And Now, And Here-第73章

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

and　an　incredible　thing　happens。

when　the　point　bees　very　small；　you　find　to　your　amazement　it　appears　and　disappears；　goes　off　and　on。

gaps　begin　to　appear　in　between。

and　finally；　when　it　disappears；　you　wonder　what　happened　to　it。

many　times　you　miss　it。

the　point　bees　so　small；　that　often　when　the　consciousness　tries　to　locate　it；　it　is　not　there。

just　as　pain　expands　in　a　state　of　unconsciousness；　in　the　state　of　awareness　it　narrows　down　and　bees　small。

in　such　a　state　of　consciousness　the　feeling　will　be　that　although　you　have　gone　through　so　many　painful　experiences；　although　you　have　lived　through　so　much　suffering；　yet；　in　fact；　the　miseries　were　not　really　that　many。

we　have　suffered　exaggerated　pains。

the　same　is　true　with　regard　to　happiness。

the　happinesses　we　have　been　through　were　not　as　many　as　they　seemed　to　be；　we　have　enjoyed　them　in　an　exaggerated　form　too。

if　one　were　to　enjoy　ones　happiness　with　awareness；　we　would　find　that　happiness　bees　very　small　too。

if　we　were　to　live　through　misery　with　the　same　kind　of　awareness；　we　would　find　it　bees　very　narrow　as　well。

the　greater　the　awareness；　the　narrower　and　smaller　the　pains　and　miseries。

they　bee　so　small　that；　in　a　deeper　sense；　they　turn　out　to　be　meaningless。

in　fact；　their　meaning　lies　in　their　expansion。

they　seem　to　be　enpassing　ones　entire　life。

however；　when　seen　through　great　awareness；　they　go　on　narrowing　down；　ultimately　being　so　meaningless　they　dont　have　anything　to　do　with　life　as　such。

the　second　thing　that　will　happen　is；　when　you　look　at　your　misery　very　closely；　a　distance　will　be　created　between　you　and　the　misery。

in　fact；　whenever　you　look　at　a　thing；　immediately　a　distance　is　created　between　you　and　the　thing　itself。

seeing　causes　the　distance。

no　matter　what　we　look　at；　a　distance　immediately　begins　to　take　place。

if　you　look　closely　at　your　misery；　you　will　find　a　separation　between　the　misery　and　you；　because　only　that　which　is　separate　from　you　can　be　seen。

obviously；　that　which　is　inseparably　one　with　you　cannot　be　seen。

one　who　is　aware　of　his　misery；　one　who　is　filled　with　consciousness；　one　who　is　full　of　remembrance；　experiences　the　misery　as　somewhere　else；　and　he　is　somewhere　at　a　distance。

the　day　a　man　es　to　realize　the　difference　between　himself　and　the　misery；　as　soon　as　he　es　to　know　his　pain　is　happening　somewhere　at　a　distance；　the　unconsciousness　caused　by　misery　ceases　to　exist。

and　once　a　person　es　to　understand　that　the　sufferings　as　well　as　the　happinesses　of　the　body　occur　elsewhere；　that　one　is　merely　a　knower　of　them；　his　identity　with　the　body　is　severed。

then　he　knows　he　is　not　the　body。

this　is　the　initial　preparation。

once　this　preparation　is　plete；　then　it　is　easy　to　enter　death　with　awareness。

not　only　easy；　but　it　will　happen　most　certainly。

as　such；　we　are　not　afraid　of　death　really。

after　all；　even　to　be　afraid　of　death；　one　needs　to　be　familiar　with　death。

how　can　we　feel　afraid　of　something　we　know　nothing　about？　

so；　we　have　no　fear　of　death　really；　rather；　in　our　minds　death　exists　in　the　form　of　a　disease。

thats　the　idea　we　have　of　it。

when　even　minor　illnesses　leave　us　in　so　much　trouble　……　the　foot　hurts　and　we　suffer　so　much；　the　head　hurts　and　we　suffer　so　much　……　what　a　torture　it　will　be　when　the　entire　body　will　hurt　and　fall　apart！　

the　fear　of　death　is　the　sum　total　of　all　our　illnesses。

death　in　itself；　however；　is　not　an　illness。

death　has　nothing　to　do　with　illness　……　it　is　not　even　remotely　connected　with　it。

it　is　a　different　matter　if　illnesses　precede　death；　but　there　is　no　cause…and…effect　relationship　between　the　two。

it　is　beside　the　point　that　a　man　dies　following　an　illness；　but　one　need　not　be　mistaken　and　think　that　illness　causes　death。

perhaps　the　reverse　is　the　case。

because　a　man　es　close　to　death；　he　grabs　on　to　illness。

no　one　ever　dies　of　illness。

as　death　approaches；　he　begins　to　catch　illnesses。

as　death　draws　near；　his　body　bees　weak；　his　receptivity　towards　sickness　increases。

he　bees　vulnerable；　he　begins　to　look　for　illnesses。

the　same　illness　would　not　be　able　to　affect　him　were　the　man　closer　to　life。

perhaps　it　would　not　have　been　able　to　catch　hold　of　him。

do　you　know　there　are　some　moments　when　you　are　more　receptive　to　illnesses；　while　there　are　some　when　you　are　not？　in　moments　of　disappointment　and　sadness　a　person　bees　vulnerable　to　illness；　while　a　man　full　of　hope　and　optimism　bees　unreceptive　to　it。

