And Now, And Here-第39章

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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　death；　no　one　has　ever　lived；　nor　can　anyone　ever　live。

and　one　who　ignores　death　also　ignores　life。

it　is　just　as　if　i　have　a　coin　in　my　hand　and　i　say；　〃why　bother　about　the　reverse　side　of　the　coin？　why　not　just　forget　it？〃　if　i　give　up　the　reverse　side；　then　i　will　lose　the　front　side　of　the　coin　too；　because　both　make　two　sides　of　the　same　coin。

it　isnt　possible　to　save　one　side　of　the　coin　and　throw　the　other　side　on　the　street。

how　can　this　be　possible？　with　the　one　i　keep；　the　other　side　will　automatically　be　saved。

if　i　throw　away　one；　both　will　be　thrown　away；　if　i　save　one；　both　will　be　saved。

actually；　both　are　aspects　of　the　same　thing。

birth　and　death　are　two　aspects　of　the　same　life。

the　day　one　realizes　this；　not　only　does　the　sting　of　death　depart；　the　thought　of　not　dying　disappears　as　well。

then　one　es　to　know　that　birth　is　there　and　so　is　death。

both　prise　bliss。

we　get　up　every　morning　and　go　to　work。

somebody　goes　and　digs　ditches

different　people　do　different　jobs　……　people　sweat　the　whole　day。

there　is　a　joy　in　getting　up　in　the　morning；　but　isnt　it　equally　joyful　to　sleep　at　night？　if　a　few　madmen　were　to　start　convincing　people　not　to　sleep　at　night；　then　getting　up　in　the　morning　would　also　stop；　because　the　man　who　wouldnt　sleep　wouldnt　be　able　to　wake　up　in　the　morning　either。

the　whole　of　life　would　e　to　a　halt。

one　might　feel　afraid　to　go　to　bed；　arguing；　〃it　is　such　a　joy　to　wake　up　in　the　morning；　it　is　better　not　to　fall　asleep　or　else　it　will　spoil　the　whole　charm　of　waking　up。

〃　but　we　know　this　is　ridiculous：　sleeping　is　the　other　side　of　waking　up。

one　who　sleeps　right　will　wake　up　right。

one　who　wakes　up　right　will　sleep　right。

one　who　lives　properly　will　die　properly。

one　who　dies　properly　will　take　the　right　steps　in　his　future　life。

one　who　does　not　die　in　a　right　manner　will　not　live　rightly。

one　who　does　not　live　rightly　will　not　die　rightly。

it　will　be　a　mess；　everything　will　bee　ugly　and　distorted。

the　fear　of　death　is　responsible　for　creating　the　ugliness　and　the　distortion。

if　a　fear　of　falling　asleep　were　to　overtake　somebody；　it　would　make　life　difficult。

an　old　lady　was　brought　to　me　by　her　son。

he　said　his　mother　was　too　afraid　to　fall　asleep。

i　asked　him；　〃how　did　this　happen？〃　

he　said；　〃she　has　been　ill　lately；　and　she　feels　she　may　die　in　her　sleep；　so　she　is　afraid　of　falling　asleep。

she　fears　she　wont　wake　up　once　she　goes　to　sleep；　so　she　keeps　trying　to　stay　up　the　whole　night。

we　are　in　big　trouble。

she　isnt　recovering　from　her　illness　because　she　stays　up　all　night；　afraid　she　may　not　wake　up　alive。

please　do　something　and　save　her　from　this　fear；　otherwise　i　am　in　great　trouble。

〃　

in　a　way；　sleeping　is　like　dying　every　day。

the　whole　day　we　are　alive；　the　whole　night　we　are　dead。

this　is　like　dying　in　parts；　dying　a　bit　every　day。

we　dive　within　ourselves　at　night　and　e　out　refreshed　in　the　morning。

by　the　time　we　are　seventy　or　eighty；　the　body　is　worn　out。

then　death　takes　over。

and　with　that；　this　body　goes　through　a　plete　change。

but　we　are　very　scared　of　death；　although　it　is　nothing　more　than　a　deep　sleep。

do　you　know　that　the　body　undergoes　change　overnight　and　es　out　different　every　morning？　the　change　is　so　minimal　you　dont　notice　it。

the　change　is　not　total；　it　is　a　partial　transformation。

when　you　go　to　bed　at　night；　tired　and　weary；　your　body　is　in　one　state；　and　when　you　wake　up　in　the　morning　it　is　in　a　different　state。

in　the　morning　the　body　feels　fresh　and　rejuvenated；　it　is　filled　with　energy；　ready　to　face　another　day　of　activity。

now；　once　again；　you　can　sing　new　songs；　something　you　couldnt　do　the　previous　evening。

then　you　were　tired；　broken；　worn　out。

you　have　never　wondered　however；　why　there　is　so　much　fear　of　death。

when　you　wake　up　in　the　morning　you　feel　happy；　because　only　a　part　of　your　body　changes　in　sleep　……　but　death；　on　the　other　hand；　brings　about　a　plete　change。

the　whole　body　bees　useless　and　the　need　arises　to　acquire　a　new　body。

but　we　are　scared　of　death　and　so　our　whole　life　has　bee　totally　crippled。

every　moment　is　filled　with　fear　of　death。

because　of　this　fear　we　have　created　a　life；　a　society；　a　family　which　lives　the　least　but　fears　death　the　most。

