And Now, And Here-第29章

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and　remember；　the　superstition　of　an　educated　man　is　always　more　dangerous　than　that　of　an　uneducated　man；　because　the　educated　man　does　not　consider　his　superstition　to　be　superstition。

for　him　it　is　a　result　arrived　at　after　great　deliberation。

now　this　friend　says　we　have　to　break　the　chains　of　superstition。

first　make　sure　there　are　any　chains；　otherwise　you　may　break　somebodys　arms　and　legs　in　the　process。

chains　can　only　be　broken　if　there　are　any。

what　if　there　are　none？　you　must　also　make　sure　that　what　you　believe　is　a　chain　that　needs　to　be　broken　does　not　happen　to　be　an　ornament　you　may　have　to　remake。

all　these　things　require　very　careful　consideration。

i　am　absolutely　against　superstition；　all　kinds　of　superstitions　must　be　destroyed　……　but　this　does　not　mean　that　i　am　superstitious　about　this　destruction。

it　does　not　mean　one　should　go　about　destroying　them　without　a　clear　understanding　of　them；　that　without　due　consideration　one　should　simply　be　bent　upon　breaking　them。

then　such　arbitrary　destruction　will　also　bee　superstition。

every　age　has　its　own　superstitions。

remember；　superstitions　have　their　fashion　too。

in　every　age　superstitions　take　on　a　new　form。

man　drops　old　superstitions　and　takes　on　new　ones；　but　he　never　gets　rid　of　them　forever；　he　alters　them　and　he　changes　them。

but　we　never　realize　this。

for　example；　once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　superstition　that　the　man　who　applied　tilak；　the　forehead　mark；　was　considered　religious。

what　has　applying　tilak　to　do　with　being　religious？　but　thats　the　way　it　was　understood。

and　someone　who　didnt　apply　the　tilak　was　looked　down　upon　as　irreligious。

this　old　superstition　is　no　longer　in　vogue。

now　we　have　new　superstitions；　equally　as　foolish。

if　a　man　wears　a　tie　he　is　considered　distinguished；　otherwise　he　is　considered　ordinary。

it　is　the　same　thing；　there　is　no　difference　at　all。

the　tie　has　replaced　the　tilak；　while　the　man　has　remained　the　same。

where　is　there　any　difference？　

the　tie　is　no　better　than　the　tilak。

perhaps　its　even　worse；　because　at　least　there　was　a　meaning　to　applying　the　tilak。

the　tie　has　absolutely　no　meaning　in　this　country；　although　it　may　have　a　meaning　in　some　other　country。

a　tie　is　useful　in　cold　countries　where　it　helps　protect　the　throat　against　cold。

in　those　countries；　a　man　who　cannot　afford　to　cover　his　throat　against　the　cold　must　obviously　be　a　poor　man。

a　man　of　means　is　able　to　cover　his　throat　with　the　help　of　a　necktie；　however；　when　somebody　puts　a　tie　around　his　neck　in　a　hot　country　such　as　this；　then　it　seems　a　little　scary　……　one　wonders　whether　such　a　man　is　affluent　or　insane！　

to　be　affluent　does　not　mean　one　has　to　suffer　from　heat　or　wear　this　noose　around　his　neck。

a　tie　means　a　noose；　a　tie　means　a　knot。

using　it　in　a　cold　country　makes　sense；　but　in　a　hot　country　it　is　totally　meaningless。

and　yet；　a　man　who　has　an　idea　of　dignity　……　the　magistrate；　the　attorney；　the　politician　……　is　out　there　with　this　noose　around　his　neck！　and　these　very　people　denounce　the　tilak　wearers　as　superstitious！　one　can　well　ask　them；　〃isnt　wearing　a　necktie　a　superstition　too？　which　scientific　system　are　you　applying；　that　you　have　tied　this　tie　around　your　neck？〃　but　since　the　tie　is　a　superstition　of　this　age　it　is　acceptable；　and　since　the　tilak　is　a　superstition　of　the　past；　it　is　unacceptable。

as　i　said　earlier；　as　the　tie　has　some　meaning　for　people　in　cold　countries；　applying　a　tilak　can　also　have　meaning；　but　without　first　looking　into　it；　it　is　utterly　dangerous　and　wrong　to　call　it　a　superstition　right　away　……　you　may　not　have　given　any　thought　as　to　why　a　tilak　is　applied。

people　mostly　apply　it　out　of　superstition；　however；　there　was　some　scientific　reason　when　people　applied　it　for　the　first　time。

actually；　tilak　is　applied　on　the　forehead　at　the　spot　between　the　two　eyes　where　the　agya　chakra；　the　third…eye　chakra；　is　located。

even　with　a　little　meditation　this　spot　gets　hot；　however；　it　cools　down　with　the　application　of　sandalwood。

the　application　of　sandalwood　is　a　highly　scientific　technique；　but　now　it　is　lost；　people　are　not　concerned　with　that　science　anymore。

now　anybody　goes　on　applying　sandalwood　whether　he　has　any　knowledge　of　the　agya　chakra　or　has　ever　done　any　meditation　or　not。

it　is　strange　to　find　people　wearing　ties　in　hot　countries。

wearing　a　tie　can　have　a　scientific　basis　in　cold　countries；　and　similarly；　a　tilak　has　a　scientific　meaning　for　one　who　meditates　on　the　agya　chakra　because　sandalwood　cools　that　spot。

