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talk about god； talk about moksha。
i havent e to hear you speak about death。
〃
actually； people go to monks precisely to hear things which can somehow fort them and alleviate their fears。
they want someone who can tell them； 〃you are not going to die。
〃 they want to be told； 〃you are not a sinner； the soul is eternally pure； uncorrupted。
did you say you are a thief？ forget it； no one is a thief。
did you say you are a black…marketeer？ thats all nonsense。
can the soul ever engage in black…marketing？〃
the result is； all the black…marketeers gather around monks who keep saying； 〃the soul is pure； without blemish。
it has always been incorruptible； it can never be defiled。
〃 and the man sitting in front； an old thief； nods his head in agreement and says； 〃you are absolutely right； your holiness！ how true； your holiness！〃 he wants to believe； he wants someone to assure him that the soul is absolutely pure； so he can be free from the bother of being pure； so he wont have to be worried about being impure …… so there will be no more fear。
we need to have a good understanding of the reality on which this mental condition is fundamentally based。
we are not afraid of death； we are afraid of illness。
and we are afraid to part with what we call life。
for example； you push me out of this house。
i have no idea what lies outside this house …… whether there is a big palace； a forest； a desolate place； a desert …… i havent the faintest idea。
i am not sure whether i will be happy or unhappy outside the house。
i dont know at all。
although outside the door lies the unknown； yet the fear of leaving the house makes me miserable。
the house was dependable； known； familiar。
it is frightening to leave the familiar and go into the unfamiliar。
the fear is not really of the unknown； because i have absolutely no knowledge of the unknown。
the fear is having to leave the known。
you will be surprised； but the mind is so possessed by the known that we find it difficult even to let go of our known illnesses。
it is even difficult to give up our known miseries。
most physicians hardly ever cure your illness； they merely persuade you to drop the illness。
most medicines do nothing to your illness； they simply give you courage to get rid of it。
recently； a well…known scientist conducted many experiments in this area。
he took twenty patients suffering from the same illness。
ten of them he treated with medicine； while he kept the other ten only on water。
the interesting thing was that the patients in both categories recovered together。
now what does this mean？ what it means is simply that it is neither a question of medicine nor of water。
the big question is that of persuading a man to drop his illness。
if water does this work； then the patient can be cured by water。
if homeopathic sugar pills succeed； then he is cured by the pills。
if a charm proves effective； then it can cure too。
if a patient has faith in a pinch of ash given by a fakir； then it can cure him too。
faith in the water of the ganges also does the trick。
everything works。
even a highly intelligent man such as aristotle has proposed remedies which make us laugh。
he was； one should say； the father of logic。
he has proposed incredible cures； he could not have suggested them had they not been effective。
the cures did work。
for example； he has written that when a woman is in labor； apply horse dung on her stomach and the pain will stop pletely …… a wise and intelligent man like aristotle says this。
can it ever be possible that a woman can get over the pain of labor by applying horse dung on her stomach？ but apparently it did work。
the reason why a woman recovered from her labor pains is that basically a pregnant woman never has a pain in the stomach； she simply creates it while giving birth to a child。
the more frightened a woman is of giving birth the more her pain grows。
and as she bees fearful of the pain； she contracts the entire reproductive system。
the child pushes its way out of her body； while the woman goes on contracting the whole system。
this creates a conflict between the two； and the conflict causes pain。
thats why most babies are born at night …… seventy percent of the babies …… because the mother wont allow the birth to happen in the daytime。
she remains alert during the day and hinders the birth from happening。
hence； the baby is forced to take birth at night when the mother is asleep； when she is unaware。
therefore； seventy percent of the poor babies are unable to take birth in the daylight； they have to be born in the darkness of night。
there is a man called levin。
he teaches women to cooperate with their labor。
he asks them to cooperate during childbirth； and has succeeded in having thousands of women deliver babies without any pain。
he neither applies horse dung； nor gives an injection； nor ties a charm about a woman； nor brings any offering from a guru …… he does nothing of the sort。
he merely persuades the woman to cooperate。
he advises women； 〃allow the child to take birth without creating any hindrance； cooperate with the child。
be filled with the feeling of giving birth to the child。
that will be enough； you wont have any pain。
〃
there are hundreds of tribes where women do not go through any labor pains。
they go on working in the fields； and when the time es they give birth to the child。
the mother places the infant in a basket and resumes her work in the field。
man does not even give up those illnesses he has been suffering for so long； he holds tightly to them。
people even insist on keeping their chains。
this fact came to light during the french revolution。
some of the most dangerous prisoners were kept in a large prison。
they were sentenced to life imprisonment。
their chains were never to be taken off； they were to remain in them forever。
only when they died would the shackles be removed。
the revolutionaries broke down the prison walls and brought the prisoners out of their cells。
the prisoners had given up all hope of ever ing out。
some were imprisoned fo