57. What do we know?🔗

A Zoroastrian disciple said: My Master is a man of great wisdom.

Pundit asked: What does your Master know?

Zoroastrian disciple said: Whatever he does not know, he will boldly say, ‘I don't know.’

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As long as the thought, ‘I know everything’ is there, nothing can be understood.

He cannot even understand, ‘Why am I unable to understand!’

❖ Its only after the question, 'What do I know?' arises in the mind, it can be understood at least to some extent that, 'I am unable to understand anything at all.' ❖ You will begin to understand every thing only after the wonder, 'What do I know' sprouts out. You will begin to understand the truth, 'I don't know.'

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Nitty showed his doctor friend, who had come to his house after many years, a picture painted by him while he was a student at the arts college. He was waiting eagerly as to what his friend was going to say about the greatness of the picture.

As his friend did not give an answer, Nitty asked very eagerly, ‘What do you think about the picture?’ His friend simply said, ‘It appears that the man in this picture is suffering from some skin disease.’ Nitty got upset by the reply!

❖ Even though the friends' reply was true, it was not a complete one. As long as we have the thought ‘I know’, we will be caught within this small circle. Growth will be obstructed. We will begin to believe even after we have grown up and that we are doing every thing very correctly.

If you get caught within a small circle with the thought, ‘what is there which I do not know?!’ you will be a person who squeezes and throws away the sweet parts of life.

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A meaningful nice historical incident...

George Gurdjef is a gem of the spiritual world. He was an enlightened Master. Oulenski was a mathematics genius and an eminent philosopher.

George Gurdjef was a different type of person. Oulenski had heard that, if whatever problem is taken to him, he would give the most correct solution for it.

On coming to know of this, Oulenski went to meet Gurjief to get answers for his long-standing questions.

Oulenski asked Gurdjef: I wish to get lot of matters clarified from you. Will you kindly reply my questions?

Gurdjef said: Certainly.

Only such people who are well-read and those who possess the thought, ‘I know a lot’, naturally get lot of doubts and questions.

As far as we are concerned, it is a matter for pride to know lot of things. If one examines as to what extent this is useful for individual development, the truth will be known that it is not at all useful to the extent worth mentioning.

The abundance of knowledge may increase by reading many times, that honey is sweet, mango is tasty, milk will be healthy.

But clarity cannot be obtained, nor any benefits.

This will apply to all knowledge related to medicine, and science.

A drop of honey. A piece of mango.

It will be enough if a drop of milk is tasted, the knowledge of 'sweetness' will have changed to an experience of 'being sweet'.

Clarity would be born. Fruit would be obtained.

Oulenski, with his education had known and accumulated vast knowledge that was not necessary for his life.

Even after knowing so much he did not attain the experience which is the result of knowledge. The result of this knowledge is only doubts! Questions!

The approach of the enlightened persons will always be rather different. It will be such that it will give the correct solution to the problem.

Gurdjef said, ‘Mr. Oulenski! Before we begin to talk please complete one small task. Take a paper and make a big list of all that you know.

If we know what all you know, it will be very helpful for both of us. Neither of us will waste time.

I can pay my attention for only those few things which you really don’t know and I can give a good solution.’

Oulenski went to the next room, taking with him a white paper and a pen, to list out the things which he really knew.

One minute...

Two minutes...

As the minutes passed, Oulenski began to get nervous. His belief, clarity began to slide down.

As Oulenski started to examine each one of the things about which so far he was thinking he knew with the magnifying glass, ‘How many things have I truly understood?’ he began to feel nervous.

When this incident happened, it was severe winter time. In such an environment there was no scope for a person to sweat at all. But Oulenski was sweating profusely.

He could not write even a single word on the paper!

For each and every matter about which he was so far believing 'I know this much', the reply he now got was only, 'I don't know. Things I am yet to know are many. I do not know any thing in totality.'

At a stage when 45 minutes had gone, and when he was sweating profusely, at a stage when he was unable to speak even one word, it came to be known definitely to him that, ‘I do not know any thing’. With this clear feeling Ousbensky placed the blank paper at the feet of Gurdjef.

George Gurdjef looked at Ousbensky with a soft smile. He said: One thing has been confirmed on account of the change that has happened within you.

Because you have obtained clarity of mind, 'Factually, I do not know any thing at all,' you have obtained the basic qualification to get the particular thing - the wisdom, which will give answers to all your questions, which you were unable to obtain even after searching in many, many places.

