And Now, And Here- 第56部分

the　man　will　e　to　know　how　many　women　he　has　had　relations　with　in　the　course　of　thousands　of　years；　and　the　woman　will　e　to　know　how　many　men　she　has　had　relations　with　……　and　that　no　man　was　ever　satisfied　by　a　woman；　nor　was　any　woman　ever　satisfied　by　a　man。

and　yet；　a　man　still　wonders　whether　he　should　enjoy　this　or　that　woman　and　a　woman　still　wonders　whether　she　should　enjoy　this　or　that　man。

this　has　happened　millions　of　times。

if　all　this　is　recalled　even　once；　a　person　will　never　repeat　it　again　……　because　having　repeated　an　act　so　many　times；　its　worthlessness　bees　self…evident；　the　whole　thing　bees　meaningless。

both　buddha　and　mahavira　conducted　intensive　experiments　in　jati…smaran；　in　recalling　the　memories　of　past　lives。

the　seeker　who　passed　through　these　memories　even　once；　was　transformed。

he　became　a　different　man。

i　can　assure　the　friend　who　has　asked　the　question　that　he　can　be　taken　into　past　life　memories　if　he　so　desires。

before　getting　into　the　experiment；　one　needs　to　give　it　very　careful　consideration；　however。

as　it　is；　there　are　already　enough　worries　and　troubles　in　ones　present　life。

obviously；　it　is　to　forget　all　this；　to　forget　his　days；　that　a　man　drinks；　watches　movies；　plays　cards；　gambles。

when　a　man　finds　it　so　hard　to　live　with　the　memories　of　a　single　day；　when　he　is　not　brave　enough　to　face　this　life；　how　will　he　be　able　to　gather　the　courage　to　recall　previous　lives？　

you　may　find　it　strange；　but　all　religions　of　the　world　have　been　opposed　to　alcohol。

however；　giving　their　reasons　for　opposing　alcohol；　these　ordinary；　absolutely　stupid　politicians　explain　to　the　whole　world　they　are　against　it　because　it　destroys　moral　character；　ruins　wealth　and　property；　makes　man　violent。

this　is　all　nonsense。

religions　have　opposed　alcohol　only　because　one　who　drinks　does　so　to　forget　himself。

and　one　who　is　trying　to　forget　himself　can　never　bee　acquainted　with　the　soul。

the　very　purpose　of　knowing　oneself　is　to　know　the　soul。

thats　why　alcohol　and　samadhi　became　two　opposing　things。

it　has　nothing　to　do　with　what　the　politicians　are　saying。

the　truth　of　the　matter　is

。

and　this　needs　careful　consideration：　ordinarily；　people　think　an　alcoholic　is　a　bad　person。

i　know　people　who　drink；　and　i　also　know　people　who　do　not　drink。

based　on　thousands　of　experiences；　i　have　found　that　the　man　who　drinks　is　in　many　ways　far　better　than　the　one　who　does　not。

the　degree　of　pity　and　passion　i　have　e　across　in　those　who　drink；　i　have　not　seen　in　the　non…drinkers。

the　sense　of　humility　i　have　found　in　people　who　drink；　i　havent　seen　in　those　who　dont　drink。

the　kind　of　arrogance　i　have　seen　in　non…drinkers　i　have　never　e　across　in　those　who　drink。

but　these　are　not　the　reasons；　normally　advocated　by　the　politicians；　why　religion　has　opposed　alcohol。

the　reason　has　been　that；　in　trying　to　forget　himself；　man　gives　up　the　courage　to　remember。

how　can　one　who　is　busy　forgetting　his　present　life　remember　his　past　ones？　and　how　can　one　who　cannot　remember　his　past　lives　change　his　present　one？　

consequently；　a　blind　repetition　goes　on。

what　we　have　done　many　times　before；　we　keep　doing　over　and　over　again。

its　an　unending　process。

and　until　we　have　remembered　our　past　lives；　we　will　be　born　again　and　again　……　and　will　repeat　the　same　stupidities　over　and　over；　endlessly。

this　boredom；　this　continuous　chain；　is　meaningless　……　because　well　die　again　and　again；　keep　forgetting　our　actions；　and　the　same　thing　will　start　all　over　again。

we　will　keep　moving　in　circles　like　an　ox　at　a　water　wheel。

those　who　have　called　this　life　samsara

do　you　know　what　samsara　means？　samsara　means　a　wheel；　the　spokes　of　which　keep　revolving；　keep　moving　up　and　down。

i　dont　know　why　the　experts　in　india　have　placed　the　wheel　on　the　national　flag。

perhaps　they　dont　know；　and　one　wonders　what　they　think　about　it。

ashoka　had　engraved　it　on　his　stupas；　on　his　buddhist　shrines；　in　order　to　remind　people　that　life　is　a　revolving　wheel；　that　it　is　like　an　ox　moving　in　circles　at　a　water　wheel；　that　things　go　around　and　around　in　a　circle；　ing　back　again　and　again　to　where　they　were　before。

so　the　wheel　is　a　symbol　of　samsara；　it　does　not　represent　any　victory　march。

it　symbolizes　life　being　defeated　daily。

it　shows；　symbolically；　that　life　is　a　repetitive　boredom；　a　revolving　wheel。

but　each　time　we　forget　this　fact　and　start　repeating　ourselves　with　great　interest　and　enthusiasm。

a　man　falls　in　love　with　a　woman　and　begins　courting　her。

he　doesnt　realize；　however；　how　many　times　he　has　fallen　in　love　before；　how　many　women　he　has　chased　before。

and　yet；　once　again　he　approaches　them　and　thinks　that　this　wonderful　event　is　happening　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。

but　that　sort　of　wonderful　event　has　occurred　to　him　many　times　before。

if　he　were　to　e　to　know　this　fact；　he　would　be　like　a　man　who　has　seen　a　movie　ten　or　twenty　times。

when　you　see　a　movie　for　the　first　time　you　may　enjoy　it。

if　you　are　shown　the　movie　the　next　day　you　may　tolerate　it。

on　the　third　day　you　will　say；　〃thank　you；　i　dont　wish　to　see　the　movie　any　more。

