And Now, And Here-第60章

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we　are　not　fully　cognizant　of　them。

in　the　previous　life　some　part　of　our　being　was　awake；　and　that　part　had　done　the　recording。

now　the　same　part　is　inactive；　asleep；　the　other　part　is　awake；　active。

the　part　which　is　awake　in　this　life　has　no　knowledge　of　the　immense　amount　of　work　already　acplished　by　another　part　in　a　previous　life。

it　is　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　a　seed　had　already　sprouted　in　the　previous　life　and　subsequently　died。

it　has　no　idea　at　all　that　such　an　attempt　was　already　made　once　before。

as　a　matter　of　fact；　infinite　attempts　have　been　made　before。

should　you　ever　enter　into　the　memories　of　your　past　lives；　you　will　be　in　for　a　great　surprise。

the　memories　of　past　lives　are　not　restricted　to　human　lives　alone。

entering　these　memories　is　very　easy；　one　can　do　so　without　much　difficulty。

however；　prior　to　many　human　lives；　we　have　passed　through　animal　lives　as　well。

it　is　difficult　to　penetrate　them　because　they　are　hidden　under　even　deeper　layers。

and　even　prior　to　our　animal　lives；　we　have　lived　through　many　lives　as　trees　as　well。

penetrating　them　is　even　more　difficult　because　they　are　buried　even　further；　at　deeper　levels。

prior　to　having　lived　as　trees；　we　have　gone　through　many　lives　as　rocks　and　minerals。

memories　of　these　lie　at　even　lower　levels。

access　to　them　is　even　more　difficult。

up　to　now；　experiments　in　remembering　past　lives　have　not　gone　beyond　the　level　of　animal　life。

even　the　experiments　carried　on　by　buddha　and　mahavira　did　not　go　beyond　the　level　of　animal　life。

the　memory　of　being　a　tree　is　yet　to　be　revived。

as　for　the　memory　of　being　rocks　and　minerals；　it　is　still　further　down　the　road。

but　the　memories　of　all　these　past　lives　are　clearly　recorded。

this　recording；　however；　must　have　taken　place　in　a　state　of　somnolence；　otherwise　ones　entire　mind　would　be　aware　of　it。

it　may　not　have　occurred　to　you；　but　there　are　certain　things　we　never　forget。

why　is　it　so？　for　example；　lets　assume　someone　slapped　you　when　you　were　five　years　old。

even　after　so　many　years　the　incident　is　still　fresh　in　your　mind；　and　you　will　never　forget　it　for　the　rest　of　your　life。

what　seems　to　be　the　matter？　at　the　moment　you　were　slapped；　your　attention　must　have　been　very　sharp。

thats　why　the　incident　made　such　a　deep　impression　on　you。

it　is　only　natural　that　at　the　moment　one　is　slapped；　ones　attention　would　be　at　its　highest　point。

this　is　the　reason　man　can　never　forget　the　moments　of　insult；　the　moments　of　pain；　the　moments　of　happiness。

these　are　all　intense　moments。

in　these　moments　he　is　so　filled　with　awareness　that　their　memory　pervades　his　entire　consciousness；　while　the　ordinary　run…of…the…mill　happenings　are　forgotten　by　him。

how　are　we　to　understand　what　attention　is；　what　meditation　is？　because　it　is　an　experience；　to　understand　it　is　a　bit　difficult。

if　i　were　to　stick　a　pin　in　your　body　what　would　happen　inside？　all　your　attention　would　at　once　begin　to　rush　to　the　point　where　the　pin　had　stuck　you。

all　of　a　sudden　that　point　in　the　body　would　bee　significant。

one　should　say；　rather；　your　whole　being　would　converge　upon　it。

at　that　moment　you　would　only　remain　aware　of　that　part　of　the　body　where　the　pin　was　hurting。

so　what　really　did　occur　in　your　body？　even　without　the　pin　that　part　of　your　body　was　there；　but　you　were　not　aware　of　it；　not　cognizant　of　it；　you　didnt　even　know　such　a　part　existed。

and　then；　suddenly；　the　pain　caused　by　the　pin　created　a　crisis　and　your　whole　attention　rushed　to　where　the　pin　was　hurting。

what　is　it　that　rushed　towards　that　point？　what　happened　inside　you？　how　are　things　different　now？　what　is　it　that　was　not　present　at　that　point　a　moment　ago；　but　now　is？　it　is　the　consciousness；　the　awareness；　that　was　absent　from　this　point　a　moment　ago。

its　absence　made　you　so　oblivious　to　that　part　of　the　body　that　whether　it　existed　or　not　was　all　the　same。

you　had　no　knowledge　of　it；　it　made　little　difference　whether　it　was　there　or　not。

suddenly　you　became　aware　that　part　also　exists　in　your　body。

suddenly　it　makes　a　lot　of　difference　whether　it　exists　or　not。

now　its　existential　awareness　bees　apparent　to　you。

so；　attention　means　awareness。

there　can　be　two　kinds　of　attention。

this　also　needs　to　be　understood；　because　it　will　be　useful　in　following　your　question。

there　are　two　kinds　of　attention。

one；　we　may　call　concentration。

in　order　to　understand　what　concentration　is；　it　is　necessary　to　know　that　when　your　attention　is　centered　on　one　point；　you　bee　oblivious　to　all　other　points。

