Christianity

VOL. 4, COME FOLLOW YOURSELF

Chapter-4

All Who Hear It Lose Themselves

Sixth Question

Energy Enhancement          Enlightened Texts          Christianity          Come Follow Yourself

The last question:

Question 6

IF I LET GO I FEAR I AM GONE FOREVER.

You fear rightly: you WILL be gone forever; but you cannot escape now. The very fear shows that you cannot escape now. The VERY fear shows that you are understanding rightly: that you will disappear if you let go. But you are your misery, nothing else; you are your hell, nothing else. So how long can you cling to it? Sooner or later, you will have to let go.

I will tell you a story. The story is very old; the story is about King Midas.

Midas was hunting for the wise, for someone who could become his Master. He heard about a companion of Dionysus; the name of Dionysus' companion was Silenus. He searched, he searched long, and finally he caught him. But when he finally fell into his hands, the King asked,'What is the very best, the most preferable thing for man?'

The demon remained silent, stubborn and motionless, until he was finally compelled by the King, and then broke out into shrill laughter uttering these words:'Miserable, ephemeral species, children of chance and hardship; why do you compel me to tell you what is most profitable for you not to hear? The very best is quite unthinkable for you. It is: not to be born. It is impossible because you are already born. The very best is not to be born, not to exist, to be nothing. But the next best thing is: to die as soon as possible. The next best only is possible.'

Midas became very angry. He said,'I have come in search of life, not of death.'

Silenus said,'Nobody has ever come to know life until he dies.'

So I know your fear, I understand it, and the fear is perfectly true. It is not deceiving you, it is telling you the truth: that if you let go, you are gone forever. But there arises a need, when one NEEDS to drop completely and die completely, because only then is there resurrection. When you die, something bigger than you will be born, and that is the search. Out of death comes life. Allow death.

I understand your difficulty. In spite of your fear you will have to let go.

There was one very famous Zen Master, Tosan. A disciple asked him,'Master, what is Tao?'

The Master said,'A dragon singing in the dry wood.'

The disciple said,'I wonder whether there is anybody who can hear this.'

The Master said,'There is no one in the entire world who does not hear this.'

The disciple said,'I don't know what kind of composition the dragon's song is.'

The Master said,'I also do not know, but all who hear it lose themselves.'

Whatsoever I am singing is the song of that dragon in the dry wood. Whosoever hears me will disappear. Now it is up to you: either you hear me or you hear your fear, the fear that you have been hearing forever and ever. Through the fear you have lived up to now, and nothing has been attained. Your life is just an empty barrenness, a desert with not even a single oasis in it. You have listened too long to your fear; now don't be bothered by it. Say to it'Shut up!'; and in spite of it, move. You will disappear, but that is the only way to gain yourself. Says Jesus,'If you try to save your life you will lose it. If you lose it you will gain it in abundance, in eternity.'

Only the momentary is lost and the eternal is gained. Only the useless is lost and the ultimate is gained. Now it is for you to decide.

Either you decide for your fear, or you decide for my love.

Next: Chapter 5, He Is At Hand

Energy Enhancement          Enlightened Texts          Christianity          Come Follow Yourself

Chapter 4

• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 1
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 1, YOU SAID THERE ARE ONLY TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE: THOSE WHOSE PATH IS AWARENESS AND THOSE WHOSE PATH IS SURRENDER OR BHAKTI. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LAO TZU HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EITHER OF THEM -- IS THERE A THIRD TYPE THEN WHO FOLLOW NEITHER OR BOTH? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 2
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 2, I AM AWARE OF A DICHOTOMY WITHIN ME: WHEN I AM NEAR YOU, I AM DRAWN TOWARDS YOU AND AM CONSCIOUS OF BEING A THIRSTY SEEKER. WHEN I AM AWAY FROM THE ASHRAM I JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME AND FEEL DELICIOUSLY UNHOLY. IS SOMETHING WRONG? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 3
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 3, IN INTENSIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY THE PATIENT MAY EITHER BE TALKING OR LISTENING, THAT IS, TRYING TO HEAR FROM WITHIN. ONLY THE LATTER IS OF VALUE. A GOOD THERAPIST, ESPECIALLY IF LOVE EXISTS, WILL HIT ON MANY WAYS OF HEIGHTENING THIS PROCESS OF LISTENING FOR THE UNEXPECTED. IS THIS A FORM OF MEDITATION? IN FACT, MIGHT IT BE SAID THAT IDEALLY, BOTH THERAPIST AND PATIENT ARE MEDITATING TOGETHER? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 4
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 4, THIS IS A MARXIST, A CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIAN'S QUESTION -- SO MANY DISEASES TOGETHER! IN TRADITIONAL CHINA THERE WAS A SAYING,'CONFUCIAN IN OFFICE, TAOIST OUT OF OFFICE.' THIS REPRESENTED A DEEP DIVISION AND DILEMMA IN CHINESE SOCIETY, PERHAPS ALL SOCIETIES. CAN THERE BE AN ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY WHICH DOES NOT TEACH THE WAY OF THE EGO? OR IS SOCIETY BY NATURE OF ITS VERY ORDERED AND PATTERNED REALITY OF THE CALCULATING AND REPRESSIVE COLLECTIVE MIND OR EGO; IS SOCIETY, EVEN THAT OF ENLIGHTENED INDIVIDUALS OR WOULD-BE ENLIGHTENED INDIVIDUALS, BY ITS VERY NATURE, OPPOSED TO ENLIGHTENMENT? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 5
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 5, THE CLOSER I COME, THE THIRSTIER I GET. WHEN IS THE QUENCHING GOING TO START? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Christianity, Jesus Christ, Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 6
  Christianity, Jesus Christ, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , Vol. 4 Come Follow Yourself Chapter 4: All Who Hear It Lose Themselves, Question 6, IF I LET GO I FEAR I AM GONE FOREVER at energyenhancement.org