And Now, And Here- 第48部分

if；　god　willing；　we　could　e　to　know　the　life　that　is　within；　a　single　ray　of　that　knowing　would　destroy　forever　this　ignorance　that　one　can　die；　or　that　one　has　died　at　some　time　in　the　past；　or　that　one　will　die　at　some　time　in　the　future。

we　dont　know　the　light　that　we　are；　and　we　bee　scared　of　the　darkness　that　we　are　not。

we　fail　to　bee　acquainted　with　the　light　that　is　our　vital　energy；　our　life；　our　existence；　and　we　are　frightened　of　the　darkness　that　we　are　not。

man　is　not　mortal；　he　is　immortal。

the　whole　of　life　is　immortal；　but　we　never　look　at　the　immortality。

we　never　search　in　the　direction　of　life；　we　dont　even　take　one　step　towards　it。

and　since　we　remain　unfamiliar　with　life；　we　seem　frightened　of　death。

so　the　question　is　not　one　of　life　and　death；　the　question　is　only　of　life。

i　have　been　asked　to　speak　on　life　and　death；　but　this　is　impossible。

the　question　is　only　of　life；　there　is　nothing　like　death　at　all。

when　one　knows　what　life　is；　only　then　does　life　exist；　but　when　life　remains　unknown　there　is　only　death。

as　a　problem；　life　and　death　do　not　both　exist　simultaneously。

either　we　know　we　are　life；　then　there　is　no　death　……　or　we　do　not　know　we　are　life；　and　in　that　case　death　alone　is；　there　is　no　life。

they　dont　both　exist　together　……　they　cant。

but　we　are　all　afraid　of　death。

the　fear　itself　shows　we　are　unfamiliar　with　death。

the　fear　of　death　has　only　one　meaning；　unfamiliarity　with　life。

and　the　fact　is；　life　is　flowing　within　us　every　moment。

it　is　flowing　in　every　breath；　in　every　particle；　all　around；　within　and　without　……　and　yet　it　is　unknown　to　us？　this　can　mean　only　one　thing；　that　man　is　in　a　deep　sleep。

only　in　sleep　is　it　possible　a　man　could　remain　unfamiliar　with　who　he　is。

it　boils　down　to　the　fact　that　man　is　deeply　unconscious。

it　can　only　mean　that　the　whole　vital　energy　of　man　is　not　conscious；　not　awake。

when　a　man　is　asleep　he　doesnt　know　who　he　is；　what　he　is；　where　he　is　from　……　everything　is　lost　in　the　darkness　of　sleep。

he　does　not　even　know　whether　he　exists　or　not。

he　bees　aware　of　his　sleep　only　after　waking　up；　only　then　he　es　to　know　that　he　has　been　asleep。

in　sleep　a　man　doesnt　know　he　is　asleep。

when　he　was　not　asleep　he　knew　he　was　about　to　sleep。

and　as　long　as　he　was　awake　he　knew　he　was　still　awake　and　not　asleep。

but　as　soon　as　he　falls　asleep　he　doesnt　know　he　is　asleep；　because　if　he　were　to　notice　that　he　is　asleep　then　that　would　mean　he　is　still　awake；　not　asleep。

when　a　man　is　no　longer　asleep；　only　then　does　he　know　he　was　asleep　before。

in　sleep　one　doesnt　know　whether　one　really　is　or　not。

obviously；　man　has　no　idea　whether　he　is　or　not；　or　who　he　is。

this　can　only　mean　one　thing；　that　some　deep　spiritual　hypnotic　sleep　is　surrounding　him。

thats　why　he　doesnt　know　life　itself；　what　life　is。

but　we　wont　accept　this。

well　say；　〃we　know　very　well　what　life　is。

we　breathe；　we　walk；　we　rise；　we　sit；　we　sleep。

〃　a　drunkard　also　walks；　breathes；　moves；　talks；　and　so　does　a　madman。

but　that　does　not　prove　the　drunkard　is　in　his　right　senses　or　that　the　madman　is　conscious。

once；　while　a　royal　procession　was　passing；　a　man　stood　in　the　main　square　and　began　throwing　stones　and　shouting　abuse　at　the　emperor。

it　was；　after　all；　a　royal　pageant；　so　the　man　was　immediately　arrested　and　thrown　into　prison。

but　while　the　man　was　hurling　stones　and　abuse　at　the　emperor；　the　emperor　himself　was　laughing。

his　soldiers　were　puzzled。

his　prime　minister　asked。

〃why　do　you　laugh；　my　lord？〃　

the　emperor　replied；　〃as　far　as　i　can　see；　the　man　doesnt　know　what　he　is　doing。

i　believe　he　is　drunk。

nevertheless；　bring　him　before　me　tomorrow　morning。

〃　

next　morning　the　man　was　brought　before　the　emperor。

the　king　asked；　〃why　did　you　shout　abuse　at　me？　why　did　you　swear　at　me　yesterday？　what　was　the　reason？〃　

the　man　said；　〃me？　swearing　at　you？　no；　your　majesty；　i　must　not　have　been　myself；　thats　why　i　must　have　said　such　things。

i　was　drunk；　i　was　unconscious；　i　wasnt　there。

i　have　no　idea　what　i　said。

〃　

we　too　exist　as　if　we　are　not。

we　walk　and　talk　and　love　and　hate；　wage　war　……　all　in　sleep。

if　anyone　from　a　distant　planet　were　to　watch　us；　he　would　think　the　entire　human　race　is　behaving　as　one　behaves　in　sleep；　in　a　state　of　unconsciousness。

