The only meditation there is watching-Discourse 2

Still, the man went close. Shantinath recognized the man, who had been his neighbor – but now it was beneath his dignity to recognize him. The man also saw that Shantinath had recognized him, but he was pretending that he did not. He thought, “That shows much.” He went close by Shantinath and asked, “Can I ask you a question? What is your name?”

Naturally, great anger arose in Shantinath because he knew that this man knew perfectly well what his name was. But still he kept himself in control, and he said, “My name is Muni Shantinath.”

The man said, “It is a beautiful name – but my memory is very short, can you repeat it again? I have forgotten… what name did you say?”

This was too much. Muni Shantinath used to carry a staff. He took the staff in his hand… he forgot everything – twenty years of controlling the mind – and he said, “Ask again and I will show you who I am. Have you forgotten? – I killed my wife, I am the same man.”

Only then did he recognize what had happened…

In a single moment of unconsciousness he realized that twenty years have gone down the drain; he has not changed at all. But millions of people feel great silence in him…. Yes, he has become very controlled, he keeps himself repressed, and it has paid off. So much respect and he has no qualification for that respect – so much honor, even kings come to touch his feet.

Your so–called saints are nothing but controlled animals. The mind is nothing but a long heritage of all your animal past. You can control it, but the controlled mind is not the awakened mind.

The process of controlling and repressing and disciplining is taught by all the religions, and because of their fallacious teaching humanity has not moved a single inch – it remains barbarous. Any moment people start killing each other. It does not take a single moment to lose themselves; they forget completely that they are human beings, and something much more, something better is expected of them. There have been very few people who have been able to avoid this deception of controlling mind and believing that they have attained mindlessness.

To attain mindlessness a totally different process is involved: I call it the ultimate alchemy. It consists only of a single element – that of watchfulness.

Gautam Buddha is passing through a town when a fly comes and sits on his forehead. He is talking to his companion, Ananda, and he just goes on talking and moves his hand to throw off the fly. Then suddenly he recognizes that his movement of the hand has been unconscious, mechanical. Because he was talking consciously to Ananda, the hand moved the fly mechanically. He stops and although now there is no fly, he moves his hand again consciously.

Ananda says, “What are you doing? The fly has gone away…”

Gautam Buddha says, “The fly has gone away…. but I have committed a sin, because I did it in unconsciousness.”

The English word “sin” is used only by Gautam Buddha in its right meaning. The word “sin” originates in the roots which mean forgetfulness, unawareness, unwatchfulness, doing things mechanically – and our whole life is almost mechanical. We go on doing things from morning to evening, from evening to morning, like robots.