And Now, And Here-第72章

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he　laughed；　and　from　the　coconuts　offered　to　him　by　his　devotees；　he　picked　up　one　that　was　lying　nearby　and　gave　it　to　the　man。

farid　told　him；　〃take　this　coconut。

it　is　not　ripe　yet。

break　it　open；　but　make　sure　you　keep　the　kernel　from　breaking。

break　the　outer　shell　and　bring　me　the　unbroken　kernel。

〃　

the　man　said；　〃this　is　impossible。

because　the　coconut　is　unripe；　there　is　no　space　between　the　kernel　and　the　outer　shell。

if　i　break　open　the　shell　the　kernel　will　break　too。

〃　

farid　said；　〃forget　this　coconut。

here　is　another。

take　this　one；　it　is　dry。

there　is　a　space　between　its　kernel　and　the　outer　shell。

can　you　assure　me　you　can　break　only　the　shell　and　leave　the　kernel　intact？〃　

the　man　said；　〃whats　so　difficult　about　this？　i　will　break　the　shell　and　the　kernel　will　be　saved　without　any　problem。

〃　

farid　said；　〃tell　me　why　the　kernel　will　be　saved。

〃　

the　man　replied；　〃because　the　coconut　is　dry；　there　exists　a　distance　between　the　shell　and　the　kernel。

〃　

farid　said；　〃now　dont　bother　about　breaking　open　the　coconut；　set　it　aside　too。

did　you　get　your　answer　or　not？〃　

the　man　said；　〃i　was　asking　you　something　else；　and　you　have　gotten　me　into　talking　about　a　coconut。

my　question　is；　why　didnt　jesus　cry　out　when　he　was　crucified？　why　didnt　he　weep？　why　didnt　mansoor　writhe　in　pain　when　his　limbs　were　cut　off？　why　did　he　laugh？　why　did　he　smile？〃　

farid　answered；　〃because　they　were　dry　coconuts；　while　we　are　wet　coconuts　……　there　is　no　other　reason　than　this。

〃　

the　reason　why　jesus　didnt　weep　when　crucified；　and　mansoor　didnt　suffer　pain；　but　rather　laughed　and　smiled；　is　because　they　had　totally　disidentified　themselves　with　their　bodies。

there　was　no　other　reason　than　this。

it　was　not　really　jesus　who　was　being　crucified。

jesus　was　watching　his　body　being　crucified　from　within；　and　this　he　did　from　the　same　distance　as　the　people　standing　around　him　……　outside；　away　from　his　body。

no　one　from　the　crowd　screamed；　none　of　them　cried；　〃dont　kill　me！〃　why？　……　because　there　was　a　distance　between　them　and　jesus　body。

within　jesus　too；　there　was　a　distance　between　the　element　that　watches　and　his　body。

hence　jesus　also　didnt　cry　out；　〃dont　kill　me！〃　

mansoors　limbs　were　amputated　and　he　kept　laughing。

when　someone　asked　him；　〃what　makes　you　laugh　when　your　limbs　are　being　cut　off7〃　mansoor　said；　〃i　would　have　cried　had　you　dismembered　me；　but　it　is　not　me　you　are　chopping　off；　the　one　you　are　doing　it　to；　you　fools；　is　not　me。

i　laugh　at　you　because　you　are　taking　this　body　to　be　mansoors；　just　as　you　take　the　bodies　you　are　in　to　be　your　authentic　selves。

you　will　obviously　suffer　painful　deaths。

what　you　are　doing　to　me　is　nothing　but　a　repetition　of　the　mistakes　you　have　mitted　in　treating　your　own　selves。

had　you　been　aware　you　are　separate　from　your　bodies；　you　wouldnt　have　tried　to　cut　my　body。

you　would　have　known　that　you　and　your　body　are　two　different　things。

then　you　would　have　realized　that　by　cutting　up　the　body；　mansoor　is　not　cut。

〃　

the　greatest　preparation　for　entering　death　in　a　conscious　state　is　to　first　enter　pain　consciously；　because　death　does　not　occur　often；　it　does　not　e　every　day。

death　will　e　only　once；　whether　you　are　prepared　for　it　or　not；　there　cannot　be　a　rehearsal　for　death。

but　pain　and　misery　e　every　day。

we　can　prepare　ourselves　while　going　through　pain　and　suffering　……　and　remember；　if　we　can　do　so　while　facing　them；　it　will　prove　useful　at　the　time　of　death。

hence；　seekers　have　always　weled　suffering。

there　is　no　other　reason　for　it。

it　is　not　that　suffering　is　a　good　thing。

the　reason　is　simply　that　suffering　provides　the　seeker　with　an　opportunity　for　self…preparation；　self…attainment。

a　seeker　has　always　thanked　god　for　the　suffering　he　undergoes；　for　the　simple　reason　that；　in　moments　of　misery；　he　gets　a　chance　to　disidentify　himself　from　his　body。

remember；　sadhana；　spiritual　discipline；　is　a　little　difficult　to　follow　when　you　are　happy。

it　is　easier　when　you　are　miserable；　because　in　moments　of　happiness　one　doesnt　want　to　have　even　the　slightest　feeling　of　separation　from　ones　body。

when　you　are　happy　the　body　feels　very　dear　to　you；　you　dont　feel　like　being　detached　from　it　for　even　an　inch。

in　moments　of　happiness　we　move　closer　to　the　body；　hence　it　is　not　surprising　that　a　seeker　of　happiness　bees　a　materialist。

it　is　also　not　surprising　if　a　person　who　is　continuously　seeking　happiness　believes　himself　to　be　nothing　more　than　his　body；　because　in　happy　times　he　begins　to　exist　like　a　green　coconut　instead　of　a　dry　one　……　the　distance　between　him　and　his　body　continues　to　narrow　down。

in　moments　of　pain　one　wishes　he　were　not　the　body。

ordinarily；　a　man　who　takes　himself　to　be　nothing　but　the　body　also　wishes　he　were　not　the　body　when　his　head　hurts　or　when　his　foot　is　injured　or　when　his　body　aches。

he　tends　to　agree　with　monks　all　over　the　world　who　go　about　saying　that；　〃it　would　have　been　better　if　i　were　not　the　body。

