And Now, And Here-第23章

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the　lamp　of　ones　life　burns　on　whatsoever　amount　of　oil　it　receives　then。

this　is　the　reason　the　lamp　burns　so　slow：　not　enough　oil　is　collected　to　make　the　lamp　of　life　burn　brightly　so　it　can　bee　a　flaming　torch。

meditation　brings　you　slowly　to　the　source　of　life。

then　it　is　not　that　you　keep　taking　a　handful　of　nourishment　out　of　it；　you　are　simply　in　the　source　itself。

then　it　is　not　that　you　refill　your　lamp　with　more　oil　……　then　the　entire　ocean　of　oil　bees　available　to　you。

then　you　begin　to　live　in　that　very　ocean。

with　that　kind　of　living；　sleep　disappears　……　not　in　the　sense　that　one　doesnt　sleep　any　more；　but　in　the　sense　that　even　when　one　is　asleep；　someone　within　remains　wide　awake。

then　dreams　exist　no　more。

a　yogi　stays　awake；　he　sleeps；　but　he　never　dreams　……　his　dreams　disappear　totally。

and　when　dreams　disappear；　thoughts　disappear。

what　we　know　as　thoughts　in　the　wakeful　state　are　called　dreams　in　the　sleeping　state。

there　is　only　a　slight　difference　between　thoughts　and　dreams：　thoughts　are　slightly　more　civilized　dreams；　while　dreams　are　a　little　primitive　in　nature。

of　the　two；　one　is　the　original　thought。

in　fact；　children；　or　the　aboriginal　tribes；　can　think　only　in　pictures；　not　in　words。

mans　first　thoughts　are　always　in　pictures。

for　example；　when　a　child　is　hungry　he　does　not　think　in　words；　〃i　am　hungry。

〃　a　child　can　visualize　the　mothers　breast；　he　can　imagine　himself　sucking　the　breast。

he　can　be　filled　with　the　desire　to　go　to　the　breast；　but　he　cannot　form　the　words。

the　word　formation　starts　much　later；　pictures　appear　first。

when　we　dont　know　a　particular　language；　we　use　pictures　to　express　ourselves　as　well。

if　you　happen　to　go　to　a　foreign　country　and　you　dont　know　the　language；　and　you　want　to　drink　water；　you　can　cup　your　palms　to　your　mouth　and　the　stranger　will　understand　that　you　are　thirsty　……　because　when　words　are　not　at　hand；　the　need　for　pictures　arises。

and　the　interesting　thing　is　that　languages　of　words　are　different　in　different　places；　but　the　language　of　pictures　is　universal　……　because　every　mans　picture　language　is　the　same。

we　have　invented　different　words；　but　pictures　are　not　our　invention。

pictures　are　the　universal　language　of　the　human　mind。

a　painting；　therefore；　is　understood　anywhere　in　the　world。

there　is　no　need　to　change　your　language　to　understand　a　sculpture　at　khajuraho　or　a　painting　by　leonardo。

a　sculpture　at　khajuraho　will　be　as　understood　by　a　chinese；　a　frenchman　and　a　german；　as　it　is　by　you。

and　if　you　visit　the　museum　of　the　louvre　in　france；　you　will　have　no　difficulty　in　following　the　paintings　either。

you　may　not　understand　the　titles；　because　they　are　in　french；　but　you　will　have　no　problem　following　the　painting。

the　language　of　pictures　is　everyones　language。

the　language　of　words　is　useful　during　the　day；　but　it　is　not　useful　at　night。

we　again　bee　primitive　at　night。

we　disappear　in　sleep　as　we　are。

we　lose　our　degrees；　our　university　educations；　everything。

we　are　transported　to　a　point　where　the　original　man　once　stood。

thats　why　pictures　emerge　at　night　in　sleep；　and　words　appear　during　the　day。

if　we　want　to　make　love　during　the　day；　we　can　think　in　terms　of　words；　but　at　night　there　is　no　way　to　express　love　except　through　images。

thoughts　do　not　seem　as　alive　as　dreams。

in　dreams　the　whole　image　appears　before　you。

thats　why　we　enjoy　watching　a　movie　based　on　a　novel　more　than　reading　the　novel　itself。

the　only　reason　for　this　is　that　the　novel　is　in　the　language　of　words　while　the　movie　is　in　the　language　of　images。

in　the　same　manner；　you　feel　greater　joy　being　here　and　listening　to　me　live。

you　would　not　feel　the　same　joy　listening　to　this　talk　on　a　tape；　because　here　the　image　is　present；　on　tape　there　are　only　words。

the　language　of　images　is　nearer　to　us；　more　natural。

at　night　words　turn　into　pictures；　thats　all　the　difference　there　is。

the　day　dreams　disappear；　thoughts　disappear　too；　the　day　thoughts　disappear；　dreams　disappear　as　well。

if　the　day　is　empty　of　thoughts；　the　night　will　be　empty　of　dreams。

and　remember；　dreams　dont　allow　you　to　sleep；　and　thoughts　dont　allow　you　to　awaken。

make　sure　you　understand　both　things：　dreams　do　not　let　you　sleep；　and　thoughts　do　not　let　you　awaken。

if　dreams　disappear；　sleep　will　be　total；　if　thoughts　disappear；　awakening　will　be　total。

if　the　awakening　is　total　and　the　sleep　is　total；　then　not　much　difference　exists　between　the　two。

the　only　difference　is　in　keeping　the　eyes　open　or　closed；　and　in　the　body　being　at　work　or　at　rest。

