The
Mother taking
Class in playground
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One
who gives himself entirely to what is unprofitable,
who
does not give himself to what is profitable, who
sacrifices true knowledge for the sake of pleasure,
will envy those who have chosen the path of
self-knowledge.
Therefore
do not seek after pleasure, much less what is
unpleasant, for it is painful to be deprived of what
is pleasing and equally painful to see what is
unpleasant.
Therefore
one should hold nothing dear, for the loss of
what one loves is painful. No bondage exists for
those who have neither love nor hatred.
What
is pleasing gives rise to grief, what is pleasing
gives rise to fear. One who is freed from what is
pleasing, who feels no grief, what has he to
fear ?
Affection
gives rise to grief, affection gives rise to fear.
One who is freed from affection, who feels no grief,
what has he to fear ?
Attachment
gives rise to grief, attachment gives rise to
fear. One who is freed from attachment, who feels
no grief, what has he to fear ?
Desire
-gives rise to grief, desire gives rise to fear. One
who is freed from desire, who feels no grief, what
has he to fear
Craving
gives rise to grief; craving gives rise to fear.
One
who is freed from craving, who feels no grief,
what has he to fear ?
One
holds dear a man, who acts rightly, possesses
intuition, who is righteous and knows the Truth,
who fulfils his duly.
One
who aspires to the ineffable Peace, one whose
mind is awakened, whose thoughts are not entangled
in the net of desire, that one is said to be "bound
upstream" (towards perfection).
Just
as, after a long absence, a man returning safely
home is received by his kinsmen and friends who welcome
him, even so it is with one who acts rightly when
he passes from this world to the other, his own
good actions welcome him like a kinsman.
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It
always seems to me that the reasons usually given for becoming
wise are poor reasons: "Don't do this, it will bring suffering;
don't do that, it will give birth to fear in you"... and
the consciousness. dries up Tore and more, it hardens, because
it is afraid of grief, afraid of pain.
I think it would be better to say that there is a certain
state of consciousness - which one can acquire by aspiration
and a persistent inner effort - in which joy is unmixed
and light shadowless, where all possibility of fear disappears.
It is the state, in which one does not live for oneself
but where whatever on* does, whatever one feels, all movements
are an offering made, to the Supreme, in an absolute trust,
freeing oneself of all responsibility for oneself, handing
over to Him all this burden which is no longer a burden.
It is an inexpressible joy not to have any responsibility
for oneself, no longer to think of oneself. It is so dull
and monotonous and insipid to be thinking of oneself, to
be worrying about
what to do and what not to do, what will be good for you
and what will be bad for you, what to shun and what to pursue
- oh, how wearisome it is ! But when one lives like this,
quite open, like a flower blossoming in the sun before the
Supreme Consciousness, the Supreme Wisdom, the Supreme Light,
the Supreme Love, which knows all, which can do all, which
takes charge of you and you have no more worries that is
the ideal condition.
And
why is it not done ?
One does not think of it, one forgets to do it, the
old habits come back. And above all, behind, hidden somewhere
in the inconscient or even in the subconscient, there is
this insidious doubt that whispers in your ear: "Oh ! if
you are not careful, some misfortune will happen to you.
ff you forget to watch over yourself, you do not know what
may happen"-and you are so silly, so silly, so obscure,
so stupid that you listen and you begin to pay attention
to yourself and everything is ruined.
You
have to begin all over again to infuse into your cells a
little wisdom, a little common sense and learn once more
not to worry.
30
May 1958
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