as　i　mentioned　earlier；　if　a　pin　is　thrust　into　your　body；　your　entire　attention　will　go　to　the　point　where　the　pin　is　hurting。

you　will　bee　unaware　of　the　rest　of　the　body。

in　fact；　a　sick　person　remains　aware　only　of　those　parts　of　his　body　which　are　not　well。

he　begins　to　live　only　in　and　around　the　afflicted　parts　of　his　body；　the　rest　of　the　body　does　not　exist　for　him　any　more。

one　who　suffers　from　a　headache　bees　identified　with　the　head　alone；　the　rest　of　his　body　ceases　to　be。

one　whose　stomach　hurts；　his　whole　attention　centers　only　on　the　stomach。

if　a　thorn　pricks　your　foot；　the　foot　bees　everything。

this　is　concentration　of　attention。

this　is　how　you　bring　all　your　consciousness　to　one　point。

when　the　entire　consciousness　converges　on　one　point　and　rests　there；　obviously　all　other　points　bee　negated；　disappear　into　darkness。

as　i　pointed　out　earlier；　when　someones　house　is　on　fire；　he　bees　oblivious　to　everything　but　the　fire。

he　only　knows　his　house　is　on　fire；　everything　else　is　dead　as　far　as　he　is　concerned。

the　only　thing　he　remains　aware　of　is　that　his　house　is　on　fire。

he　bees　unconscious　towards　the　rest　of　the　world。

so；　concentration　is　one　form　of　attention。

in　concentration　you　bee　centered　on　one　point　while　remaining　unconscious　of　the　infinite　number　of　other　areas。

hence；　although　concentration　is　the　density　of　attention；　at　the　same　time　it　is　the　expansion　of　unconsciousness　too。

both　things　happen　simultaneously。

the　other　form　of　attention　is　awareness　……　not　concentration。

awareness　means　attention　which　is　not　centered　on　any　particular　point。

this　is　a　little　difficult　to　understand；　because　we　only　know　the　pointed　attention。

a　man　knows　about　the　thorn　hurting　his　foot；　the　headache；　the　house　on　fire；　the　taking　of　an　examination　and　so　on；　so　we　know　attention　directed　towards　a　particular　point；　we　know　what　concentration　is。

but　there　is　one　other　kind　of　attention　which　is　not　focused　on　a　given　point。

as　long　as　a　mans　attention　is　narrowed　down　to　a　particular　point；　he　will　be　unconscious　of　the　remaining　areas。

if　we　believe　god　is；　then　he　must　indeed　be　an　awakened　god；　fully　aware。

but　what　would　he　be　aware　of？　and　should　there　be　a　point　of　which　he　is　aware；　then　he　would　obviously　have　to　be　unconscious　of　all　the　rest。

so　there　cant　be　any　object；　any　center　of　awareness　as　far　as　god　is　concerned。

its　an　awareness　without　a　center。

in　such　a　case；　awareness　bees　infinite；　all　pervading。

this　all…pervading　awareness　is　the　ultimate　state；　the　highest　possible。

thats　why；　when　we　define　god　as　sat…chit…anand；　the　word　chit　means　this　state　of　being。

ordinarily；　people　take　chit　to　mean　chetana；　consciousness；　which　is　not　really　its　meaning；　because　consciousness　is　always　about　something。

if　you　say；　〃i　am　conscious；〃　then　it　can　be　asked；　〃conscious　about　what？〃　chit　means　objectless　consciousness。

it　is　not　consciousness　aimed　at　something；　it　is　just　a　pure　state　of　being　conscious。

consciousness　will　always　be　object…centered；　while　the　state　of　being　conscious　is　centrifugal；　radiating　into　infinity。

it　does　not　rest　on　anything；　it　does　not　stop　at　anything；　it　pervades　all　over。

in　this　state；　which　extends　to　infinity；　there　is　no　single　point　where　unconsciousness　can　gain　a　foothold。

this　is　the　ultimate　state。

we　may　call　it　the　state　of　total　awareness。

there　is　a　state　exactly　opposite　to　this　which　we　call　sushupti；　the　state　of　total；　dreamless　sleep。

and　this　needs　to　be　understood　too。

in　concentration；　ones　consciousness　is　centered　on　one　object；　unconscious　of　the　rest。

awareness　is　centered　on　one　point　only。

in　the　state　of　total　awareness；　however；　there　is　no　particular　point　to　be　aware　of　……　the　awareness　is　all…permeating。

one　should　say　there　is　just　awareness；　not　an　awareness　of　a　particular　object。

in　the　state　of　total　awareness　the　object　disappears；　only　the　subject　remains。

only　the　knower　remains；　that　which　is　to　be　known　remains　no　more。

the　knower　alone　remains。

the　energy　to　know　spreads　into　infinity　and　no　longer　is　there　anything　left　to　know。

there　is　always　a　price　for　whatsoever　knowledge　one　wishes　to　attain。

if　you　want　to　know　about　something；　you　will　have　to　be　ignorant　of　something　else。

remember；　it　is　with　ignorance　that　one　always　pays　the　price　of　knowing。

as　man　goes　on　being　knowledgeable　of　many　things；　he　has　to　remain　equally　ignorant　of　many　others。

now；　for　example；