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First, one anecdote...

A mother was examining a new mechanical toy at the corner shop and wondered if it were not too complicated for a small boy.
“Oh, no,” the salesman beamed, “it is an educational toy. It is especially designed to teach the child something about our current civilization: no matter how he puts it together, he’s wrong.”

Don’t try to put me together, otherwise you will be wrong. It is designed that way. To contradict myself is my way. To never allow you to settle anywhere is my way. To go on goading you on and on is my way.

But now, Parijat has learned the trick: listen in deep tranquillity. Don’t be bothered about whether I am contradicting something that I have said before. Listen to me this moment – don’t bring the past in. If you don’t bring the past in there is no contradiction. If you bring the past in, then there is contradiction. Just don’t bring the past in: that is what tranquillity is. You just listen to me this moment; then where is the contradiction?

And that’s my whole effort – to go on contradicting. One day or other you will decide that if you have to listen to this man, you have to forget all about what he has said before. That’s a way to make you alert, that the past has not to be brought in. If I go on saying very consistent things you will stop listening to me – because there is no need: “He is saying the same thing.” Even if you sleep you will not miss anything. But I will not allow you to sleep because you can miss, you can never rely.

There was one advertisement in a newspaper: a night guard was needed by a rich man. He had three conditions: one, he should be very tall, strong, violent-looking; second, he should not be addicted to any sort of alcoholic beverages, he should be alert; and third, he should be reliable.
Mulla Nasruddin applied. He was called, but the rich man was surprised because he is a very small man, not tall at all, and not violent-looking – a very meek fellow.
The rich man said, “I am surprised why you troubled yourself to come here, and why you answered my advertisement. Can’t you see? These are the three conditions: first, that the man should be tall, at least six feet. You don’t seem to be more than five. The man should be violent-looking; I have not seen such a simple, almost simpleton-type man. You look so meek. Why have you come? Do you drink or not?”
Nasruddin said, “I drink too much.’’
“Then why are you wasting my time? Why have you come?”
Nasruddin said, “I have only come to say that I am not reliable either.”

I also am not reliable. I go on completely forgetting what I have said to you yesterday. I am a drunkard. That’s why I can contradict so easily, otherwise it would be very difficult. It never comes to my mind that I am contradictory. Whatsoever I am saying, this is it! I don’t bother about what I have said before. I’m not concerned with it. That was the truth of that moment, this is the truth of this moment, and I’m not reliable. I am not saying anything that I am going to say again tomorrow. Who knows? I don’t know myself. If you really listen to me, by and by you will listen to the moment. That’s the whole effort.

I am not trying to give you a philosophy, a doctrine, a dogma. A dogma has to be consistent, a creed has to be consistent. I am not trying to convert you to a certain belief; a belief has to be consistent. I am trying to give you a vision, not a belief. I am trying to help you to come to my window to see the sky, to see the truth. That truth cannot be described. And that truth cannot be made a dogma, and that truth contains all contradictions – because it is so vast. So I go on giving you glimpses, aspects of it: one aspect is contradictory to another aspect. But in the whole truth, all aspects meet and mingle and are one.

The right way to listen to me is like this – where Parijat has arrived. Everybody has to arrive if you want to listen to me. If you want to be with me, you have to arrive to that tranquillity where you don’t pay any attention to the past. You forget what I have said as deeply as I go on forgetting. You are simply to listen to this moment. Then there is no contradiction because there is no comparison. And then you don’t cling to what I say. It becomes just a direction and not a destination. It just helps you to become more alert and aware. It does not give you a philosophy. Rather, it gives you a very subtle milieu, a totally different vision of life. It imparts my eyes to you.

A salesman walked into a busy executive’s office and asked, “How about buying some of the latest styles in ties?”
“I don’t need any,” said the executive. “Scram!”
“They are pure silk,” continued the salesman.
“Look, I said beat it, and I mean it.” Then, his patience exhausted, the executive picked up the salesman and tossed him out. Sample cases were scattered all over the place. The salesman, undaunted, picked up his wares, brushed off his clothes, and walked back into the office.
“Now that you have got that off your chest,” he said, “I am ready to take down your order.”

The same I say to Parijat: now that you have got that off your chest, those contradictions, and getting troubled by them and emotionally disturbed about them – because you were seeking a philosophy, you were seeking a mental belief, you were trying to find something to cling to and I will not allow – now that it is off your chest, I am ready to take down your order.

✦ ✦ ✦

Now, the really last question:
I want to tell you, to thank you for all the miracles and blessings, but I can't find a way big enough. It is all so overwhelming.

A little anecdote...

A hippie-type hobo wandered into a church and on the way out told the vicar, “Man, you were swinging, daddy, like way out, man.”
“I beg your pardon?” said the vicar.
“I mean, man,” said the hippie hobo, “I really dig your jive, man. I read you loud and clear. I put a little cash in your old plate there, daddy-o.”
“Aha!” beamed the vicar, grasping the down-and-out’s hand. “Cool man, cool!”

That’s what I say to you – cool man, cool. There is no need to express your gratitude; it will be difficult. If you can express it, it is not of worth. If it is of worth, you cannot express it. If you are just giving me a formal thank-you, then you can express it. But I know, I know the person who has said this. Something is really happening. It is overwhelming, but there is no need to express it. I will know it. In fact, I know it before you come to know it. Whenever it is happening to somebody, I am the first to know here. You will be the second, even if it is happening to you – because it will take a little time to reach your mind. It has to travel a little longer. It travels to me faster.

I know it is overwhelming, but there is no need; just cool down. Become more cool. And I will know it, and everybody else will know it, and the whole world – even the trees and the rocks and the rivers will know it. When it really happens, there is no need to say it. The whole existence immediately feels it: something has happened. Somebody has opened, some flower flowered, a lotus bloomed.

Enough for today.