to　nature。

first　meditation　disappeared；　now　sleep　is　on　its　way　out。

those　things　are　first　lost　which　are　conscious；　after　that；　those　things　are　lost　which　are　unconscious。

with　the　disappearance　of　meditation　the　world　has　almost　bee　irreligious；　and　when　sleep　disappears　the　world　will　bee　totally　irreligious。

there　is　no　hope　for　religion　in　a　sleepless　world。

you　will　not　believe　how　closely；　how　deeply；　we　are　connected　to　sleep。

how　a　person　will　live　his　life　depends　totally　on　how　he　sleeps。

if　he　does　not　sleep　well；　his　entire　life　will　be　a　chaos：　all　his　relationships　will　bee　entangled；　everything　will　bee　poisonous；　filled　with　rage。

if；　on　the　contrary；　a　person　sleeps　deeply；　there　will　be　freshness　in　his　life　……　peace　and　joy　will　continuously　flow　in　his　life。

underlying　his　relationships；　his　love；　everything　else；　there　will　be　serenity。

but　if　he　loses　sleep；　all　his　relationships　will　go　haywire。

he　will　have　a　messed…up　life　with　his　family；　his　wife；　his　son；　his　mother；　his　father；　his　teacher；　his　students　……　all　of　them。

sleep　brings　us　to　a　point　in　our　unconscious　where　we　are　immersed　in　god　……　although　not　for　too　long。

even　the　healthiest　person　only　reaches　to　his　deeper　level　for　ten　minutes　of　his　nightly　eight　hours　sleep。

for　these　ten　minutes　he　is　so　pletely　lost；　drowned　in　sleep；　that　not　even　a　dream　exists。

sleep　is　not　total　as　long　as　one　is　dreaming　……　one　keeps　moving　between　the　states　of　sleep　and　wakefulness。

dreaming　is　a　state　in　which　one　is　half…asleep　and　half…awake。

to　be　in　a　dream　means　that　even　though　your　eyes　are　closed；　you　are　not　asleep；　external　influences　are　still　affecting　you。

the　people　you　met　during　the　day；　you　are　still　with　them　at　night　in　your　dreams。

dreams　occupy　the　middle　state　between　sleep　and　wakefulness。

and　there　are　many　people　who　have　lost　sleep　……　they　merely　remain　in　the　dreaming　state；　without　ever　reaching　the　state　of　sleep。

and　that　you　dont　remember　in　the　morning　that　you　dreamt　all　night　is　beside　the　point。

much　research　on　sleep　is　being　carried　out　in　america。

some　ten　big　laboratories　have　been　experimenting　on　thousands　of　people　for　about　eight　to　ten　years。

americans　are　showing　interest　in　meditation　because　they　have　lost　sleep。

they　think　that　perhaps　meditation　may　bring　their　s