And Now, And Here- 第65部分

he　would　not　have　escaped　had　he　not　seen　it　……　he　did　see　the　snake。

as　far　as　the　question　of　his　seeing　the　snake　is　concerned；　the　snake　was　there。

since　he　saw

and；　had　the　rope　not　been　there；　he　could　not　have　seen　the　snake　in　an　empty　space。

so　the　rope　undoubtedly　gave　credence　to　his　illusion。

what　he　saw　inwardly　was　different　from　what　existed　outside。

a　rope　was　lying　there　and　he　thought　it　was　a　snake。

he　did　not　see　the　rope　as　a　rope　……　which　it　was；　the　rope　appeared　to　him　like　a　snake；　which　it　was　not。

so　he　did　not　see　that　which　was；　he　saw　that　which　was　not。

actually；　that　which　did　not　exist　was　superimposed　on　that　which　did。

so　when　you　apply　words　such　as　falsehood；　untruth；　illusion；　appearance；　do　keep　one　thing　in　mind：　it　does　not　mean　something　is　nonexistent。

take；　for　instance；　this　man　who　fled；　believing　he　had　seen　a　snake。

if　you　try　and　convince　him　there　is　no　snake　on　the　street　he　will　refuse　to　believe　you；　he　will　insist　he　has　seen　the　snake。

you　may　persuade　him　to　go　back　and　look　once　again；　but　he　wont　agree　unless　you　lend　him　a　stick　for　his　safety。

you　know　very　well　there　is　no　snake　and　carrying　a　stick　is　meaningless；　but　the　man　is　sure　of　the　snake　and　finds　the　stick　useful。

so　when　you　offer　him　a　stick　for　his　safety　someone　may　ask；　〃if　the　snake　is　not　really　there；　then　why　do　you　give　him　the　stick？　that　shows　you　believe　the　snake　is　there　as　well。

〃　nevertheless；　you　reiterate；　〃there　is　no　snake；　the　snake　is　false。

however；　the　man　has　seen　it　and　is　scared　to　go　there　again。

for　him　the　snake　is　real。

〃　so　you　give　him　the　stick　and　tell　him；　〃if　there　is　a　snake；　kill　it。

〃　if　there　is　none；　then　there　is　no　question。

what　man　sees　in　life　is　not　the　truth　of　life。

only　when　one　is　fully　aware　can　one　see　the　truth　of　life。

truth　is　adulterated　with　falsehood　in　the　same　proportion　to　which　one　is　unconscious。

things　appear　distorted；　perverted；　to　the　same　degree　one　is　asleep。

for　one　thing；　what　appears　to　us　is　not　the　reality。

so　when　one　points　out　to　a　person　who　is　asleep　that　everything　is　false；　that　it　is　illusion；　he　refuses　to　believe　you。

he　says；　〃how　can　i　believe　everything　is　illusion？　my　son　is　sick　……　how　can　that　be　an　illusion？　i　am　hungry　……　how　can　i　take　it　as　an　illusion？　i　need　a　house。

how　can　i　believe　all　these　things　are　illusion？　i　have　a　body。

when　someone　hits　me　with　a　stone　i　hurt；　my　body　bleeds　and　i　feel　pain。

〃　

then　what　shall　be　done　about　it？　some　device　will　have　to　be　found　to　awaken　this　man。

and　all　these　devices　will　be　similar　in　nature　to　the　stick。

the　day　he　will　wake　up　he　will　do　the　same　thing　with　these　devices　that　the　other　man　did　with　the　stick　you　gave　him。

he　went　to　where　he　had　spotted　the　snake；　found　a　rope　lying　there；　laughed　at　himself　and　threw　away　the　stick。

he　said；　〃the　snake　was　indeed　false。

now　it　is　useless　even　to　carry　the　stick。

〃　he　may　e　back　and　be　amazed　at　you　for　having　had　him　carry　the　stick　all　that　way　unnecessarily　……　the　snake　was　not　there。

what　i　call　meditation；　or　kundalini；　or　the　technique　of　spiritual　discipline　are　essentially　means　of　searching　for　that　which　does　not　exist。

the　day　you　find；　for　certain；　that　what　you　saw　did　not　even　exist；　is　the　day　all　techniques　bee　meaningless；　all　means　bee　useless。

that　day　you　will　realize　the　illness　was　false　and　so　was　the　cure　for　it。

actually；　there　cannot　be　a　cure　for　a　pseudo　illness　……　or　can　there　be？　if　the　illness　is　false　the　cure　can　never　be　right。

a　pseudo　illness　requires　a　pseudo　treatment；　that　is　the　only　way　it　can　be　cured。

two　falsehoods　negate　each　other。

thats　why；　when　i　say　all　techniques　of　spiritual　discipline　are　false　i　mean　it　in　the　sense　that　what　we　are　seeking　was　never　lost　in　the　first　place。

the　rope；　in　our　example；　was　always　a　rope；　not　for　a　second　did　it　ever　turn　into　a　snake。

the　rope　was　lying　there　all　along。

what　did　happen；　however；　was　that　the　man　lost　sight　of　the　rope。

not　even　for　a　moment　did　the　rope　change　into　a　snake；　but　for　the　man　it　became　a　snake　……　a　snake　which　did　not　exist　even　for　a　second。

now　this　obviously　creates　a　stalemate；　a　rather　plicated　situation。

it　is　indeed　a　rope　but　it　looks　like　a　snake。

the　snake　has　to　be　killed　and　the　rope　has　to　be　found　……　without　killing　the　snake　the　rope　cannot　be　found。

