806

Different time orientation. The East thinks in terms of eternity, in terms of many many lives, one after another, incarnation after incarnation. The time span is very big, so there is no hurry. In the West the time span is very small, so there is hurry– only one life. Only one life?– and life is slipping by, it is going down the drain. If you live sixty years, twenty years will be lost in sleep; twenty years will be lost in some stupid job; fifteen years will be lost eating, defecating and things like that– what is left? And whatsoever is left will be lost sitting before a TV– finished! Fear arises, one becomes very much frightened. Something has to be done before it disappears. Great, hectic hurry!

The East thinks in a very very infinite span– one life after another, the wheel of life goes on moving. If you miss in this life, there is no worry, you can do it in the next life... next time round when you will be here. There is no hurry, so the East moves very very slowly.

I have heard...

A surgeon was telling his patient 'We here believe in getting the patient on his feet as soon as possible after the operation. So, the very first day I want you to get out of bed and walk around your room for five minutes. The second day you'll walk ten minutes. On the third day you must walk around for a full hour. Okay? Any questions?'
'Yes, Doc' pleaded the patient 'for the operation, do you mind if I lie down?'

This must have happened somewhere in America. The East has a different vision, attitude.

I have heard...

One American was going from Delhi airport to Delhi city. The taxi was moving so slowly, and he was getting very worked up, and he was becoming very restless...' So much time lost?' So he asked the cabdriver 'Can't you go a little faster?' And the cabdriver, the sardarji, said 'Yes, I can, but I am not allowed to leave the cab.'

It is different in the East. Nobody is in a hurry. The whole thing depends on the time orientation. The Western religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam are all offshoots of Judaism– they all believe that there is only one life. That has created the trouble. The Eastern religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, are all offshoots of Hinduism– they all believe there are many, many lives to live. Many you have lived, many you will be living. There is no hurry; infinite time is available. You can go as slowly as you want. In fact, there are only two religions: Judaism and Hinduism, only two standpoints. Christianity and Islam are offshoots, and so are Jainism and Buddhism. And the basic difference is in their time concept. Both concepts have something good about them and something bad too.

The West has become very tense. Great anxiety, fear– the anxiety 'Whether I am going to make it or not' because this is the only time. So the West is very ill with anxiety and the East has become very very slow, dull, lazy. Nobody seems to be interested in doing anything. 'Why worry? Next time. We can wait.' The West has become very rich because something has to be done right now! And they have been doing many things. The East has become very poor, because with such a time span you cannot be very rich.

Both have their good points and both have their bad points. and something new is needed– something more like a synthesis, something which makes you very much alive to the moment, very active, alive, vital, and yet does not create tension in you. Both the visions have failed because they are half-half. Something better is needed.

An earthworm meets a centipede. 'How are you?' inquires the earthworm.
'Not so good' sighs the centipede. 'My feet won't do any more as they used to. You are lucky you don't have any.'
'Ah' sighed the earthworm 'if you had my slipped discs, you wouldn't talk like that.'

And that's how things are. West has suffered, East has suffered– both have suffered. And now that they have come very close there is a possibility of a third attitude. West lives with the idea of one life; East lives with the idea of many lives. One has a small time span, another has a big time span. But both are time orientations.

My vision is: Live in eternity– neither one nor many. Live in eternity. And the only way to live in eternity is to live now. Because now is part of eternity. Don't live in the future. If you have a big future you will become lethargic, poor. If you have a small future, then you will become very restless– rich, but very anxiety-ridden. Forget! The future has no meaning, it is eternity. Not one life, not many lives: we have always been here and we will always be here, so there is no need to worry about it.

Now the only thing is how to live in this moment. We are not going anywhere. Remember Raman: 'Where can I go?' We are not going anywhere. We are part of this existence, we will be here. Nothing is ever destroyed, all remains. Only forms change.

But to live, there is only one way: to live this moment, now and here. And live relaxedly!– because there is no hurry. Time is never going to be finished. You cannot finish it, so live totally in the now; and live relaxedly, because there is no end to time.

— — —

The last question:
Why was Jesus not born in America?
—

They could not find three wise men there.

Enough for today.