And Now, And Here-第17章

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and　then　a　very　funny　thing　started　happening　in　the　world：　there　were　already　people　crazy　about　making　idols；　now　another　bunch　of　crazy　people　cropped　up　to　destroy　the　idols。

now　the　idol…makers　are　zealously　busy　making　idols；　while　the　idol…destroyers　are　occupied　day　and　night　figuring　out　ways　to　destroy　the　idols。

someone　should　ask　when　mohammed　said　that　god　is　to　be　found　in　destroying　idols？　god　may　not　be　present　in　an　idol；　but　who　said　god　is　present　in　destroying　idols？　and　if　god　is　present　in　destroying　idols；　then　whats　the　problem　with　god　being　present　in　the　idol？　god　can　be　present　in　the　idol　too。

and　if　he　is　not　present　in　the　idol；　how　can　he　be　present　in　its　destruction？　

i　am　not　saying　we　should　do　away　with　temples。

what　i　am　saying　is　that　we　must　realize　the　truth　that　god　is　everywhere。

once　we　have　realized　this　truth；　everything　bees　his　temple　……　then　its　difficult　to　distinguish　between　a　temple　and　a　non…temple。

then　wherever　we　stand；　that　will　be　his　temple；　whatever　we　look　at；　that　will　be　his　temple；　wherever　we　sit；　that　will　be　his　temple。

then　there　will　no　longer　be　any　sacred　places　of　pilgrimage　……　the　entire　world　will　be　a　holy　place。

then　it　will　be　meaningless　to　create　separate　idols；　because　then　whatever　is　will　be　his　image。

i　am　not　advocating　that　you　should　get　involved　in　doing　away　with　temples；　or　that　you　should　dissuade　people　from　going　to　temples。

i　have　never　said　that　god　is　not　present　in　the　temple。

what　i　am　simply　saying　is　that　one　who　sees　god　only　in　a　temple　and　nowhere　else；　has　no　knowledge　whatsoever　of　god。

one　who　has　realized　god　will　feel　gods　presence　everywhere　……　in　a　temple　as　well　as　in　a　place　which　is　not　a　temple。

then　how　will　he　distinguish　what　is　a　temple　and　what　is　not　a　temple？　we　identify　a　temple　as　a　place　which　has　gods　presence　in　it；　but　if　one　feels　his　presence　everywhere　then　every　place　is　his　temple。

then　there　will　no　longer　be　any　need　to　build　separate　temples；　or；　by　the　same　token；　to　do　away　with　temples　either。

i　have　observed　that　instead　of　making　sense　out　of　what　i　am　saying；　people　very　often　make　the　mistake　of　understanding　something　totally　opposite　to　what　i　may　have　said。

people　bee　interested　more　in　what　is　to　be　done　away　with；　what　is　to　be　destroyed；　what　is　to　be　eliminated　……　they　dont　try　to　understand　what　is。

such　mistakes　happen　continuously。

one　of　the　fundamental　errors　mitted　by　man　is　that　he　hears　something　totally　different　from　what　is　municated　to　him。

now；　some　of　you　may　take　me　as　an　enemy　of　temples；　but　you　will　rarely　find　a　person　more　in　love　with　temples　than　me。

why　do　i　mention　this？　for　the　simple　reason　that　i　would　like　the　whole　earth　to　be　seen　as　a　temple；　my　concern　is　that　everything　be　turned　into　a　temple。

but　after　listening　to　me；　someone　may　e　to　understand　that　things　would　be　better　if　we　did　away　with　temples。

no　purpose　will　be　served　by　getting　rid　of　these　temples。

things　will　only　work　out　well　when　the　whole　of　life　is　made　into　a　temple。

those　who　see　god　in　temples　and　those　who　destroy　temples　……　both　are　wrong。

one　who　only　sees　god　in　the　temple　is　mistaken。

his　mistake　is：　who　else　does　he　see　outside　the　temple？　obviously；　his　mistake　is　that　he　does　not　see　god　except　in　the　temple。

your　temple　is　very　puny；　god　is　very　vast　……　you　cannot　confine　god　to　your　puny　little　temples。

the　other　persons　error　is：　he　wants　to　get　into　doing　away　with　temples；　into　destroying　them　……　only　then；　he　thinks；　can　he　see　god。

your　temples　are　too　small　to　serve　as　dwelling　places　of　god　or　to　prevent　anyone　from　seeing　god。

remember；　your　temples　are　so　ridiculously　small　they　cannot　bee　gods　residence；　nor　can　they　bee　his　prison；　which；　when　destroyed；　would　supposedly　make　him　free。

you　need　to　understand　exactly　what　i　am　saying。

what　i　am　saying　is：　only　when　we　have　entered　meditation　do　we　ever　enter　a　temple。

meditation　is　the　only　temple　with　no　walls；　meditation　is　the　only　temple　where；　as　soon　as　you　enter；　you　really　enter　a　temple。

and　one　who　begins　to　live　in　meditation　begins　living　in　the　temple　twenty…four　hours　a　day。

whats　the　point　in　a　man　visiting　the　temple　if　he　does　not　live　in　meditation？　whats　the　sense　in　his　going　to　someplace　we　generally　identify　as　a　temple？　its　not　so　easy　that；　while　sitting　in　your　shop；　you　may　suddenly　find　your　way　to　the　temple。

of　course；　its　easy　to　carry　your　body　to　the　temple；　the　body　is　such　a　poor　thing　you　can　bring　it　along　with　you　anywhere　you　like。

