talking on Heraclitus, Basho, Buddha. I am afraid because of you. Patanjali is beautiful, but you can be attracted for the wrong reasons. This will be a wrong reason, if you think he is difficult – the difficulty of it becomes the attraction.
Edmund Hillary, who conquered Everest – the highest peak, the only peak which was unconquered, was asked, “What is the need to reach the peak? Why do you take so much trouble? And even if you reach it, what will you do then? You will have to come back down again.”
Hillary replied, “It is a challenge to the human ego. An unconquered peak has to be conquered!” It had no other utility. What will you do? What has he done? He went there, placed a flag and came back. What nonsense! And many people died in the effort. For almost a hundred years many groups had been trying. Many died, were lost, fell into the abyss – never came back. The more difficult it became to reach, the more it appealed.
Why go to the moon? What will you do there? Isn’t the earth enough? But no, the human ego cannot tolerate that the moon remains unconquered. Man must reach there, and because it is so difficult, it has to be conquered. So you can be attracted for the wrong reasons. Now going to the moon is not a poetic effort; it is not like small children who raise their hands and try to catch the moon. And since humanity came into existence every child has longed to reach to the moon. Every child has tried, but the difference must be deeply understood. The effort of a child is beautiful. The moon is so beautiful. It is a poetic effort to touch it, to reach it. There is no ego; it is a simple attraction, a love affair. Every child falls into that love affair. If you can find a child who is not attracted by the moon, what type of child is that?
The moon creates a subtle poetry, a subtle attraction. One would like to touch it and feel it; one would like to go to the moon. But for the scientist that is not the reason. To the scientist, the moon is there as a challenge. How does the moon dare to be continuously there, and to be a challenge? And man is here and he cannot reach it. He has to reach it!
You can be attracted to it for the wrong reasons. The fault is not with the moon; neither is the fault with Patanjali. But you should not be attracted for the wrong reasons. Patanjali is difficult – the most difficult – because he analyzes the whole path, and each fragment seems to be very difficult. But difficulty should not be the appeal: remember that. You can walk through Patanjali’s door, but you should not fall in love with the difficulty, but with the insight – the light that Patanjali throws on the path. You should fall in love with the light, not with the difficulty of the path. That will be a wrong reason.
“What you have been saying about Heraclitus, Christ and Zen seems like kindergarten teachings compared to Patanjali.” Please don’t compare. Comparison is also from the ego. In the real existence, things exist without any comparison. A tree which reaches four hundred feet into the sky and a very, very small grass flower are both the same as far as existence is concerned. But you look and say, “This is a great tree, and what is this? – just ordinary grass.” You bring comparison in, and wherever there is comparison, ugliness follows. You have destroyed a beautiful phenomenon.
The tree was great in its “tree-ness” and the grass was great in its “grassiness.” The tree may have risen four hundred feet and its flowers may open in the highest sky; the grass is just clinging to the earth and its flowers will be very, very small. Nobody may even be aware when they flower and when they fade. But when this grass flowers, the phenomenon of flowering is the same, the celebration is the same, and there is not a bit of difference. Remember this: that in existence there is no comparison. The mind brings in comparison. It says, “You are more beautiful.” Can’t you simply say, “You are beautiful”? Why bring in “more”?
Mulla Nasruddin was in love with a woman, and as women are prone, when Mulla Nasruddin kissed her she asked, “Are you kissing me as the first woman? Am I the first woman you have kissed? Is this the first kiss you have given to a woman?”
Nasruddin said, “Yes, the first and the sweetest.”
Comparison is in your blood. You cannot stay with a thing as it is. The woman is also asking for a comparison; otherwise why worry whether this is a first or a second kiss? Each kiss is fresh and virgin. It has no relationship with any kiss from the past or in the future. Each kiss is an existence in itself. It exists alone in its solitariness. It is a peak in itself; it is a unit – not in any way connected with the past or with the future. Why ask whether it is the first? What beauty does the first have? Why not the second or the third?
But the mind wants to compare. Why does the mind want to compare? – because the ego is fed through comparison. It can feel, “I am the first woman; this is the first kiss.” You are not interested in the kiss – in the quality of the kiss. This moment the kiss opened a door of your heart; you are not interested in that – that is nothing. You are more interested in whether it is the first or not. The ego is always interested in comparison, and existence knows no comparison. People like Heraclitus and Patanjali live in existence, not in the mind. Don’t compare them.
Many people come to me and ask, “Who is greater, Buddha or Christ?” What foolishness to ask! I say to them, “Buddha is greater than Christ, Christ is greater than Buddha.” Why do you go on comparing? There is a subtle thing working: if you are a follower of Christ, you would like Christ to be the greatest because you can only be great if Christ is the greatest. It is a fulfillment of your own ego. How can your master not be the greatest? He has to be because you are such a great disciple. If Christ is not the greatest, where will Christians be? If Buddha is not the greatest, what will happen to the ego of the Buddhists?
Every race, religion, country, thinks itself to be the greatest – not because any country is great, not because any race is great. In this existence everything is the greatest. Existence creates only the greatest; every being is unique. But that doesn’t appeal to the mind because then greatness is so common. Everybody is great? So what is the use of it? Somebody has to be lower. A hierarchy has to be created.
Just the other night I was reading a book by George Mikes and he said that where he was born in Budapest, Hungary, an English woman fell in love with him. He wasn’t very much in love with her, but he didn’t want to be rude either, so when she asked, “Can we get married?”
He replied, “It will be difficult because my mother will not allow it and she will not be happy if I marry a foreigner.”
The English lady was very offended and said, “What? I, a foreigner? I am not a foreigner! I am English! You are a foreigner and your mother too!”
Mikes said, “In Budapest, Hungary, I am a foreigner?”
The woman replied, “Yes! Truth does not depend on geography.”
Everyone thinks that way. The mind tries to fulfill its desires, to be the most supreme. One has to be watchful with religion, race, country, everything – very watchful. Only then you can get beyond this subtle phenomenon of the ego.
You say: “Heraclitus, Christ, and Zen make the final step seem close; Patanjali makes even the first step seem almost impossible.” That’s because it is both. The Upanishad says: “He is closer than the closest and he is farther than the farthest.” He is both near and far. He has to be, otherwise who will be far? He has to be near also, otherwise who will be near you? He touches your skin and he is spread beyond the boundaries. He is both!
Heraclitus emphasizes the nearness because he is a simple man. He says that he is so near, nothing is needed to be done to bring him nearer. He is almost there; he is just watching at the gate, knocking at your door, waiting near your heart. Nothing is to be done. Simply be silent and have a look, just sit silently and look. You have never lost him. The truth is near.
In fact, to say that truth is near is wrong because you are also truth. Even nearness seems to be very, very far; even nearness shows that there is a distinction, a distance, a gap. Even that gap is not there – you are it! The Upanishad says, “Thou art that: tattvamasi Svetketu.” You are already that; there is not even that much distance to say that he is close. And Heraclitus and Zen both want you to take the jump immediately – not wait.
Patanjali says that he is very far.