In case we also do one small investigation just like Ousbensky, we will be able to know that unknown (unknown is God) which is what each one of us must know certainly.

❖ At the most, what do all of us know?

A few people...

A few matters...

A few places...

❖ Who are all the persons known to us? We can make out a list.

People who know your name and know you by seeing you once - Two thousand persons.

Friends and relatives who know your name, address and your parents also - One thousand persons.

Those who know your nature and activities fully - Ten persons.

In all, it is a big thing if about 300 to 350 persons are directly connected with you. Those who doubt this will understand this truth if they take a paper and make out a list of all they know.

Even though there are so many crores of people, out of them, we know only a few. If you begin to count as to how many among those few have really understood us, the count will not exceed the fingers of one hand for many people.

When our status remains so, what will be the status of the others?

Let us examine!

How many things do we know?

While there are thousands of books in each and every discipline, what do we really know beyond the five or six books we have read each year up to the twelfth standard?

The few books we have read each year in the college; the news papers and stories we read here and there; the few incidents and news we saw in the television.

There may be many streets and houses, which we have not seen even once in our own town itself. When that is the case with our own town, what about the world!?

We move around only keeping a few people, a few matters and a few places as the centre.

In fact, understanding just one man truly is itself a Himalayan achievement. This only is the proof to show that you have not met even a single person who has known and understood you fully.

The concise statement of a Zen Master will enable us to understand this:

Do you wish to understand yourself? Understand the world.

Do you wish to understand the world? Understand yourself.

If the bewilderment about yourself and others begins to be known, it will be understood as to how much we have known about the revelations of the divine power.

It will be known that the difference is the same as that between an ocean and a drop of water. The clarity Ousbensky got, we also would get.

If we have to keep it crisp and short we can say that: At least if we know that we don't know, we will come to know that we don't know.

Until we are aware that we don't even know that we don't know, the matter that we don't know will never be known to us at all till the end.

If we get the clarity, first of all, in regard to what we know, like Ousbensky, we will become qualified and suitable to know the essential things, which are to be known. Begin to know...

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A meaningful incident.

Some of the questions asked of Buddha in Jetha Vana.

❖ Which night is the darkest of all nights?

‘Ignorance.’

❖ Which sword is the sharpest?

"The words which come out of anger"

Utilize the question, ‘What do I know?’ as a Mantra and plough and see. You will become cultured.

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Meditation Chisels. Chisel No. 12.

Penetrate the unknown abode of God through things known to you.

If you are unable to see a map, then the reason for that is not the map. It is only due to the gaps present in the maps. But we would not have known till now about the greatness of the gaps in the maps.

‘The gaps make the reading possible.’

Are you able to read this sentence? The one that enables you to read and understand the line, ‘The gaps make the reading possible’ are only the unprinted gaps.

Even your speech comes out as 'word-gap-word-gap'. If some one talks very fast, we will not be able to understand. The reason is that if the speed of the speech increases, the measure of the gaps gets reduced.

The understanding of the speech is also due to the gaps. As you go on examining like this, new wonders will become conspicuous. If the silence between the words only make you understand the words themselves, which is greater? The sounds? Or the silence?

In silence and in the voids the all powerful energy lies hidden. Penetrate into those things known to you. Unknown things which lie shrunk within known things will begin to be known. Meditate and see!

58. Which is Just? Which is unjust?

Looking at the light rays coming through that worn-out umbrella, which was full of holes, appearing similar to the stars of a night sky, the young boy Tom asked his grand-father: I am holding this umbrella. I can see that. The roof of our house is being held up by the walls. I can see that as well. When dusk falls who is it that is holding such a big umbrella that all places become dark?

When the old man managed to escape from this by saying, 'It is God', he got caught by the boy's next question.

'Grandpa, is God such a bad miser?'

Being unable to understand the boy's question, Tom's grand-father was surprised and asked him: Why do you ask that?

The boy replied: He is also having a worn-out umbrella like you have.

❖ Truth is different. But what Tom understood was different. For him his speech was just.

By thinking about a non-existing God as existing and judging Him as a miser is childish.

The childishness of complaining about non-existent faults in others as existing and placing arguments to justify it is very much present in all persons.

You will escape if you accept this and correct the same.

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❖ Attachment will make one blind. It will show good people as bad – Why! It will show even those who harm you, as good persons.

❖ If you possess an un-just mental set-up regarding justice and in-justice... All the happiness and joy which have to be experienced by you fairly in the worldly life, you will miss them unfairly. Think about it.

❖ If you live by having one rule for yourself and another for others...

