And Now, And Here- 第75部分

the　prisoners　had　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　ing　out。

some　were　imprisoned　for　twenty　years；　some　for　thirty；　and　some　were　in　there　for　fifty　years。

they　had　bee　almost　blind。

their　chains　had　almost　bee　parts　of　their　bodies；　one　could　not　say　they　were　separate　from　their　bodies。

there　was　no　longer　any　separation　left　between　their　bodies　and　the　chains。

do　you　think　chains　tied　around　ones　hands　for　fifty　years　would　remain　separate？　they　are　bound　to　bee　part　of　ones　hands。

the　man　forgets　the　chains　are　not　part　of　his　body。

he　takes　care　of　them　in　the　same　way　he　does　his　hands。

he　cleans　and　shines　the　chains　every　morning　as　he　does　his　body　……　after　all；　the　chains　are　to　stay　with　him　his　whole　life。

if　this　is　the　case；　then　the　whole　matter　is　over。

so　when　the　revolutionaries　began　cutting　the　chains　off　these　prisoners；　many　of　them　objected。

they　told　the　revolutionaries　that　without　chains　they　will　feel　very　unfortable　outside。

but　revolutionaries　are　always　very　pigheaded。

they　havent　learned　yet　that　you　cant　be　stubborn　with　people。

if　you　force　people　to　give　up　their　existing　chains；　they　will　put　on　new　ones。

so　the　revolutionaries　forcibly　cut　the　chains　and　released　the　prisoners。

what　followed　was　incredible。

by　nightfall；　more　than　half　the　prisoners　returned；　saying　they　didnt　like　it　outside；　they　felt　they　were　naked　without　their　chains　on　them。

obviously；　if　you　remove　the　many　golden　ornaments　worn　by　a　woman；　she　will　feel　naked；　weightless。

she　will　feel　as　if　she　has　lost　something；　as　if　she　has　lost　weight。

so　the　prisoners　said；　〃give　us　our　chains　back。

we　couldnt　take　a　nap　in　the　afternoon　without　the　chains　on　us；　how　could　we？〃　even　the　sound　of　those　chains　became　part　of　their　psychological　state。

the　added　weight　of　chains　had　bee　so　much　a　part　of　their　psyche；　their　subconscious；　that　even　while　changing　sides　in　sleep　they　felt　it。

man　bees　so　tied　to　the　familiar　that　he　feels　hurt　even　breaking　his　chains。

we　are　caught　in　the　familiar；　which　we　take　as　life。

it　is　because　of　the　grip　of　the　familiar　that　we　are　so　scared　of　death。

in　the　first　place；　we　have　no　knowledge　of　death。

and　the　first　principle　for　awakening　is　awareness　of　misery；　so　that　one　can　know　one　is　separate　from　the　body。

the　second　thing　is　the　ability　to　witness。

it　has　never　occurred　to　us　that

sometimes；　walking　in　the　middle　of　the　marketplace；　suddenly　give　a　little　jolt　to　yourself；　and　for　two　minutes　just　stand　still。

just　watch　without　doing　anything　……　simply　be　a　witness。

the　moment　you　stand　as　a　watcher　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　suddenly　you　will　be　severed　from　your　surroundings　and　out　of　them。

the　moment　you　bee　a　witness　to　something；　you　transcend　it；　you　jump　out　of　it。

but　it　is　very　difficult　to　stand　on　a　street　and　be　a　witness。

it　is　not　easy　to　be　a　witness　even　while　watching　a　movie。

the　darkness　in　the　movie　theater　bees　quite　convenient　for　people　watching　the　movie。

one　can　cry　in　that　darkness　without　any　feeling　of　embarrassment。

if　we　examine　the　handkerchiefs　of　people　as　they　leave　the　theater；　we　can　find　out　what　went　on　inside；　how　many　people　cried。

we　know　very　well　nothing　really　takes　place　on　the　screen；　it　is　just　a　screen。

we　also　know　perfectly　well　that　what　we　see　on　the　screen　is　merely　an　appearance；　that　nothing　is　happening　there。

it　is　simply　a　play　of　light　and　shadow；　just　a　network　of　rays　projected　from　the　rear　of　the　theater。

the　screen　shows　nothing　except　pictures。

and　yet；　everything　es　off　on　the　screen；　and　we　dont　remain　a　witness　even　to　the　screen；　we　bee　a　part　of　it。

dont　be　under　the　illusion　that　while　watching　the　film　you　really　remain　a　watcher。

dont　be　mistaken。

you　bee　a　participant　too；　vou　dont　remain　outside　the　film。

once　you　are　inside　the　theater；　for　a　short　while　you　enter　into　the　film　as　well。

you　begin　to　like　someone　in　the　film；　and　you　dislike　someone　else。

you　feel　sorry　for　somebody；　while　you　feel　happy　about　someone　else。

after　a　little　while　you　bee　identified；　you　bee　a　participant　in　the　film。

it　will　be　indeed　difficult　to　remain　a　witness　in　life　if　we　cannot　manage　to　do　so　while　watching　a　film。

as　such；　life　is　nothing　more　than　a　film。

if　you　look　a　little　deeper；　life　is　not　very　different　from　a　movie。

if　you　look　even　more　deeply；　you　will　find　that　just　as　the　network　of　rays　appears　on　the　movie　screen；　the　network　of　electricity　appears　on　the　screen　of　life。

