And Now, And Here-第38章

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once　we　have　seen　and　recognized　that　death　exists；　why　should　there　be　any　fear？　when　death　is　surely　there；　when　the　wave　knows　for　certain　she　is　bound　to　disappear；　if　the　wave　has　found　out　that　birth　itself　contains　death；　if　the　wave　has　e　to　know　that　its　disintegration　began　the　very　moment　it　was　created；　the　matter　is　finished。

now　why　turn　into　ice？　then　it　will　accept　being　a　wave　as　long　as　it　has　to　be；　and　it　will　accept　being　the　ocean　as　long　as　it　has　to　be。

thats　it！　the　matter　is　over！　then　everything　is　accepted。

in　that　acceptance　the　wave　bees　the　ocean。

then　all　worry　over　its　disappearance　is　gone；　because　then　the　wave　knows　it　existed　before　its　extinction　and　it　will　continue　to　exist　even　after　it　has　vanished　……　not　as　the　i；　but　as　the　boundless　ocean。

when　lao　tzu　was　about　to　die；　somebody　asked　him　to　reveal　a　few　secrets　of　his　life。

lao　tzu　said；　〃the　first　secret　is：　no　one　has　ever　defeated　me　in　my　life。

〃　

hearing　this；　the　disciples　became　very　excited。

they　said；　〃you　never　told　us　this　before！　we　also　wish　to　be　victorious。

please　show　us　the　trick。

〃　

lao　tzu　answered；　〃you　made　a　mistake。

you　heard　something　different。

i　said　no　one　could　ever　defeat　me；　and　you　are　saying　you　too　want　to　be　victorious。

the　two　things　are　totally　opposite；　although　they　look　similar　in　meaning。

in　the　dictionary；　in　the　world　of　language；　it　has　one　meaning　……　that　a　person　who　has　not　faced　defeat　is　victorious。

i　simply　said　no　one　could　defeat　me；　while　you　are　talking　about　being　victorious。

get　out　of　here！　you　will　never　understand　what　i　am　saying。

the　disciples　pleaded；　〃even　so；　please　explain　to　us。

please　show　us　the　technique。

how　were　you　never　defeated？〃　

lao　tzu　said；　〃no　one　could　defeat　me　because　i　always　remained　defeated。

there　is　no　way　to　defeat　a　defeated　man。

i　was　never　defeated　because　i　never　wished　for　victory。

in　fact；　no　one　could　pick　a　fight　with　me。

if　anyone　ever　came　to　challenge　me　he　found　me　already　defeated；　so　he　couldnt　have　any　fun　defeating　me。

the　joy　is　in　defeating　one　who　desires　to　be　victorious。

what　fun　can　there　be　in　defeating　someone　who　doesnt　even　want　to　win？〃　

actually；　it　gives　us　pleasure　to　destroy　somebodys　ego　because　doing　so　strengthens　our　own。

but　if　a　man　has　already　effaced　himself；　what　fun　can　there　be　in　destroying　such　a　person？　our　ego　wouldnt　get　any　kick　out　of　it。

the　more　we　succeed　in　breaking　the　others　ego；　the　stronger　ours　bees。

the　others　broken　ego　bees　the　strength　of　our　own。

but　the　ego　of　this　man　we　are　talking　about　is　already　broken。

for　example；　you　go　out　to　defeat　a　man；　and　before　you　knock　him　down　he　lays　himself　down　on　the　ground；　and　before　you　sit　on　him　he　invites　you　and　lets　you　sit　on　him。

what　will　your　state　be　then？　you　would　want　to　run　away　from　there！　what　else　could　you　do？　people　watching　would　laugh　and　say；　〃go　on；　sit　on　him；　sit　fortably。

why　are　you　running　away？〃　who　would　look　stupid；　the　one　who　sat　on　the　man；　or　the　man　who　kept　laughing　and　whose　laughter　resounded　throughout　your　life？　

so　whenever　somebody　went　to　challenge　this　man；　he　would　immediately　lie　down　on　the　ground　and　say；　〃e　on；　sit　on　me。

you　have　e　for　that；　havent　you？　so　go　ahead。

dont　take　too　much　trouble；　dont　bother　too　much；　theres　no　need　to　exert　yourself　……　just　e　and　sit　on　me。

〃　

lao　tzu　went　on　to　say；　〃but　you　are　asking　something　else。

you　want　me　to　tell　you　the　technique　of　winning。

if　you　think　of　winning；　you　will　lose。

one　who　harbors　the　thought　of　winning　is　always　the　loser。

in　fact；　defeat　begins　with　the　very　idea　of　victory。

〃　and　lao　tzu　said　further；　〃and　no　one　has　ever　been　able　to　insult　me。

〃　

〃please　tell　us　its　secret　also；　because　we　do　not　like　to　be　insulted　either；〃　a　disciple　said。