You will have to be prepared to accept a pitiable condition.

You will have to discard and lose that which is really a treasure.

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❖ He is our man.... Just ignore and don't worry...

❖ He has spoken so in some haste....

❖ My son is a he-man; he will be like that only...

❖ I have brought her up with indulgence...Please look after her well, son-in-law...

❖ Even though he talks like that, he will not keep any thing in his heart...

We talk like this and justify some acts whenever anyone close to us commits a mistake; and in case the same mistake is committed by others we would say...

Oh what arrogance!

His talks too much!

A person who does not know any etiquette!

How badly they have brought up this child!

He doesn't possess any conscience at all!

We would gush out with feelings like these and exaggerate even small mistakes and make it big saying, 'Unjust! Fraud!' Such behavior has become common in the society.

Whether a thing is just or unjust is a matter to be analyzed on a humanitarian basis.

But in practical life, the ideas that prevail regarding what is just or unjust are rather strange. This has attachment as its basis...

That is...

❖ Just – Whatever happens that is advantageous and beneficial to us is just.

❖ Unjust – Whatever that happens which are not advantageous or beneficial to us is unjust.

'If the daughter-in-law breaks it, it is a golden vessel; if the mother-in-law breaks it, it is a mud vessel.' - This saying has entered into the society only after the idea about what is just and what is unjust has changed up side down.

Those who live in this manner with one set of rules for themselves and another set for others can never enjoy and live life experientially.

One can escape under such situations saying, 'Affection has blinded the eyes'.

In fact, it is not affection that blinds a person but it is only attachment which blinds a person.

It not only blinds the eye but also blinds the joy along with it.

Here is a conversation which Dhyan Thushir delightfully uses in his discourses to explain about how attachment creates harm for us.

One day when Dhyan Thushir asked the lady who came to see him often: How is your daughter? Is she all right?

She said with lot of happiness: She is a blessed girl, Swamiji. She is lucky. The husband she got is a very nice person. He looks after her like a queen.

He has bought a car separately for my daughter. Lot of jewelry.... A diamond watch.... A lot of servants to take care of the household....

He will wake her up from bed, give her coffee, make her take a bath, and at times he himself will feed her breakfast and then only he will go for work. He is a very affectionate person!

Some times my daughter would sleep even till afternoon. He buys her whatever she wants and looks after her like a queen. He is a very just and fair man. She should be blessed to get such a husband.

Dhyan Thushir asked: That is okay. How is your son?

She started: What can I say. It is so horrible. I don't know what sin my son had committed in his last birth Swamiji. He has married and brought a very lazy girl.

She thinks that she a great queen in her heart! It seems she gets up only late in the morning. Poor fellow, my son, it seems, would make her get up in the morning, give her coffee, make her take a bath and then feed her breakfast and then only he goes to work!

Some times that lazy girl would even sleep till afternoon. Even better is that there are four servants for her and a car for herself too! My son is like a servant there, Swamiji.

What harm will come to her if she strains herself a little and does some work? Moreover she gets new jewels and a diamond watch too!

My son is an unlucky fellow. The girl who came to him as his wife is a very unjust person.

This way that lady went on lamenting, it seems.

Even though many of us are not as bad as this lady is, the nature of 'having one set of rules for ourselves and another for others' is clinging on to every one of us.

It is only because of such a nature that what is very dear and attractive to us at one time, the same things becomes an object of dislike and discard another time. The reason for this strange state of affairs is attachment only.

The world and the people will appear as split and separate to the same extent as the desire is present. Distress of not being able to live life in all its dimensions will occur.

Examine your ideas about what is just and what is unjust. Throw away your unfair opinions about 'what is just and what is unjust'. Whatever has been hiding your vision will simply disappear.

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A meaningful incident.

A person, who could not accept as just and fair, the solutions given by Ramana Maharishi, an enlightened Master, for those coming to him with problems, asked him, ‘As a solution to the problems of many people, you ask them to go around the Thiruvannamalai hill. Is it a solution? What is the use of it?’

Ramana said:

If you rest, mind will run. If you run, mind will rest.

When you go around the hill with awareness, the mind, which is the root cause of all the sufferings, will rest. Mind becoming all right, all the things will become all right. What mister...have you understood?

❖ Even just will appear as unjust for man. It will be great blessing if this is understood!

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 13.

Do not find pleasure in causing distress to others.

❖ Those who take up others to task in great measure for small mistakes do not try to praise even a little for great good actions.