life　is　made　up　of　a　profound　network　of　electricity。

it　is　a　great　interplay　of　electrons。

if　the　human　body　were　to　be　dissected　in　every　way；　at　the　end　you　would　find　nothing　except　electrons。

if　we　were　to　break　down　the　wall　of　this　room　and　look　for　the　element　it　is　made　of；　we　would　find　that　what　is　ultimately　left　is　nothing　but　electricity。

then　what　is　the　big　difference？　

really；　what　is　the　difference　between　a　movie　screen　and　the　screen　of　life？　we　find　the　interplay　of　electrons　on　the　movie　screen　too。

the　only　difference　is；　on　the　movie　screen　the　pictures　are　two…dimensional　whereas　on　the　screen　of　life　they　are　three…dimensional。

but　thats　not　much　of　a　problem。

it　wont　be　too　long　before　other　dimensions；　now　lacking　in　films；　will　be　met。

just　as　i　see　you　now；　someday　one　will　be　able　to　see　people　on　the　screen　exactly　like　that。

without　any　difficulty；　it　will　soon　bee　possible　for　an　actor　to　step　out　of　the　screen　and　walk　around　in　the　movie　theater。

it　wont　be　too　long。

its　just　a　matter　of　developing　the　technique；　which　is　not　too　difficult。

if　a　three…dimensional　man　can　move　around　on　the　screen；　his　stepping　just　ten　feet　off　the　screen　and　walking　around　the　hall　is　simply　a　matter　of　a　little　advancement　in　technology。

its　not　too　difficult　to　foresee　a　film　actress　stepping　from　the　screen；　shaking　hands　with　you；　or　caressing　you。

now；　the　reverse　is　happening：　the　heroine　does　not　step　out　of　the　screen；　rather；　you　enter　the　screen　and　pat　her。

you　can　be　saved　this　trouble！　its　not　good　to　cause　you　so　much　bother：　you　need　not　go　through　the　inconvenience。

it　will　bee　possible　for　you　to　remain　seated　in　your　chair　and　the　heroine　will　e　and　caress　you！　

what　goes　on　in　life　anyway？　what　transpires　when　i　take　your　hand　in　my　hand？　when　i　hold　your　hand　in　my　hand；　you　see　it　either　as　an　expression　of　love　or　of　enmity。

it　is　just　a　matter　of　interpretation。

in　both　cases　the　hand　is　held；　the　difference　arises　only　in　the　interpretation。

when　a　hand　is　being　held；　in　a　moment　both　things　can　happen　without　much　difficulty：　initially　the　holding　of　hands　can　take　place　with　the　feeling　of　love；　while　in　the　end；　the　feeling　of　enmity　may　set　them　apart。

this　is　not　difficult　to　conceive。

so　much　change　es　about　in　a　second。

when　i　hold　your　hand；　you　take　it　as　my　expression　of　love。

but　what　is　actually　happening？　really；　what　is　transpiring？　if　both　our　hands　were　to　be　examined；　what　seems　to　be　going　on？　some　electrons　are　pressing　against　some　other　electrons。

and　the　interesting　thing　is；　my　hand　never　touches　yours。

a　space　inevitably　remains　between　the　two。

and　sometimes　it　shrinks。

when　there　is　a　distance　the　space　bees　visible。

as　the　distance　shrinks；　the　space　bees　less　and　less　visible。

if　the　distance　bees　too　narrow；　the　space　disappears。

so　when　one　hand　is　holding　the　other；　there　is　always　a　space　between　the　two。

the　pressure　works　on　that　very　space；　not　on　your　hand。

and　in　effect；　the　pressure　of　that　empty　space　works　on　your　hand。

we　interpret　this　pressure　of　the　empty　space　as　either　love　or　enmity。

it　is　all　a　matter　of　interpretation。

however；　if　one　could　bee　a　witness　and　watch　this　holding　of　hands；　an　incredible　thing　happens。

when　someone　holds　your　hand；　dont　be　in　a　hurry　to　see　it　as　either　love　or　enmity。

just　remain　a　witness　to　the　holding　of　hands；　and　you　will　feel　a　total　transformation　in　your　consciousness。

when　someones　lips　are　pressed　on　yours；　forget　about　love　etcetera；　simply　bee　a　witness　for　a　moment。

you　will　have　such　a　strange　experience　in　your　consciousness；　one　you　may　have　never　had　before。

then　it　is　possible　you　may　laugh　at　yourself。

as　long　as　you　laugh　at　others；　you　are　not　a　witness。

the　day　you　laugh　at　yourself；　you　bee　a　witness。

from　that　day　on　you　begin　witnessing。

people　all　over　the　world　laugh　at　others；　only　a　sannyasin　laughs　at　himself。

and　one　who　can　laugh　at　himself　has　begun　to　see　something。

another　thing　is；　be　a　witness　in　life　……　anywhere；　any　moment。

for　example；　while　eating；　suddenly　bee　a　watcher　for　a　moment：　watch　your　hand　picking　up　the　food；　watch　your　mouth　chewing　the　food；　watch　the　food　reaching　your　stomach。

stand　at　a　distance　and　simply　watch。

you　will　suddenly　find　the　taste　has　disappeared。

all　of　a　sudden；　the　act　of　eating　will　take　on　a　different　meaning。

you　will　find　that　you　are　not　eating　……　food　is　being　taken　and　you　are　merely　watching。

there　is　a　wonderful　story。