meditating　on　the　agya　chakra；　stimulation　occurs　and　heat　is　created　in　that　area　……　and　it　needs　cooling　down　or　else　it　will　harm　the　brain。

but　were　we　determined　to　remove　the　tilak　altogether；　we　would　of　course　take　it　away　from　those　who　are　wearing　it　pointlessly；　but　we　would　also　be　removing　it　from　the　forehead　of　the　poor　guy　who　may　have　applied　it　for　his　own　reason。

and　if　he　wont　remove　it；　we　will　call　him　superstitious。

what　i　am　saying　is　that　there　is　no　way　you　can　determine　what　is　superstitious　and　what　is　not。

actually；　the　same　thing　can　be　a　superstition　under　one　condition　and　scientific　under　different　conditions。

something　which　might　appear　to　be　scientific　under　a　certain　condition　may　appear　unscientific　under　a　different　set　of　conditions。

for　example；　in　tibet　there　is　a　practice　of　taking　a　bath　once　a　year　……　which　is　quite　scientific；　because　there　is　no　dust　in　tibet　and；　being　in　a　cold　climate；　people　do　not　sweat。

so　they　dont　need　to　bathe。

taking　a　bath　every　day　would　simply　harm　their　bodies；　it　would　cause　them　to　lose　much　body　heat。

and　how　are　they　going　to　replace　that　heat？　it　could　prove　very　costly　to　stay　uncovered　in　tibet。

if　man　were　to　keep　his　body　uncovered　for　a　whole　day；　he　would　need　forty　percent　more　food　to　replace　the　calories　lost。

in　a　place　like　india；　if　a　man　goes　about　without　clothes　he　is　revered　as　a　renunciate。

mahavira　was　sensible：　he　remained　naked　……　and　in　a　hot　country　like　this；　the　more　the　heat　leaves　the　body；　the　cooler　it　feels　inside。

but　if　a　follower　of　mahavira　were　to　arrive　in　tibet　naked；　he　would　deserve　to　be　admitted　to　a　mental　asylum。

to　appear　in　tibet　like　this　would　be　absolutely　unscientific；　stupid。

but　thats　how　it　always　happens。

when　a　tibetan　lama　es　to　india；　he　never　bathes。

once　i　stayed　with　tibetan　lamas　in　bodh　gaya。

they　were　stinking　so　badly　it　was　a　torture　to　sit　near　them。

when　i　asked　why　they　were　like　that；　they　replied；　〃we　follow　the　rule　of　bathing　only　once　a　year。

〃　this　is　where　i　make　the　distinction　between　superstition　and　science。

that　which　is　a　science　in　tibet　is　a　superstition　in　india。

here；　these　lamas　are　stinking　without　realizing　their　bodies　are　perspiring　heavily　and　that　there　is　much　dust　all　around。

we　have　no　idea；　but　there　are　some　countries　where　there　is　no　dust　at　all。

when　khrushchev　first　came　to　india　he　was　taken　to　agra　to　see　the　taj　mahal；　and　on　the　way　he　saw　a　whirlwind　of　dust　taking　shape。

he　had　the　car　stopped；　got　out　and　stood　right　in　the　middle　of　the　whirlwind。

he　was　so　happy。

he　said；　〃i　am　so　lucky；　i　have　never　had　such　an　experience　before。

〃　we　wouldnt　feel　lucky　to　be　caught　in　so　much　dust。

but　where　he　es　from　there　are　piles　of　snow；　not　dust。

it　was　a　fascinating　experience　for　him；　as　it　is　for　us　when　we　are　in　snow。

how　excited　we　feel　when　we　walk　on　snow　in　the　himalayas。

so　dont　get　into　breaking　things　simply　believing　them　to　be　chains；　without　first　taking　into　consideration　the　age；　the　conditions；　and　their　usefulness。

a　scientific　mind　is　that　which　always　hesitates。

a　man　with　a　scientific　mind　never　makes　a　decision　in　haste；　saying；　〃this　is　right　and　that　is　wrong。

〃　rather　he　always　says；　〃perhaps　this　may　be　right；　but　let　me　search　more　and　more。

〃　even　at　the　end　of　his　search　he　never　es　to　a　decision　and　says　with　finality；　〃okay；　this　is　wrong；　so　destroy　it。

〃　life　is　so　mysterious　that　nothing　can　be　said　in　such　definite　terms。

all　we　can　say　is；　〃so　far；　we　have　known　this　much；　and　based　upon　this　knowledge　such…and…such　a　thing　appears　to　be　wrong〃　……　thats　all。

a　man　with　a　scientific　attitude　will　say；　〃based　on　the　information　available　so　far；　such…and…such　a　thing　does　not　seem　to　be　right　today；　however；　with　added　information　it　may　appear　right　tomorrow。

something　which　is　right　today　may　prove　to　be　wrong　tomorrow。

〃　such　a　man　never　makes　a　hasty　decision　about　what　is　right　and　what　is　wrong。

he　always　keeps　on　searching　with　an　inquiring　and　humble　mind。

there　is　fun　in　holding　on　to　a　superstition；　and　there　is　also　fun　in　breaking　it。

the　fun　in　holding　on　to　a　superstition　is　that　it　spares　us　the　trouble　of　thinking　……　we　believe　what　everyone　else　believes。

we　dont　even　want　to　ask　the　reason　behind　it；　or　why　its　so。

who　wants　to　bother？　one　simply　follows　the　crowd。

its　convenient　to　have　superstitions。

and　then　there　are　people　who　are　out　to　crack　superstitions　……　that　too　is　very　convenient。