one　who　is　totally　awakened　sleeps　totally；　but　in　both　states　his　consciousness　remains　exactly　the　same。

consciousness　is　one；　unchangeable；　only　the　body　changes。

awake；　the　body　is　at　work；　asleep；　the　body　is　at　rest。

to　the　friend　who　has　asked　why　god　is　not　attained　in　sleep；　my　answer　is：　he　can　be　attained　if　you　can　remain　awake　even　in　your　sleep。

so　my　method　of　meditation　is　a　sleeping　method　……　sleeping　in　awareness；　entering　into　sleep　with　awareness。

thats　why　i　ask　you　to　relax　your　body；　to　relax　your　breathing；　to　calm　down　your　thoughts。

all　this　is　a　preparation　for　sleep。

therefore；　it　often　happens　that　some　friends　go　to　sleep　during　meditation　……　obviously；　this　is　a　preparation　for　sleep。

and；　while　preparing　for　it；　they　dont　know　when　they　go　to　sleep。

thats　why　i　repeat　the　third　suggestion：　stay　awake　inside；　remain　conscious　within；　let　the　body　be　totally　relaxed；　let　the　breathing　be　totally　relaxed；　more　relaxed　than　it　normally　is　while　sleeping。

but　stay　awake　within。

within；　let　your　awareness　burn　like　a　lamp　so　you　dont　fall　asleep。

the　initial　conditions　of　meditation　and　sleep　are　the　same；　but　there　is　a　difference　in　the　final　condition。

the　first　condition　is　that　the　body　should　be　relaxed。

if　you　suffer　from　insomnia；　the　first　thing　a　doctor　will　teach　you　is　relaxation。

he　will　ask　you　to　do　the　same　thing　i　am　asking：　relax　your　body；　dont　let　any　tension　remain　in　your　body；　let　your　body　be　totally　loose；　just　like　a　fluff　of　cotton。

have　you　ever　noticed　how　a　dog　or　a　cat　sleeps？　they　sleep　as　if　they　are　not。

have　you　ever　noticed　a　baby　sleeping？　there　is　no　tension　anywhere　……　its　arms　and　legs　remain　unbelievably　loose。

watch　a　youth　and　an　old　man　……　you　will　find　everything　tense　in　them。

so　the　doctor　would　ask　you　to　relax　totally。

the　same　condition　applies　to　sleep：　the　breathing　should　be　relaxed；　deep　and　slow。

you　must　have　noticed　that　jogging；　the　breathing　bees　faster。

similarly；　when　the　body　exerts　itself　at　work；　the　breathing　bees　faster　and　the　blood　circulation　increases。

for　sleeping；　the　blood　circulation　should　slow　down　……　the　situation　should　be　just　the　opposite　to　jogging　……　and　then　the　breathing　will　relax。

so　the　second　condition　is：　relax　your　breathing。

when　thoughts　run　faster；　the　blood　has　to　circulate　rapidly　in　the　brain　……　and　when　this　happens；　sleep　bees　impossible。

the　condition　of　sleep　requires　a　slower　flow　of　blood　to　the　brain。

thats　why　we　use　pillows　……　to　reduce　the　flow　of　blood　to　the　brain。

without　a　pillow；　the　head　lies　at　the　same　level　as　the　body；　and　consequently；　the　blood　flows　at　the　same　rate　from　head　to　toe。

when　the　head　is　raised；　the　blood　has　difficulty　moving　upwards；　its　flow　is　reduced　in　the　brain　and　moves　throughout　the　rest　of　the　body。

so　the　greater　the　difficulty　one　has　in　falling　asleep；　the　more　pillows　he　will　need　to　put　under　his　head　to　raise　it。

as　the　flow　of　blood　is　reduced；　the　brain　relaxes　and　one　finds　it　easy　to　fall　asleep。

with　fast…moving　thoughts；　the　blood　has　to　run　faster　too　……　because　for　its　movement　a　thought　has　to　rely　on　blood　as　the　vehicle。

the　veins　in　the　brain　begin　to　work　faster。

you　must　have　noticed　that　when　a　person　is　angry　his　veins　swell。

this　is　so　because　the　veins　have　to　make　more　space　to　let　extra　blood　run　through　them。

when　the　head　cools　down；　the　blood　pressure　also　decreases。

in　anger；　the　face　and　the　eyes　turn　red。

this　is　due　to　the　extra　blood　that　runs　through　the　veins。

in　that　state；　thoughts　move　so　fast　that　the　blood　has　to　flow　faster。

and　breathing　also　bees　faster。

when　sex　takes　hold　of　the　mind；　the　breathing　bees　very　heavy　and　the　blood　flows　faster　……　because　thoughts　move　so　rapidly；　the　mind　begins　to　function　so　fast；　that　all　the　veins　in　the　brain　start　rushing　with　blood　at　great　speed。

so　the　conditions　for　meditation　are　primarily　the　same　as　those　applicable　to　sleep：　relax　your　body；　relax　your　breathing；　let　go　of　thoughts。

and　so；　for　sleep　as　well　as　for　meditation；　the　initial　conditions　are　equally　true。

the　difference　is　in　the　final　condition。

in　the　former　you　remain　deep　in　sleep；　in　meditation　you　remain　fully　awake；　thats　all。

so　this　friend　is　right　in　asking　the　question。

there　is　a　deep　relationship　between　sleep　and　meditation；　between　samadhi　and　sushupti；　deep　sleep。

however；　there　is　one　very　significant　difference　between　the　two：　the　differ