Question 8

IS WERNER ERHARD ANYWHERE NEAR TO BEING ENLIGHTENED?

This is from Madhuri. Erhard is as near as Madhuri. Everybody is as near as Erhard. In fact enlightenment is a jump, not a gradual phenomenon -- in just a single step the journey is complete. It is as if you are sitting with closed eyes and you open the eyes and the sun is there; the whole world is filled with light. Somebody is sitting with closed eyes: even then the world is filled with light and the sun is there, only he is sitting with closed eyes. And if he is enjoying it nothing is wrong in it, perfectly okay: but if he is miserable then I say why don't you open the eyes? The difference between ignorance and enlightenment is just that of opening the eyes. It is not much of a difference, if you are ready to open. If you are not ready to open, it is a tremendous difference.

Erhard is as near as anybody else, hut intellect seems to be the barrier for him -- as it is a barrier for you, most of you. He has understood the point -- exactly he has understood it -- but intellectually. When I talked about his few sentences last time, I okayed them all. They are all perfectly true, but I have not said anything about the person. Whatsoever he has said is perfectly true; but you can study Lao Tzu -- intellectually you can understand and you can say the same things. As far as the words go they are true, but the man seems to be much too intellectually in it, not totally in it. And that's the problem.

And that is the greatest problem one can encounter: you understand everything I say, you can even explain it to others. but enlightenment will be as far away as ever. It is not a question of intellectually understanding. it is a question of total understanding -- your total being understands it. not only your mind. Your heart understands it. Not only your heart -- your blood and your bones, your marrow understands it. Nothing is left behind -- our whole being understands it, is bathed in that understanding. I hen the fragrance comes. then the dance happens, then you flower.

And there is only one step and the journey is complete. Between you and me the distance is only of one step -- not more than that. Not even two steps are needed.

But forget about Erhard. Just think about yourself, because Erhard is a problem to himself; it is none of your business to be bothered about. Just think about yourself. Have you not many times felt that you understand me perfectly, and again and again you miss? Why? If you understand me, why do you miss? You understand me intellectually, verbally, theoretically, but your being does not participate in it. So while you are near me you understand; when you have moved away, the understanding simply disappears: you are again back to your old standpoint, to your old world and the pattern. While with me you forget yourself and everything is clear, crystal clear. Away from me you are again into your hole, and everything is confused and nothing is clear.

Only one step exists. And the step has to be taken with the total being. You are just sitting and imagining that you have taken the step. You can go on sitting and you can go on imagining a great journey. If you do it for long, the journey becomes so real, appears so real, that you can start talking like an enlightened man -- but that won't help.

You have to be enlightened. It is not imagination; it is not thinking. It is being.

Next: Chapter 3, Awareness, not knowledge

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Yoga Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Chapter 2

• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 1
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 1 HOW DOES A BUDDHA PARTICIPATE TOTALLY IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 2
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 2 PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT TYPE OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE SUITABLE SEPARATELY FOR THE TAMAS, RAJAS, AND SATTVA PERSON. WHY DO YOU ALWAYS GIVE DYNAMIC TECHNIQUES? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 3
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 3 YOU SAID ENLIGHTENMENT IS INDIVIDUAL, BUT DOES INDIVIDUALITY REMAIN AFTER ENLIGHTENMENT? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 4
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 4 WHERE DID WE COME FROM AND HOW DID WE BECOME? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 5
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 5 YOU MADE ME ALTOGETHER CONFUSED AND LETHARGIC. I AM LIKE MAD. AT THE MOMENT I FEEL NO TRUST EVEN. NOW TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHERE SHOULD I GO? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 6
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 6 CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BRAHMIN HABIT OF TAKING SEVERAL BATHS EVERY DAY AND CHANGING CLOTHES? IS THIS RECOMMENDED FOR A SANNYASIN TODAY? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 7
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 7 WHY CAN YOU NOT CONTINUE TALKING ON LAO TZU? at energyenhancement.org
  
  
• Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 8
  Yoga The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 5 Discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Chapter #2, Where did we come from and how did we Question 8 IS WERNER ERHARD ANYWHERE NEAR TO BEING ENLIGHTENED? at energyenhancement.org
  

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Yoga Yoga Sutras of Patanjali