the　mind　is　not　that　simple。

a　shopkeeper　counting　money　in　his　shop　can　in　fact　get　up　suddenly；　if　he　wants　to；　and　bring　his　body　to　the　temple。

just　because　his　body　is　in　the　temple；　the　man　may　foolishly　think　that　he　is　in　the　temple。

however；　if　he　ever　looked　into　his　mind　a　little；　he　would　find；　to　his　astonishment；　that　he　was　still　sitting　in　his　shop　counting　money。

i　have　heard。

。

。

。

a　man　was　terribly　harassed　by　his　wife。

all　men　are；　but　he　was　harassed　a　little　too　much。

he　was　a　religious　man；　but　the　wife　was　not　at　all　religious。

ordinarily　the　opposite　is　the　case　……　the　wife　is　religious；　the　husband　is　not　……　but　then；　everything　is　possible！　my　understanding　is　that　only　one　of　the　two　can　bee　religious。

both　husband　and　wife　can　never　bee　religious　together；　one　will　always　be　opposite　the　other。

in　this　case　the　husband　had　bee　religious　first；　while　the　wife　did　not　care　to；　however；　every　day　the　husband　tried　to　make　her　religious。

a　religious　person　carries　a　fundamental　weakness：　he　wants　to　make　others　like　himself。

this　is　very　dangerous；　this　is　being　violent。

it　is　ugly　to　try　to　make　others　like　oneself。

it　is　enough　to　state　our　point　of　view　to　others；　but　to　get　on　their　case　and　force　them　to　believe　what　we　believe　amounts　to　what　we　might　call　a　kind　of　spiritual　violence。

all　gurus　indulge　in　this　kind　of　activity。

you　can　rarely　find　a　person　more　violent　than　a　guru。

with　his　hands　around　the　disciples　neck；　a　guru　attempts　to　dictate　what　clothes　to　wear；　how　to　keep　his　hair；　what　to　eat；　what　to　drink；　when　to　sleep；　when　to　get　up　……　this；　that；　and　all　kinds　of　things　are　thrust　upon　him。

with　impositions　like　these；　the　gurus　just　about　kill　people。

so　the　husband　was　very　keen　to　make　his　wife　religious。

actually；　people　find　great　pleasure　in　making　other　people　religious。

to　bee　religious；　as　such；　is　a　matter　of　great　revolution；　but　people　find　tremendous　satisfaction　in　pestering　others　to　bee　religious；　because　in　doing　so　they　have　already　assumed　they　are　religious　people。

but　the　wife　would　not　listen　to　her　husband。

in　despair；　the　husband　approached　his　guru　and　begged　him　to　e　to　his　house　and　persuade　his　wife。

early　one　morning；　at　about　five　oclock；　the　guru　arrived。

the　husband　was　already　in　the　room　of　worship。

the　wife　was　sweeping　the　courtyard。

the　guru　stopped　her　right　then　and　there　and　said；　〃i　have　heard　from　your　husband　that　you　are　not　a　religious　person。

you　never　worship　god；　you　never　pray；　you　never　enter　the　temple　your　husband　has　made　in　your　house。

look　at　your　husband　……　it　is　five　oclock　and　already　he　is　in　the　temple。

〃　

the　wife　replied；　〃i　dont　recall　my　husband　ever　going　to　the　temple。

〃　

the　husband；　sitting　in　his　temple；　overheard　what　his　wife　said　and　grew　red　with　rage。

a　religious　person　gets　angry　very　easily；　and　this　is　true　beyond　ones　imaginings　about　one　who　is　sitting　in　a　temple。

heaven　knows　whether　people　sit　in　the　temple　to　hide　the　flames　of　their　anger　or　for　something　else。

if　one　person　bees　religious；　he　creates　hell　for　the　rest　of　the　household。

the　husband　was　totally　outraged。

he　was　halfway　through　his　prayers　when　he　overheard　his　wife。

he　couldnt　believe　his　ears；　what　she　said　was　total　rubbish。

here　he　is；　sitting　in　the　temple；　and　she　is　telling　his　guru　she　doesnt　know　if　he　ever　goes　in　there！　he　hurried　to　finish　his　prayer　so　he　could　e　out　and　repair　such　a　lie。

the　guru　began　scolding　the　wife；　〃what　are　you　talking　about？　your　husband　goes　to　the　temple　regularly。

〃　hearing　this；　the　husband　began　reciting　his　prayer　even　more　loudly。

the　guru　said；　〃see　how　vigorously　he　is　praying！〃　

laughing；　the　wife　said；　〃i　can　hardly　believe　you　are　taken　in　by　this　loud　recitation　too！　of　course　he　is　chanting　gods　name　loudly；　but　as　far　as　i　can　see　he　is　not　in　the　temple；　he　is　at　the　shoemakers；　haggling　over　the　price。

〃　

now　this　was　too　much！　the　husband　could　hold　himself　back　no　longer。

he　dropped　his　worship　and　came　running　out　of　the　temple。

〃what　are　all　these　lies？　didnt　you　see　i　was　praying　in　the　temple？〃　he　shouted。

the　wife　said；　〃look　within　yourself　a　little　more　closely。

were　you　really　praying？　were　you　not　bargaining　with　the　shoemaker？　and　didnt　you　get　into　a　fight　with　him？〃　the　husband　was　taken　aback；　because　what　she　was　saying　was　true。

〃but　how　did　you　know　this？〃　he　asked。

〃last　night；　before　going　to　bed；　you　tol