❖ They make big of small mistakes. When the same job is done correctly and without any mistakes, they do not bother about it.

❖ When a person scolds somebody duly pointing out the faults, 'the feeling of guilt' created within him will spur him to correct himself.

The mind of the person, who has corrected himself after hard exertions, will wait with eager expectations of recognition for all the efforts taken by him.

But, the person, who was ready to point out the mistakes, will move away and will not even bother to look at the excellence.

This will make the person who tried to correct himself lose his heart, and as a consequence, he goes on correcting himself continuously.

The man who started to correct himself will feel disappointed. ❖ Scold a person who has not corrected himself until he does not correct himself;

After he has corrected himself, still tackle the person who has corrected himself.

To live with a person of this attitude and action, is equivalent to life in hell. The behaviour of giving your neighbour some sort of sadness for whatever he does should and must be stopped.

It is of course an undeniable fact that many have done and are still doing the above mentioned unjustified actions. In the same manner, what proof is there for you to show that you have not done similar bad deeds for many people?

You know very well as to who have affected you. But about the persons who are affected by you.... you do not know.

Continuously making others live in distress is the action of a mind in distress. Bringing a stop to the action of giving distress to others will bring to an end the distress in your own mind.

The remedy for all your distress is yourself only.

During the times of onset of distress, the distressed state of mind peeps out. When you face distress, don't get upset. Let the distress occupy you fully. The rule of meditation is:

'When peak of distress is reached, it will disappear.'

Hereafter, make all future times of distress as times of meditation. Awaken yourself when the thought to cause distress to others arises in your mind. Come out by conquering that thirst, with awareness.

Unjust things within you will disappear and you will blossom into a just and fair person.

59. Your view and the life's flow.

A happy family had come on that day to our Bidadi Ashram at Bangalore.

A smart little boy of that family had done some small mistake. The grandma got a little angry and asked: Have you got sense?

The boy's father also said to him: Have you got at least a little sense?

The boy, who was scolded, instead of becoming calm and subdued, clapped his hands and laughed at them.

When asked why he laughed he said: Master, in our house when my mother cooks and she does not have a certain ingredient for the cooking, I have watched my mother asking the neighbours ‘Have you got this ingredient?’, ‘Have you got at least a little of this?’ Today they are asking me, ‘Have you got sense?’ Poor people, it appears that they do not have sufficient sense.

So saying, he began to laugh again.

❖ For a joyful person, it will be clear that happiness is lying scattered fully in the field of life.

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❖ To you….

Who has told you that life is sorrowful? Who can tell you that life is blissful? Both these things, you only have to tell yourself.

❖ Ruining you… Protecting you…

Both of the above, nobody else can do more than what you can do to yourself.

That part of the mind which gives you such ideas and opinions clearly, is only called personality.

❖ You don't see any thing through the eyes. It is only through your personality that you see every thing. You understand every thing.

It is only because of that the opinions of one person is not like that of the other. The reason for this is that the personality differs from person to person.

One small story.

At the entrance to the city of Venice, an old man was sitting under a tree. He was an enlightened Master.

One passer-by came to him and asked: Sir, what is the nature of people in this city?

The old man asked: Where are you coming from? What is the nature of people in your town?

He answered: I am coming from Queen City. Those who live there are very bad. Not even one person knows how to behave lovingly. They don't understand others.

The old man said: It is a good thing, you asked me. Even the people, who are here, are very bad. Nobody will understand you. Immediately escape from here and go away.

After some time another passer-by came to him and asked: Sir, what type of people are here in this city?

The old man asked: Wherefrom do you come? How are the people of your town?

This passer-by answered: Sir, I come from Queen City. They are very nice people, very loving. They understand one another and adjust and accommodate others.

Old man said: Good! The people here also are of the same nature. They are also very nice people. You have come to the right place only.

This story is a very nice example to show that:

In whatever state we are, we look upon others with the same state or view.

The first passer by wrongly believes that his town people are bad. Basically, a person who possesses fine qualities will also consider others as fine. Because of that only, for the man who comes from the same town, people of the same town look fine.

‘Good people’ again and again search and find out the good qualities in others and feel happy about it. They maintain a good relationship as well.

‘Bad people’ again and again search and find out the bad qualities in others and feel sad. They spoil the good relationships also.

Every thing has got a colour. If every thing appears green, where is the problem? Is it with everything? Or is it with the person who sees it?

Certainly, the problem is with the person who sees it.

The green glass he puts on is only the problem.

This green glass is nothing but your personality.

