CENTRO CATÓLICO
SAN ANTONIO ABAD
much somebody loves you, they have to stop here; they cannot go beyond. There is entry for only one person, and that is yourself.
When you start an inner journey, it is most important that whatever you can do, you must do it. There are certain things that you are not even aware of – that, I will do. There are certain blocks within you which you are not even aware of. What you are not aware of, you cannot remove, you cannot handle. But what you are aware of, whatever you are aware of, you must deal with it. Nobody else can deal with that. Somebody can point it out to you, somebody can help you, but still, you have to do it. There is no other way.
A Zen monk went in search of Enlightenment. He went to a very well-known master who was available. He went to him and said, “I want to attain Enlightenment! I want your help!” The Master looked at him and said, “I need to pee.” (Laughs). The monk said, “No, but I’m talking about Enlightenment. I want Enlightenment and I need your help!” The master looked at him for some time and said, “I need to pee.” (Laughter). The monk said, “Why are you telling me? Do it.” Then the master said, “Why are you telling me? You do it.” (Laughter).
Even something as mundane as relieving yourself, you have to do it yourself. You cannot outsource it, can you? External things, you can outsource to somebody. Anything of the inward, you cannot outsource. You can pretend you are sick and pass off your work to somebody. But whatever sadhana you need to do, whatever you need to do with yourself, if you pass it off to somebody, you will become sick. (Laughs).
So don’t try to pass it on to anyone. Everything that is needed to make an individual person blossom into a completely different possibility is here. All the necessary instructions are there. The necessary energy is there. The necessary inspiration and ambience is there. Only what it takes is you.
Enlightenment - Life the Way it is
114 115
come true, just by us being committed to wanting it. He talks about the impact some people’s visions have had on the world and how, if only more people shared the vision, the world could be a much better place to live in...
If you feel the world around you – the human part of the world around you – you will see your experience is a cacophony of voices, thoughts, and emotions. These voices, thoughts, and emotions are all an outpouring of confusions of many different levels and states. These voices, thoughts and emotions are formed and expressed with a very distorted perception of the current reality. When man is in this level of confusion, when he is subjugated by the distorted perception of reality around him, he creates pain and suffering for himself, the people around him and for all other life forms around him, which is very unfortunate.
In spite of all the conveniences and facilities that we have because of science and technology, individuals and humanity as a whole have remained an absolute confusion, an absolute mess. If you look at all the noises that one is making in the form of one’s thoughts and emotions, if you are a little sensitive and feel the thoughts and emotions of people around you, you will see it is an absolute mess, an absolute confusion.
That is the reality that you see today. There is no clarity in them, nor is there any will or vision. Most people in the world live their lives without even understanding what they really want for themselves. Or even if they know what they want, they neither have the will nor the vision to create it in their lives. Most of the time, they just settle for whatever is easy, whatever they term as attainable, whatever is within their reach.
It happened like this: once there were two friends, Ramu and Bheemu. Ramu is a bargain hound, wherever there is anything to be bargained, he is ready. If there is a sale, people go and buy anything, isn’t it? 50% discount means people are willing to buy anything, it doesn’t matter what it is. (Laughs) Whether they need it or don’t
need it, that is secondary, but 50% discount means he must buy it. So, one day Bheemu came to Ramu and told him, “This is it. This is the bargain of your life. Just now a circus company has landed in the town and they have excess elephants. This elephant normally costs 50,000 but they’re willing to give it for 2,000 rupees; an elephant for just 2,000 rupees.”
Ramu said, “Are you crazy? What will I do with an elephant? And I’m living in the third floor in a single room apartment, where will I keep the elephant? How will I manage the elephant? I don’t want an elephant.” But Bheemu wouldn’t give it up, “But just imagine, it costs 50,000 but now they’re willing to give it for 2,000. It’s a real bargain, you must take it.” He said ‘No, no, where will I tie the elephant? Where is the space? Where is the money to feed the elephant? No I don’t want it. First of all, why do I need an elephant?” After much talking, then Bheemu said, “If you will really allow me negotiate, I can get you two elephants for the same 2,000.” Then Ramu said, “Now, you’re talking, that’s a deal.” (Laughter)
If something is easily attainable, people go for it. They are not really seeing whether they need it, whether that is what they really want in their lives. It is easily attainable, that is the only thing. If you trust your logical mind to decide what is possible, what is not possible, what is attainable, what is not attainable, it will always tell you only mediocre things are possible.
We are always trying to create our life based on the reality that exists around us at this moment. Whatever may be our current situation in this moment is not the point. Where we want to go tomorrow need not be connected to where we are right now. What we want as the highest in life need not have anything to do with our present situation. If we enslave our visions to the current situations, then once again it is settling for what is attainable, what is easy, what you think is possible.
It is not in terms of thinking what is possible or not possible. It is just in terms of seeing what is your vision, what is the highest
Enlightenment - Life the Way it is
116 117