〃　feeling　the　pain　in　his　body；　he　bees　eager　to　somehow　find　out　he　is　not　the　body　too。

thats　why　i　say　to　you；　the　moments　of　pain　can　bee　moments　of　spiritual　discipline；　they　can　be　turned　into　moments　of　sadhana。

but　ordinarily；　what　do　we　do？　

ordinarily；　during　times　of　suffering；　we　try　to　forget　pain。

if　a　man　is　in　trouble；　he　will　drink　alcohol。

someone　is　in　pain　and　he　will　go　and　sit　in　a　movie　theater。

somebody　is　miserable　and　he　will　try　to　forget　his　misery　with　prayers　and　devotional　songs。

these　are　all　different　ways　and　means　to　forget　pain。

someone　drinks；　we　can　say　this　is　one　tactic：　someone　goes　and　watches　a　movie；　this　is　another。

a　person　goes　to　a　concert；　this　is　a　third　way　of　forgetting　pain。

somebody　goes　to　the　temple　and　drowns　himself　in　prayers　and　hymns；　this　is　a　fourth　strategy。

there　can　be　a　thousand　and　one　strategies　……　they　can　be　religious；　non…religious；　or　secular。

thats　not　a　big　question。

underneath　all　this；　the　basic　thing　is　that　man　wants　to　forget　his　misery。

he　is　into　forgetting　misery。

a　person　who　is　out　to　forget　misery　can　never　wake　up　to　misery。

how　can　we　bee　aware　of　something　we　tend　to　forget？　only　with　an　attitude　of　remembering　can　we　bee　aware　of　something。

hence；　only　by　remembering　pain　can　we　bee　aware　of　it。

so　whenever　you　are　in　misery；　take　it　as　an　opportunity。

be　totally　aware　of　it；　and　you　will　have　a　wonderful　experience。

when　you　bee　fully　aware　of　your　suffering；　when　you　look　at　it　face　to　face；　not　escaping　the　pain；　you　will　have　a　glimpse　of　your　separateness　from　it。

for　example；　you　fell；　were　injured；　hurt　your　foot。

now　try　to　locate　the　pain　inside；　try　to　pinpoint　the　exact　spot　where　it　hurts；　and　you　will　be　astonished　to　discover　how　you　have　managed　to　spread　the　pain　over　a　much　wider　area；　away　from　the　original　spot　where　its　intensity　is　not　so　much。

man　exaggerates　his　suffering。

he　magnifies　his　misery；　which　is　never　actually　that　much。

the　reason　behind　this　is　the　same　……　identification　with　the　body。

misery　is　like　the　flame　of　a　lamp；　but　we　experience　it　as　the　dispersed　light　of　the　lamp。

misery　is　like　the　flame；　limited　to　a　very　small　section　of　the　body。

but　we　feel　it　like　the　very　extended　light　of　the　lamp；　covering　a　much　larger　area。

close　your　eyes　and　try　to　locate　the　pain　from　inside。

remember　too；　we　have　always　known　the　body　from　the　outside；　never　from　within。

even　if　you　know　your　body；　it　is　known　as　others　see　it。

if　you　have　seen　your　hand；　it　is　always　from　the　outside；　but　you　can　feel　your　hand　from　within　too。

it　is　as　if　one　were　to　remain　contented　with　seeing　his　house　only　from　the　outside。

but　there　is　an　inner　side　to　the　house　as　well。

pain　occurs　at　the　inner　parts　of　the　body。

the　point　where　it　hurts　is　located　somewhere　in　the　interior　of　the　body；　but　the　pain　spreads　to　the　outer　parts　of　the　body。

it　is　like　this：　the　flame　of　pain　is　located　inside；　while　the　light　radiates　outward。

since　we　are　used　to　seeing　the　body　from　outside；　the　pain　appears　to　be　very　spread　out。

it　is　a　wonderful　experience；　trying　to　see　the　body　from　inside。

close　your　eyes　and　try　to　feel　and　experience　what　the　body　is　like　from　within。

the　human　body　has　an　inner　wall　too；　it　has　an　inner　covering　as　well。

this　body　has　an　inner　limit　too。

that　inner　frontier　can　certainly　be　experienced　with　closed　eyes。

you　have　seen　your　hand　lifting。

now；　close　your　eyes　sometime　and　lift　your　hand；　and　you　will　experience　the　hand　rising　from　within。

from　the　outside　you　have　known　what　it　is　to　be　hungry。

close　your　eyes　and　experience　hunger　from　within；　and　for　the　first　time　you　will　be　able　to　feel　it　from　inside。

as　soon　as　you　get　hold　of　the　pain　from　within；　two　things　happen。

one　is；　the　pain　does　not　remain　as　widely　spread　as　it　originally　seemed　to　be；　it　immediately　centers　on　a　small　point。

and　the　more　intensely　you　concentrate　on　this　point；　the　more　you　will　find　it　being　smaller　and　smaller。

an