〃once　again　you　are　making　a　mistake。

no　one　could　insult　me　because　i　never　desired　honor。

you　will　always　be　insulted　because　you　are　filled　with　the　desire　for　recognition。

i　was　never　kicked　out　from　any　place；　because　i　always　sat　near　the　entrance　where　people　remove　their　shoes。

i　was　never　asked　to　move　from　a　place　because　i　always　stood　at　the　end；　where　no　one　could　push　me　further　back。

i　was　very　happy　to　be　at　the　end；　it　saved　me　from　all　sorts　of　trouble。

no　one　ever　forced　me　out　of　there　or　pushed　me　aside；　nor　did　anyone　say；　get　lost！　because　that　was　the　last　place。

there　was　no　place　beyond　that。

no　one　ever　wanted　to　be　in　that　spot。

i　was　the　lord　of　my　own　place；　i　have　always　been　the　lord　of　my　own　place。

where　i　stood；　no　one　ever　came　to　throw　me　out。

〃　

jesus　also　says；　〃blessed　are　those　who　are　ready　to　stand　in　the　last　row。

〃　what　does　this　mean？　

for　example；　jesus　says；　〃if　a　man　slaps　your　right　cheek；　offer　him　the　left。

〃　what　this　means　is：　dont　even　give　him　the　trouble　of　turning　your　other　cheek　……　you　do　it　for　him。

jesus　says；　〃when　someone　es　to　defeat　you；　be　defeated　readily。

if　he　makes　you　lose　one　round；　lose　two　instead。

〃　and　jesus　says；　〃if　a　man　snatches　your　coat；　also　give　him　your　shirt　immediately。

〃　why？　……　because　it　is　possible　the　man　may　feel　embarrassed　taking　the　shirt　away　from　you。

and　jesus　says；　〃if　someone　asks　you　to　carry　his　load　for　a　mile；　at　the　end　of　the　mile　ask　him　if　he　would　like　you　to　carry　it　further。

〃　

what　does　this　mean？　this　means　that　by　accepting　the　facts　of　life　totally　concerning　insecurity；　failure；　defeat；　and　finally　death；　we　conquer　them　all。

otherwise；　these　facts　eventually　lead　us　nowhere　but　to　death。

in　the　final　analysis；　death　is　our　total　defeat。

even　in　the　biggest　defeats；　you　still　survive；　although　defeated；　you　continue　to　exist。

but　in　death　even　you　are　annihilated　as　well。

death　is　the　biggest　defeat　of　all；　thats　why　we　want　to　kill　our　enemy　……　there　is　no　other　reason。

death　is　the　ultimate　defeat；　after　that　there　is　no　possibility　for　the　enemy　to　win；　ever。

the　urge　to　kill　an　enemy　es　from　our　desire　to　inflict　on　him　the　ultimate　defeat。

after　that　there　is　no　way　he　can　ever　be　a　winner；　because　then　he　exists　no　more。

death　is　the　final　defeat；　and　we　all　want　to　run　away　from　it。

and　remember　also；　the　man　who　attempts　to　escape　his　own　death　will　continue　to　work　towards　the　killing　of　others。

the　more　he　succeeds　in　killing　others；　the　more　alive　he　will　feel。

hence；　the　reason　for　all　the　violence　in　the　world　is　totally　different　from　what　people　ordinarily　take　it　to　be。

the　reason　for　this　violence　is　not　that　it　is　caused　because　people　dont　drink　unstrained　water　or　they　eat　after　sunset；　no；　it　is　nothing　of　that　sort。

the　fundamental　reason　for　violence　is　that　man　kills　others　to　forget　about　his　own　death。

killing　others；　he　believes　no　one　can　kill　him；　because　now　he　himself　has　the　power　to　kill。

hitler；　genghis　khan；　and　other　such　people；　killed　millions　in　order　to　assure　themselves　that　〃no　one　can　kill　me；　since　i　kill　millions　myself。

〃　by　killing　others　we　try　to　be　free　of　our　own　death；　we　want　to　confirm　our　independence。

the　assumption　is　that；　when　we　ourselves　are　capable　of　killing　people；　who　can　kill　us？　

deep　down；　this　is　avoiding　death。

deep　down；　a　violent　man　is　an　escapist　from　death。

and　one　who　wants　to　save　himself　from　death　can　never　be　nonviolent。

only　he　who　declares；　〃i　accept　death；　for　death　is　one　of　the　facts　of　life　……　it　is　a　reality；〃　can　be　a　nonviolent　person。

one　can　never　deny　death。

where　will　you　run　from　it？　where　will　you　go？　

the　sun　begins　to　set　the　moment　it　rises。

a　sunset　is　as　much　a　reality　as　the　sunrise　……　the　difference　is　only　of　direction。

at　sunset；　the　sun　reaches　exactly　where　it　was　at　sunrise　……　but　at　sunrise　it　is　in　the　east；　whereas　at　sunset　it　is　in　the　west。

birth　is　on　one　side；　death　is　on　the　other。

that　which　is　ascending　on　one　side　is　declining　on　the　other。

the　rising　and　the　setting　go　together　……　the　setting；　in　fact；　lies　hidden　in　the　rising。

death　lies　hidden　in　birth。

there　is　no　way　that　one　who　knows　that　such　is　the　case　can　ever　deny　it。

then　he　accepts　everything。

then　he　lives　this　truth。

he　knows　it；　he　sees　it；　and　he　accepts　it。

with　acceptance　es　transformation。

when　i　say　〃triumph　over　death；〃　i　mean　that　as　soon　as　a　person　accepts　death　he　laughs；　because　he　es　to　know　there　is　no　death。

only　the　outer　sheath　is　formed　and　unformed。

the　ocean　has　always　been；　it　is　only　the　wave　which　has　taken　form　and　then　disintegrated。

beauty　was　always　around　……　the　flowers　bloomed　and　withered　away。

light　always　shone　……　the　sun　rose　and　set。

and　that　which　shone　with　the　rising　and　setting　of　the　sun　was　forever　present；　before　sunrise　and　after　sunset。

but　this　we　will　e　to　see　only　when　we　have　seen　death；　when　we　have　had　the　vision　of　death；　when　we　have　encountered　death　face…to…face　……　never　before。

so　the　friend　asks：　〃why　should　we　think　about　death？　why　not　forget　it？　why　not　just　live？〃　i　would　like　to　say　to　him　that；　forgetting