even　illness　does　not　enter　you　without　your　willingness　to　accept　it　……　your　inner　acceptance　is　needed。

hence；　no　matter　how　many　medicines　are　given　to　them；　those　who　are　of　a　suicidal　mind　can　never　be　cured。

their　minds　remain　unreceptive　to　medications。

their　minds　go　on　seeking　illnesses；　inviting　diseases　with　open　arms；　but　keeping　their　doors　very　tightly　closed　as　far　as　medications　are　concerned。

no；　no　one　ever　dies　of　illness。

rather；　one　bees　vulnerable　to　illnesses　because　of　approaching　death。

thats　why　illness　occurs　first；　then　death　follows。

we　normally　think　what　happens　first　is　the　cause；　and　that　which　follows　it　is　the　effect。

thats　erroneous　thinking。

illness　is　not　the　cause。

invariably　the　cause　is　death。

the　illness　is　merely　the　effect。

so　the　fear　of　death　in　our　minds　is　really　the　fear　of　illness。

first　of　all；　we　create　the　fear　of　death　by　adding　up　all　our　illnesses。

the　second　thing　worth　remembering　is　that　all　the　people　we　have　seen　dying；　we　have　not　really　seen　them　dying；　we　have　only　seen　them　falling　ill。

how　can　we　ever　see　anyone　dying？　death　is　such　an　utterly　inner　phenomenon；　no　one　can　be　a　witness　to　it。

think　twice　before　you　ever　testify　to　seeing　such　and　such　a　person　die；　because　it　is　a　very　difficult　thing　to　see　someone　dying。

to　this　day　it　has　never　happened　on　this　earth。

no　one　has　ever　seen　anyone　dying。

only　this　much　has　been　seen：　a　man　fell　ill；　grew　more　ill；　and　more　and　more　ill；　and　one　day　it　became　known　that　the　man　is　no　longer　alive。

but　basically；　no　one　has　ever　seen　when　a　person　died。

no　one　has　ever　been　able　to　pinpoint　at　which　moment　a　person　died；　and　what　exactly　happened　in　the　process　of　dying。

the　only　thing　we　have　seen　is　a　man　being　set　free　from　life。

we　have　not　seen　a　boat　touching　the　other　shore；　we　have　only　seen　it　leaving　this　shore。

we　have　seen　a　consciousness　move　away　from　the　shores　of　life；　and　then　after　a　certain　point　we　have　lost　sight　of　it。

the　body　that　remains　with　us　is　no　longer　alive；　as　it　was　until　yesterday；　and　so　we　think　the　man　is　dead。

for　us；　death　is　an　inference；　it　is　not　an　event　that　occurs　right　before　us。

we　have　seen　sick　people；　we　have　seen　the　suffering　of　a　dying　man　……　the　cramping　of　his　limbs；　his　eyes　rolling　up；　his　face　deforming；　his　jaws　clenching；　we　have　seen　that　perhaps　the　man　wants　to　say　something　but　cannot　……　we　have　seen　all　this。

we　have　with　us　the　sum　of　all　this；　it　has　bee　part　of　our　collective　mind。

whatsoever　has　been　happening　at　the　time　of　death　over　millions　of　years；　we　have　collected　it　all。

we　are　afraid　of　that。

we　are　also　frightened　of　facing　the　same　difficulties　at　the　time　of　our　death。

hence；　man　has　devised　very　clever　means。

he　has　dismissed　the　fact　of　death　from　the　whole　idea　of　life。

we　create　cemeteries　outside　the　town　so　that　we　are　not　reminded　of　death　more　often。

really；　ideally　a　cemetery　should　be　created　in　the　middle　of　the　town；　because　there　is　nothing　in　life　more　certain　than　death　itself：　everything　else　is　uncertain。

other　things　may　or　may　not　be。

the　only　thing　which　one　can　believe　in　definitively　is　death。

death　is　the　most　certain　thing；　no　one　can　doubt　its　existence。

we　can　doubt　the　existence　of　god；　we　can　doubt　the　existence　of　the　soul；　we　can　doubt　life　itself；　but　there　is　no　way　to　doubt　death。

death　is。

that　which　is　so　certain　we　have　put　outside　the　town。

if　a　funeral　passes　by；　the　mother　calls　her　children　to　e　inside　the　house；　because　somebody　is　dead。

actually；　if　someone　is　dead　everyone　should　be　asked　to　e　out　so　they　can　watch　the　greatest　fact　of　life　passing　by。

everyone　is　bound　to　pass　through　death。

there　is　no　need　to　deny　it。

but　we　are　so　scared　of　death　we　dont　even　want　to　mention　it。

i　have　heard

an　old　woman　came　to　see　a　monk　and　said。

〃the　soul　is　indeed　immortal。

〃　old　people　often　talk　about　the　immortality　of　the　soul　for　no　other　reason　than　the　fear　of　death。

thats　the　only　reason　why　we　find　such　a　large　number　of　old　folks　in　temples；　mosques；　churches。

why　arent　young　people　and　children　interested　in　going　to　these　places？　it　will　be　a　while　before　they　get　the　news　of　death。

it　will　take　a　little　time。

they　can　afford　to　deny　death　for　now；　they　can　forget　it　for　a　while。

how　can　an　old　man　forget　death？　he　gets　reminders　every　day。

one　day　he　finds　his　legs　refuse　to　walk；　another　day　his