To whatever measure your personality is, you will be able to understand others to the same extent.

If every thing appears green, it can be only that your spectacles are green in colour. Not the articles.

In the same manner, if many people in this world appear in some way or the other, as not all right or bad, then there is a problem in your personality only. Not with others.

If the personality becomes all right, without wrongly estimating others, you can understand them correctly.

This is good; this is bad. This is wrong, this is right.

This will vary accordingly to each and every religion. Many things that appear as right and that, which gives happiness, will appear as bad and unnecessary for elders.

If you look individually, everybody is good.

If others good qualities are not instantly appealing, and only others bad qualities are conspicuous to a person, then there should be some thing wrong in one's outlook to life.

If you have a clear feeling about yourself as good and nice person, then other people's good qualities will instantly strike you.

Whatever faults you find with others, more than 10% of them will be the faults within us. Only such faults will instantly strike you.

Whatever faults you find with others, more than 90% of them will be the faults within us only.

Take a small paper and jot down what are all the faults you find in others. Examine that list thoroughly and observe. The truths stated above will be understood.

Many of our faults have gone and settled deep into our minds. Therefore it may be rather difficult for many to accept this.

Whether you accept it or not, the truth remains, that 'you find your own faults only in others.'

It is enough if you correct the faults you found from the list. Your personlity will become very clear. Only then the truth that others are also good is known to us.

Then, after that, little by little, we will begin to understand as to how others are good and how wrongly we had understood them.

Jesus has given a beautiful statement for this. 'First of all remove the big wooden rafter from your eyes; then remove the piece of straw from your brothers' eye.'

In this statement what He has referred to as a rafter is not an exaggerated matter. It is the real truth.

Most people spend their life only by pointing an accusing finger at others while they possess very big faults, wrongs, uncontrolled feelings and falsehood.

If only I had good parents... If not, If I had a good wife or had good children or had good friends or had a good job or had a good boss....

Like this, we throw the blame on others and retain our own faults in tact.

Your faults are the tumors of your mind. Accepting your faults is equivalent to removal of the tumor by surgery. It is rather difficult only to accept one's faults. Surgery will be painful only. But there is no other go. It may be possible by making the shields made of your name and fame, status and command to see that your faults and tumors are not visible outside. What is the use of this? Tumor may accumulate some more pus. Your faults will get worse.

Depending on your mental condition only, your health will be formed. If the faults of the mind go on gathering more and more pus, the body will also become worse day by day.

This is the reason why as a person grows old there are more diseases. Whatever is the condition of your health today and whatever be the number of faults you have, it is enough if you understand that the major reason for your grief, dis-contentment, bodily sufferings and diseases is your personality only.

This by itself will give you an independent feeling and joy. When the mental point of view becomes corrected, the run of life will also become smooth. Peace and joy will flow!

Meaningful incident.

A friend once asked Mullah Nasruddin, 'How to approach life, tell me.' Nasruddin beautifully said, 'If you have a positive approach independence and joy happens within you, you will feel highly satisfied.

When the positive things within you increase, you will be able to see firstly the positive and good aspects of others only. It will be known that you are surrounded by very nice and good people.

You can approach life in two ways. One - 'Life is very much sorrowful'. The other, 'Life is very blissful'.

❖ Man never tries to change his method of approach. The reason: He believes that he is happy. This idea must break.

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Meditation Chisels. Chisel No. 14,

In love and enmity the truths maybe lies as these depend on the fabrications of the mind!

It so happens that you get to read just two pages of a full novel.

If you wish to tell the entire story of that novel from these two pages only, how will it be? Will it be a story at all?

There will not be any connection between the true novel and the story that you have fabricated. It is impossible too!

Do you know yourself fully?

Think about it.

Others are like you only. When they themselves do not know about their own selves they talk...

'That man is like this...

This man is bad...

He is good ...'

There will be very little truth in all such opinions that you express about his character.

One person cannot describe about another person. Still if you do, your description about a person as good or bad - both descriptions are false only. These are only fabrications which appear beautiful and seem to have exact resemblances.

All your love and enmity only have these fabrications as their basis. You fabricate others only according to your own mind's views.

Result:

You may believe an enemy as a friend.

You may believe a friend as an enemy.

Reason: You don't really know about a real man at all!

How long you will live with fabrications?

If you really want to live, want to grow...

Throw away both good and bad types of fabrications.

Become a bold person to meet the true man, the true woman.

Do away with all sorts of descriptions.

The beautiful display of colours of life will begin to appear.