without　finding　the　rope　the　snake　will　not　be　killed。

so　something　has　to　be　done。

and　yet；　in　a　case　like　this　what　do　you　think　will　result　from　doing　anything　about　it？　at　the　most　we　will　e　to　see　that　that　which　never　was；　was　not　there；　and　that　which　is；　will　be　visible　right　before　us。

and　the　day　this　realization　dawns　on　us；　will　we　say　we　attained　something？　will　we　be　able　to　say　we　lost　the　snake　and　found　the　rope？　not　in　the　least　……　because　there　was　no　possibility　of　losing　the　snake；　the　rope　was　there　all　the　time。

there　was　no　question　of　finding　it；　it　was　there　all　along。

the　rope　was　always　present；　right　there。

when　buddha　attained　enlightenment　people　came　to　him　and　asked；　〃what　did　you　attain？〃　

buddha　said；　〃the　question　is　meaningless；　i　attained　nothing。

〃　

〃does　that　mean　your　labor；　all　these　years；　was　all　in　vain？〃　they　asked。

〃your　years　of　penance；　years　of　seeking；　did　they　not　yield　any　results？〃　

〃if　you　ask　me　in　terms　of　attainment　……　my　efforts　have　certainly　been　in　vain；　because　i　gained　nothing。

and　yet　i　say　to　you：　follow　the　same　path　i　did；　do　what　i　did。

〃　

they　said；　〃are　you　out　of　your　mind？　why　should　we　do　something　which　was　so　fruitless？〃　

buddha　replied；　〃i　didnt　achieve　anything；　of　course；　but　i　lost　for　certain；　i　lost　something　that　was　not　really　there。

i　lost　something　which　was　not　there　at　all；　something　i　had　believed　to　be　there。

what　i　found　was　something　i　always　had；　which　was　already　found；　something　which　did　not　have　to　be　found。

being　surrounded　by　lies；　what　i　had　assumed　to　be　nonexistent　……　thats　what　i　found。

〃　

now　what　does　this　mean？　how　to　convey　that　that　which　was　already　present　was　found　again；　that　that　which　was　already　attained　was　found；　that　that　which　was　never　attained　was　lost？　

so　when　i　say　all　methods　of　spiritual　discipline　are　false；　it　does　not　mean　that　you　dont　have　to　do　them。

i　am　merely　saying　that　you　are　so　deeply　steeped　in　falsehoods　that　there　is　no　other　alternative　but　to　use　equally　false　methods　in　order　to　neutralize　them。

you　have　moved　so　much　on　the　side　of　falsehood　that　even　while　ing　back；　this　much　ground　……　the　distance　you　have　traveled　going　into　lies　……　will　have　to　be　covered。

for　example；　i　walk　ten　steps　into　this　room。

if　i　wish　to　get　out　of　this　room　i　will　have　to　walk　back　at　least　ten　steps　……　in　this　very　room。

now　if　someone　were　to　persuade　me　to　walk　ten　steps　more　in　order　to　get　out　of　it；　i　would　find　it　very　confusing；　for　in　the　first　place　i　got　inside　the　room　because　i　walked　ten　steps。

now　if　i　were　to　take　ten　steps　more；　i　would　have　walked　twenty　steps　inside　the　room。

actually；　what　someone　needs　to　show　me　is　the　way　to　get　out　of　the　room　without　proceeding　further　inside　the　room。

regardless；　i　will　surely　have　to　walk　ten　steps；　although　now　my　attitude　will　be　different；　my　course　will　not　be　the　same；　i　will　not　be　facing　the　same　direction　……　my　back　will　be　towards　what　i　was　facing　before；　and　vice　versa。

we　are　living　in　lies。

in　following　a　spiritual　discipline；　only　the　direction　you　face　will　change。

we　will　have　to　live　in　lies；　that　is　unavoidable。

your　back　will　be　towards　what　you　were　facing　before；　and　your　face　will　be　where　your　back　was。

the　fact　remains；　we　will　have　to　retrace　the　same　route　to　the　same　extent　we　have　walked　ourselves　forward　into　lies。

the　day　we　return　on　the　same　path；　the　whole　thing　will　look　very　amusing。

it　is　like　giving　an　antidote　to　someone　who　has　taken　a　wrong　medicine。

the　antidote　was　not　needed；　it　was　only　used　because　the　man　took　the　wrong　medicine。

since　the　poison；　the　wrong　medicine；　has　already　entered　his　body；　it　is　necessary　to　give　the　man　another　poison　to　counteract　the　former　one。

remember；　however；　the　antidote　is　a　poison　too。

only　a　poison　can　act　against　another　poison。

the　second　potion　is　a　poison　too；　except　that　it　is　meant　to　work　in　the　opposite　direction。

you　would　be　horrified　if　a　physician　were　to　tell　you　your　body　is　poisoned　and　that　he　is　giving　you　more　poison。

you　might　cry　out；　〃as　it　is；　i　am　dying　of　poison。

now　you　are　adding　more　to　it！〃　the　doctor　explains；　〃this　is　an　antidote。

it　is　indeed　a　poison；　but　antithetical　to　the　former　one。

〃　

so　when　i　say　this　world　is　a　lie；　then　a　sadhana；　a　spiritual　discipline；　cannot　be　true。

how　can　a　true　sadhana　be　applied　to　counter　a　false　world？　you　cannot　use　a　real　sword　in　order　to　kill　an　imaginary　ghost　……　you　will　hurt　yourself　if　you　do。

make　sure　you　have　a　false　sword　to　kill　an　imaginary　ghost。

you　will　obviously　create　a　problem　for　yourself　if