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Nobody needs correction. And who is going to correct? The moment it is said that somebody needs correction, sooner or later somebody is needed to dominate you, to manipulate you, to make a slave out of you. That’s why leaders down the ages have been calling and shouting from the housetops that everything needs to be corrected, everything needs to be changed, improved. If nothing needs to be corrected, they won’t be leaders any more. They live on the idea that things need to be improved, revolutions have to be done, then they are great leaders.

And nothing is ever improved, nothing can ever be improved. You can either be fast asleep or awake. And awakening is not a correction, remember. It is not correcting your sleep. If sleep is corrected that will mean a few more tranquilizers are injected in you so that you can sleep better. This is correction: new pillows, more comfortable; a new bed, more convenient; a better bedroom. These are corrections so you can remain asleep in a better way, so you can almost remain in a coma.

Sleep does not need correction. Awakening is not a correction in sleep, it is simply dropping sleep. It is moving into another kind of reality, having a totally different kind of relationship with existence.

Moralists, politicians, puritans, priests, they are always after you, calling for correction. Everything needs to be corrected, every person needs to be corrected –that is their power. Because of this, the world is dominated by politicians. They always go on finding what has to be corrected, and they always go on deluding you that now the correction can be made. But there is only one way: if they are in power then the correction can be made. First they convince you that the correction is needed; then naturally when you become convinced, the correction is needed.

And why do you become convinced? – because you are suffering. You are not suffering because of sleep, not because of immorality, not because of sin, but because you are unconscious. And they come and they say, “This is why you are suffering. A better morality, a better code of conduct, better behavior, a better character, and your suffering will disappear.”

You start correcting yourself, and you cannot do it, you need help, you need a priest, a guide to guide you. You need a leader! First they convince you correction is needed, and then naturally they come by the back door with all the paraphernalia to correct you. You become slaves. That has been the trick down the ages. People have been dominated; people have been reduced into things, they have been condemned, they have been praised, and they have been dominated through this condemnation and praise.

This is the great conspiracy. I would like to tell you once and for all: There is no need for any correction. You are not to be improved upon. Then what is needed?Awakening is needed, not correction. Not more morality, not more ethical conduct, no, just consciousness. With consciousness, morality comes on its own accord.

In deep sleep, unconscious, how can you correct yourself? At the most, you can have better dreams, maybe not in black and white but technicolor dreams, psychedelic dreams. But you can only have better dreams in sleep; you cannot have reality in sleep.

I have heard…

It was a dark, cloudy night and the drunk staggered into the cemetery and fell into a hole which had been dug in preparation for a burial the following day. The drunk hiccupped and fell asleep. Half an hour later another drunk swayed into the cemetery. He was singing loudly and his raucous voice woke up the drunk in the grave who suddenly started to yell that he was cold. The singing drunk tottered to the edge of the grave and peered blurrily down at the complaining drunk. “It’s no wonder you are cold,” he shouted down to the drunk, “you have kicked all the soil off yourself!”

This is what has been going on. You are asleep, your leaders are asleep; you are asleep, your priests are asleep. The problem is not that the man has kicked all the soil off himself… And if this other drunk starts helping, what do you think he will do? He will throw the soil on him again: “No wonder he is feeling cold!”

You need only one thing. And corrections are millions, and still they never suffice. You put one thing right on this corner, and something else goes wrong on another, because your sleep keeps a certain balance. Have you not watched? You stop smoking and then you start chewing gum. You stop one thing and you have to start another, and it is the same old game. You go on changing things; you remain the same.

Corrections are millions. There is no end to them; you can go on correcting and correcting and you will never be correct. You will never be right. You can put all the wrongs right, and you will find yourself still wrong, because deep down you are still unconscious, you don’t know who you are. The first and the only step is to know who you are, to become aware.

Timothy was on holiday in Ireland and staying at a small country inn. One evening in the bar he was amazed by the following conversation: “That’s a beautiful hat you’ve got there,” said an old man to a young fellow who was standing next to him at the bar; “where did you buy it?” “At O’Grady’s,” replied the young man. “Why, I go there myself!” commented the old man. “You must be from around these parts then?” “Aye. From Murphy Street.” “Gracious!” exclaimed the old man. “I live there too!” “Quite amazing,” commented Timothy to the barman. “that those two folk over there live in the same street and have only just met.” "Don’t you believe it!” said the barman. “They’re actually father and son, but they’re always too drunk to recognize each other.”

No correction is needed, just awareness is needed. Become more alert. No character is needed, because all character is false if you are not conscious. And all character is a bondage if you are not conscious. All character is nothing but chains, it doesn’t bring freedom. All morality is hypocrisy if you are not aware, if you are not conscious. So, to me, religion means only one thing: to be more conscious, to live more consciously.

You ask: [Does anyone or anything need correction? It puzzles me.]

It has puzzled everybody down the ages. Forget about correction. Put your total energy into awakening. There are only two ways to be: unconscious or conscious. Choose.