in　the　last　three　thousand　years　man　has　fought　fifteen　thousand　wars。

this　shows　the　human　race　is　not　awake。

from　birth　to　death　it　is　one　long　story　of　anxiety；　misery；　pain　and　death。

man　doesnt　find　a　single　moment　of　bliss；　a　single　spot　of　joy　in　his　life。

he　remains　pletely　ignorant　of　what　joy　is。

life　passes　and　he　has　not　a　single　glimpse　of　joy。

obviously；　one　cannot　say　man　is　living　in　awareness。

misery；　pain；　anxiety；　sadness　and　insanity　make　up　our　lives；　but　we　never　notice　it　because　people　around　us　are　also　as　asleep　as　we　are。

once　in　a　while；　when　an　awakened　one　takes　birth；　we　who　are　asleep　bee　so　angry　at　this　awakened　person　that　we　immediately　kill　him。

we　dont　tolerate　him　for　long。

the　reason　we　give　for　crucifying　jesus　is　〃

。

because　you　are　an　awakened　man；　and　that　is　your　fault。

seeing　you　awake；　we　who　are　asleep　feel　very　insulted。

for　people　like　us　who　are　asleep；　you　bee　a　symbol　of　disgrace。

you　are　awake；　your　presence　disturbs　our　sleep。

well　kill　you。

〃　so　we　give　poison　to　socrates；　we　execute　mansoor。

we　treat　the　awakened　ones　in　the　same　manner　the　inmates　of　a　madhouse　would　treat　someone　who　is　not　mad。

a　friend　of　mine　once　went　mad。

he　was　put　in　a　lunatic　asylum。

in　his　insanity；　one　day；　he　accidentally　drank　a　bucket　of　phenyl　that　had　been　left　for　cleaning　toilets。

for　fifteen　days　he　was　violently　sick。

he　suffered　from　continuous　vomiting　and　diarrhea。

this　brought　about　such　a　drastic　change　in　his　body　that　he　became　well　……　as　if　all　the　excess　heat　were　expelled　from　his　body。

actually　he　was　to　stay　in　the　asylum　for　six　months；　but　his　stay　was　extended　for　three　more　months　even　after　he　became　well。

these　three　additional　months　in　that　asylum；　he　told　me　later；　were　worse　than　hell　for　him。

he　said；　〃as　long　as　i　was　mad；　there　was　no　problem；　because　everyone　else　was　the　same　as　i　was。

but　when　i　recovered；　i　couldnt　figure　out　where　i　was。

i　was　fast　asleep　and　two　men　jumped　on　me；　i　was　going　my　way　and　someone　started　pushing　me。

i　never　noticed　these　things　before　because　i　was　mad　too。

when　i　was　mad　i　never　could　recognize　that　everyone　around　me　was　mad　as　well。

only　when　i　came　out　of　my　madness　did　i　realize　that　all　those　people　were　mad。

〃as　i　ceased　to　be　mad；　i　became　the　target　of　everyone　there。

my　problem　was　that　i　knew　i　was　quite　well；　but　i　wondered　and　worried　what　would　happen　to　me　now。

how　would　i　get　out　of　there？　my　screaming　i　am　not　mad；　was　of　no　avail　because　all　madmen　scream　they　are　not　mad。

no　doctor　was　ready　to　believe　me。

〃　

we　are　surrounded　by　people　who　are　asleep；　hence　we　dont　realize　we　are　asleep　too。

we　immediately　kill　the　one　who　is　awakened　because　he　appears　very　troublesome；　very　disturbing　to　us。

a　british　scholar；　kenneth　walker；　has　dedicated　a　book　of　his　to　a　mystic；　gurdjieff。

the　wording　of　his　dedication　is　tremendous；　wonderful。

he　has　written；　〃to　george　gurdjieff；　the　disturber　of　my　sleep。

〃　

there　have　been　very　few　people　in　the　world　who　have　tried　to　break　mans　sleep。

but　if　you　attempt　to　break　anybodys　sleep；　he　will　take　revenge　on　you。

dont　ever　try　to　waken　a　sleeping　man；　he　will　be　at　your　throat。

up　to　now；　whosoever　has　tried　to　shake　man　out　of　his　spiritual　sleep；　we　have　been　at　his　throat　as　well。

we　dont　notice　it　because　we　are　all　sleeping　too。

i　have　heard：　a　magician　once　entered　a　city。

he　threw　some　powder　into　a　well　and　declared　that　whosoever　would　drink　water　from　that　well　would　go　mad。

this　was　the　only　well　in　the　city。

there　was　one　more；　but　that　was　inside　the　kings　palace。

by　the　time　it　was　evening　everyone　in　that　city　became　thirsty；　so　even　at　the　cost　of　turning　mad；　people　drank　the　water。

how　long　could　they　hold　out？　they　were　helpless。

and　so　by　evening　the　entire　city　had　gone　mad。

the　king　and　his　queens　were　happy　that　they　didnt　have　to　drink　the　water　from　that　well　and　bee　mad。

his　ministers　were　happy　to　be　saved　from　madness　as　well。

the　palace　was　filled　with　music　and　celebration；　but　by　evening　they　realized　they　were　wrong。

the　people　had　surrounded　the　palace；　they　had　all　gone　mad。

the　palace　guards　and　the　soldiers　of　the　kings　army　had　gone　mad　as　well。

surrounding　the　palace；　they　shouted；　〃it　seems　our　king　has　gone　mad。

we　cannot　tolerate　a　mad　king　sitting　on　the　throne。

〃　

from　the　tower　of　his　palace　the　king　saw　there　was　no　way　to　escape；　that　he　was　pletely　surrounded　by　the　mad　crowd。

the　king　was　terrified。

he　asked　his　prime　minister　what　he　should　do。

〃what　will　happen　now？〃　he　worriedly　asked。

〃we　thought　we　were　fortunate　that　we　had　our　own　well。

now　we　have　to　pay