and　one　who　fears　death　can　never　live　……　both　things　cannot　exist　together。

the　man　who　is　ready　to　meet　death　with　absolute　spontaneity；　he　alone　is　ready　to　live　as　well。

life　and　death　are　both　aspects　of　the　same　phenomenon。

thats　why　i　say：　look　at　death。

i　am　not　asking　you　to　think　about　death；　because　such　thinking　will　mislead　you。

thinking　about　death；　what　will　you　do？　

a　sick　and　miserable　man　may　find　it　gratifying　to　think　that　everything　ends　in　death。

the　thought　is　gratifying　to　this　man　not　because　it　is　right。

remember；　never　believe　that　what　seems　pleasing　to　you　is　necessarily　true；　because　what　feels　pleasing　does　not　depend　on　what　is　true；　it　depends　on　what　you　think　of　as　convenient。

a　person　who　is　miserable；　troubled；　sick　and　in　pain　feels　he　should　meet　a　total　death；　that　nothing　should　be　left　behind　……　because　if　any　part　of　him　does　survive；　then　it　would　obviously　mean　he　would　survive

。

he；　the　miserable；　sick　individual。

question　2　

a　friend　has　asked：　some　people　mit　suicide。

what　do　you　have　to　say　about　them？　are　these　people　not　afraid　of　death？　

they　are　afraid　of　death　too。

but　they　are　more　afraid　of　life　than　of　death。

life　seems　more　painful　to　them　than　death；　hence　they　want　to　finish　it。

putting　an　end　to　their　lives　does　not　mean　they　find　any　joy　in　death；　but　since　life　appears　worse　than　death　to　them；　they　prefer　death。

one　who　is　miserable；　living　in　pain；　will　readily　believe　that　death　takes　everything　away　……　including　the　soul　……　that　death　leaves　nothing　behind。

he　obviously　does　not　want　to　save　any　part　of　himself；　because　if　he　does　he　will　be　saving　nothing　but　his　misery　and　pain。

one　who　is　afraid　of　death　and　wants　to　save　himself；　readily　accepts　the　belief　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul。

these　are　all　conveniences。

it　does　not　show　understanding；　it　merely　shows　our　concern　for　convenience。

this　sort　of　acceptance　feels　fortable；　thats　all。

thats　why　we　change　our　beliefs　many　times。

a　man　who　was　an　atheist　in　his　youth　bees　a　theist　in　his　old　age。

in　fact；　the　truth　is　that　beliefs　change　with　headaches。

when　the　head　has　no　pain　we　follow　one　set　of　beliefs；　with　a　headache　these　beliefs　are　replaced　by　another　set。

it　is　hard　to　say　how　much　the　scriptures　affect　your　belief　system　and　how　much　your　liver　does！　one　cant　be　sure　whether　gurus　or　the　liver　affect　it　more！　what　goes　on　inside　the　body　has　a　greater　effect。

when　the　stomach　is　upset　one　feels　like　being　an　atheist；　and　when　the　stomach　is　okay　one　feels　like　believing　in　god！　how　can　a　man　possibly　believe　that　there　is　a　god　when　he　has　a　headache？　if　god　exists　and　so　does　the　headache；　how　can　you　connect　the　two？　

we　can　run　an　experiment。

take　fifty　men　and　infect　them　with　chronic　diseases；　and　keep　the　other　fifty　in　good　health。

let　the　first　fifty　live　in　misery　and　let　the　other　fifty　live　happy　lives。

you　will　find　that　atheism　will　increase　in　the　former　group　and　theism　will　increase　in　the　latter　group。

it　is　not　that　happiness　is　caused　by　believing　in　god；　a　miserable　mind　inevitably　bees　atheistic。

so　remember；　if　you　see　atheism　increasing　around　the　world；　know　well　that　misery　must　be　on　the　increase　too。

if　you　see　an　increasing　number　of　people　believing　in　god；　you　should　know　that　more　and　more　people　are　being　happy。

i　say　to　you；　therefore；　that　in　the　next　fifty　years　there　is　a　great　possibility　that　russia　will　bee　theistic　and　india　will　bee　even　more　atheistic。

beliefs　dont　mean　anything。

in　russia　people　read　marx；　while　in　india　you　read　mahavira　……　this　makes　no　difference。

the　works　of　mahavira　and　marx　cannot　make　the　least　difference。

if　people　were　to　go　on　being　happier　in　russia；　then　in　the　next　fifty　years　theism　would　revive　there　and　the　bells　would　begin　to　ring　in　russian　temples。

lamps　would　be　lit　and　prayers　would　be　chanted。

only　a　happy　mind　rings　bells　in　the　temple；　kindles　lamps　and　chants　prayers。

people　would　begin　to　thank　god。

only　a　happy　mind　wishes　to　thank　somebody；　and　who　else　should　one　thank？　……　because　a　man　can　find　no　reasons　for　the　presence　of　inner　happiness；　so　he　thanks　the　unknown；　it　must　be　because　of　it。

an　unhappy　mind　wants　to　express　its　anger。

and　when　the　person　finds　no　cause　for　being　unhappy；　then　who　should　he　be　angry　at？　he　obviously　bees　filled　with　bitterness　towards　the　unknown。

he　says；　〃the　whole　mess　is　because　of　that　unknown　one；　because　of　god。

either　he　does　not　exist；　or　he　has　gone　mad。

〃　what　i　am　saying　is　that　our　theism　and　our　atheism；　our　beliefs　……　all　of　them　are　the　products　of　convenience