Question 6

QUESTIONER: MEDITATION SEEMS TO BE CENTRAL TO THE CAMPAIGN OF SPIRITUAL REGENERATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CARRYING ON FOR THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS. SO PLEASE EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDITATION AND DEVOTION AND WHETHER IT IS MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE THAT IS CENTRAL TO YOUR TEACHING, OR DEVOTION.

To me there is no difference whatsoever. To me words make no difference. The real thing is truth. And it is truth that I teach through meditation, and it is truth again that I teach through devotion and prayer. Even if I speak of spiritual discipline, I teach the same truth. As far as I am concerned it makes no difference. But it does make a difference in the context of Krishna. And it also makes a difference for Mahavira. Devotion is not relevant to Mahavira; he will never accept upasana as his way. Both Mahavira and Buddha adhere to spiritual discipline, sadhana, efforts. Their whole emphasis is on discipline. Of course, Christ is for devotion. and so is Krishna; Mohammed too. Devotion is their way. But as far as I am concerned I accept all of them together. I have no difficulty whatsoever.

So many times you will come to think that I contradict myself from day to day, that I am inconsistent. And it is true. I can sail through any of the different winds; they present no difficulty for me. At present I am speaking about Krishna, so I am selling upasana to you. Last year I was selling sadhana when I spoke about Mahavira. Next year I will be selling something else if I am going to speak about Christ. As I see truth. these differences don't make a difference. But when I am speaking about Krishna it would be wrong and unjust on my part to commit him to spiritual discipline. Krishna and sadhana don't go together.

Similarly I cannot impose dancing on Mahavira; he is utterly blissful with his silence and alone ness, as Krishna is with his flute. To me, the bliss of both Mahavira and Krishna, is the same. But I maintain it is not the same to them; Mahavira will not consent to dance, nor will Krishna agree to stand alone in the nude. Meditation and dancing can suit with me, but I have no right to make Mahavira dance and Krishna meditate with his eyes closed under a tree. Krishna has always danced in the shade of a tree; he has never meditated.

There is no record to say that Krishna ever meditated. And you cannot think that Mahavira danced even before he took up spiritual discipline.

So when I am speaking about Krishna I must bring devotion into focus and explain it. To me, devotion is a path for a particular type of people -- the emotive ones. And discipline is a path for another type of people -- the active ones. I see the relevance of every path and I know that they have their own advantages and disadvantages, as I explained a little while ago. And it will be very useful if you understand them rightly so you can choose your own paths correctly. You have to decide whether you follow the path of devotion or of discipline. I am finished with traveling; I have nowhere to go. And it does not matter to me whether one takes me as a devotee, as a doer or as neither.

It is for your sake that I am going to put devotion and discipline as two separate and distinct paths and explain their significance and their pitfalls. First you have to know what type of person you are, then choose your path in accordance with your type. This iS very important to those who are going to be travelers on the spiritual path. There is no problem for those who think they have already arrived -- wherever they are. And if someday you realize that you have nowhere to go, wherever you are you are in truth -- then neither devotion nor discipline will have any meaning for you. Then you will simply laugh and say all talk of paths and techniques is sheer madness, there is nowhere to go; wherever you are you are in godliness, in truth. Truth is everywhere, and only truth is.

A Zen monk lived outside a cave and does nothing but sleep, day and night. A road passes by his hut and leads to an important place of pilgrimage in the mountains. Pilgrims passing by his hut are often surprised to see the monk lying about lazily and doing nothing. Once in a while they ask him, "Why are you lying here? Why don't you go on pilgrimage?"

The monk says to them, "I am already there where you are coming from or going to." And then he turns his back on them. He has never gone on a pilgrimage, nor is he likely to go ever. The pilgrims think him to be a madman, but he tells them again and again, "I am already there where you are going; I need not go anywhere or do anything."