〃　but　if　you　are　pelled；　threatened　……　〃if　you　dont　see　the　movie　the　police　will　take　you　away；　the　police　will　be　after　you〃　……　and　like　this　you　are　forced　to　see　the　same　movie　for　fifteen　days；　on　the　sixteenth　day　you　will　surely　attempt　suicide。

the　whole　thing　will　have　gone　beyond　all　limits。

you　will　cry　out；　〃but　i　have　seen　it　for　fifteen　days；　how　much　longer　can　i　see　it？〃　and　the　police　are　on　your　back；　forcing　you　to　see　the　movie！　however；　if　you　are　drugged　after　you　have　watched　the　movie　and　you　consequently　forget　you　ever　saw　it；　the　next　day　you　can　be　seen　purchasing　a　ticket　for　the　same　movie　and　enjoying　it　greatly。

each　time　a　man　drops　one　body　and　acquires　another；　the　door　to　the　memories　of　his　previous　body　closes。

with　the　new　body；　a　new　play　starts　once　again　……　the　same　act；　the　same　story。

once　again　everything　is　the　same；　everything　has　happened　many　times　before。

remembering　the　past　one　es　to　see　that　the　same　act　has　been　played　many　times　before；　that　the　same　story　has　occurred　many　times　before；　that　the　same　songs　have　been　sung　many　times　before。

now　the　whole　thing　is　beyond　endurance。

nonattachment；　freedom　from　worldly　desires；　es　with　remembering　the　past。

there　is　no　other　way　for　one　to　feel　aversion　towards　the　kind　of　life　he　now　leads。

nonattachment　is　created　by　reviving　the　memories　of　previous　births。

the　reason　nonattachment　has　declined　in　todays　world　is　that　there　is　no　means　available　for　remembering　past　lives。

let　me　tell　those　friends　who　have　raised　this　question　that；　from　my　side；　i　am　fully　prepared。

what　i　am　saying　is　not　just　theoretical。

i　am　ready；　with　conviction；　to　put　each　and　every　word　ive　said　to　the　test。

and　ill　be　happy　to　see　anyone　who　is　ready。

yesterday；　i　invited　those　with　courage　to　experiment　with　me。

i　was　delighted　to　receive　a　few　letters　saying；　〃we　are　very　eager　to　begin　the　experiment。

we　were　waiting　for　someone　to　call　us。

you　have　beckoned　us；　we　are　ready。

〃　i　am　happy　to　know　they　are　ready。

my　doors　are　open　to　them。

i　can　take　them　as　far　as　i　would　like　them　to　go；　and　as　far　as　they　are　willing　to　go。

now　is　the　time　the　world　needs　at　least　a　few　people　to　attain　enlightenment。

even　if　a　few　people　can　bee　enlightened；　we　can　destroy　the　entire　darkness　engulfing　the　human　race。

you　may　not　have　noted　it；　but　within　the　last　fifty　years；　two　experiments　of　an　opposite　nature　prevailed　in　india。

one　experiment　was　conducted　by　gandhi；　while　the　other　was　carried　out　by　aurobindo。

gandhis　experiment　was　to　raise　the　moral　character　of　each　individual。

gandhis　experiment　seemed　successful；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　a　total　failure。

those　whose　character　he　thought　he　had　improved　turned　out　to　be　made　of　clay：　a　slight　drizzle　and；　in　the　last　twenty　years；　all　the　paint　wore　off。

we　are　all　witness　to　it。

their　bodies　stand　naked　in　new　delhi。

all　the　paint　and　color　has　washed　off；　not　a　bit　is　left　anywhere。

whatsoever　gandhi　had　painted　on　them　washed　away　in　the　rain。

so　long　as　power　didnt　shower　down　upon　them　their　faces　looked　very　impressive；　their　clothes　of　khadi　looked　very　bright；　and　their　caps　seemed　to　assure　people　they　would　lift　the　country　to　greater　heights。

the　same　caps　have　now　bee　worthy　to　be　tossed　into　holy　fires　of　each　and　every　village；　they　have　now　bee　symbols　of　the　bourgeoisie；　of　the　corruption　in　the　country。

so　gandhi　seemed　to　be　succeeding　but　ended　as　a　total　failure。

experiments　similar　to　gandhis　were　conducted　many　times　before　and　each　time；　failed。

aurobindo　carried　out　an　experiment　which　did　not　appear　to　be　successful。

he　could　not　succeed；　but　he　was　moving　in　the　right　direction。

he　was　experimenting　to　see　if　it　was　possible　for　a　few　souls　to　rise　so　high　that　their　very　presence　would　begin　to　uplift　other　souls；　would　call　out　to　other　souls　and　they　would　start　rising。

is　it　possible；　wi