Zen

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE

Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed

Question 3

 

 

Energy Enhancement                Enlightened Texts                Zen                 The First Principle

 

 

Question 3

I BELONG TO THE INTELLIGENTSIA; I BELIEVE IN INTELLECT AND REASON. IS THERE A WAY OUT FOR ME?

It is going to be difficult. The intellect has no why out; the intellect is a cul-de-sac. The intellect moves in a vicious circle. It creates its own world of concepts, words, theories, and lives there. There is no way out from the head. The way out is from the heart, because the heart opens -- so the way out is possible. Intellect lives in a closed way. Intellect has no doors to go out from; it is a closed existence, encapsuled.

It is very difficult to communicate with an intellectual, almost impossible. You say something; he hears something else. You show something; he sees something else. His intellect is a constant interference. It is very difficult to communicate; there is no bridge. Communication is possible only between two hearts, not between two heads. Two heads simply collide with each other, conflict -- confusion, but no meeting, no communion. Only hearts meet.

But the intellect has been praised down the centuries because intellect is very useful. The intellect is capable of exploitation. The intellect is capable of domination. The intellect is capable of cheating nature, of oppression. The intellect is very, very useful as far as the world of things is concerned. So man has cultivated his intellect and has denied his heart, because the heart is dangerous. You cannot exploit if you are a heart man. You cannot use somebody's life as a means if you are heart-oriented. The other becomes an end unto himself. You cannot become a politician and you cannot become a scientist. The politician exploits other human beings, and the scientist exploits nature. Both are destructive. The politician has destroyed humanity, and the scientist has destroyed nature.

Now the whole of existence on this earth is collapsing -- because of the politician and the scientist. And they both are together. The atom bomb became possible because Albert Einstein and Roosevelt joined together. It would not have been possible if Roosevelt had wanted it alone. It would not have been possible if Albert Einstein had wanted it alone. It becomes possible only when politics and science meet. Then there is a Hiroshima and a Nagasaki, and then there is destruction. And the politician and the scientist have been in cooperation down the ages. They have been helping each other.

The heart-oriented man can become a poet, but of what use is a poet? Of what use is poetry? A heart-oriented man can become a musician, but of what use is music? A heart-oriented person can become a lover, but the world does not need lovers. It needs soldiers; it needs people to kill and to be killed. It needs butchers. It needs mad people. It does not need sane people, who love, who live -- who live peacefully and who help others to live peacefully. The world does not believe in rose flowers. It believes in swords, in rifles in atom bombs.

Intellect has been very destructive. I am not saying that intellect has to be dropped completely. That will be foolish. Intellect has to be used -- but not as a master, rather as a slave. The mind is very beautiful as a slave, but it is a very lousy master. Never make the intellect your master. Use it. It is a beautiful instrument, a biocomputer. No computer yet made by man is so delicate, so evolved as the human mind. The human mind is such a beautiful, delicate mechanism. It can be of much use, but it should be in the service of love.

The head should be in the service of the heart; then you are really intelligent. Remember the difference. I don't call an intellectual an intelligent person. An intelligent person is one whose intellect is in the service of the heart, whose logic is in the service of love, whose reason is in the service of life, which is more than reason. Otherwise your so-called intellectuals are just stupid people.

One story:

Five men are on a military plane crossing the North Atlantic -- President Jimmy Carter, former President Ford, Kissinger, a Catholic priest, and a hippie....

Maybe the hippie was my sannyasin.

... The plane is suddenly buffeted by a thunderstorm and the pilot rushes into the passenger section. "We have just been hit by a lightning bolt. The co-pilot is dead. Our power is gone. Here are four parachutes. Decide among yourselves who will use them."...

There are five persons and four parachutes.

... With that, the pilot bails out.

President Carter speaks first: "I have the burden of the whole free world on my shoulder. I am sure you will agree I must carry on." He dons a parachute and bails out.

Ford speaks up: "I have never done any harm to anyone. Besides, I have a golf date." And he bails out.

Henry Kissinger declares: "I am sure you will agree that I am the smartest man in the world. Obviously I must be spared." And he jumps.

The priest turns to the hippie, "I have led a full life. I am not afraid to meet my maker. Go ahead, my son, and take the last parachute."

"But Father," says the hippie, "there are two parachutes left. The 'smartest man in the world' just bailed out wearing my knapsack."

Please don't be the smartest man in the world. Intellectuals are not very intelligent people.

 

Next: Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 4

 

Energy Enhancement                Enlightened Texts                Zen                 The First Principle

 

 

Chapter 2

 

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 1
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 1, IS GOD REALLY DEAD? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 2
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 2, HOW CAN I BE NOTHING AND UNIQUE? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 3
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 3, I BELONG TO THE INTELLIGENTSIA; I BELIEVE IN INTELLECT AND REASON. IS THERE A WAY OUT FOR ME? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 4
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 4, WHAT IS THE REASON THAT I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE RULES? PART OF ME GETS ANGRY AND INSISTS THAT SANNYASINS FOLLOW SIMPLE RULES LIKE NO SMOKING OR EATING IN THE GARDENS. TEERTHA HAS CALLED ME 'THE COMMANDANT OF THE GARDEN,' BUT DEEP DOWN I HATE THE WHOLE AUTHORITY TRIP; IT IS THE ONLY PART OF MY WORK THAT IS NOT ENJOYABLE. HOW CAN ONE BE A NOBODY WHEN PUT IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO ENFORCE RULES? COULD CHUANG TZU LAY DOWN HIS FISHING POLE AND COME TO POONA TO PLAY LAXMI'S ROLE? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 5
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 5, I AM NO POLITICIAN, NO DIPLOMAT, AND I FEEL LIKE A CLOWN. I WANT TO DANCE ON THE DESK AND SING ON THE PHONE 'HELLO-LUJAH' RATHER THAN 'HELLO.' MAY I SIGN UP FOR THE ASHRAM FOOL? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 6
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 6, ONE BEAUTIFUL DAY WHEN LOVE WAS HUMMING IN THE AIR, EVEN WINNIE THE POOH FORGOT HIS CONSTANT FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR A POT OF BONEY AND JUST SAT DOWN. WHEN HIS EYES OPENED HE WAS BOWLED OVER TO SEE ALL AROUND HIM HUGE POTS OVERFLOWING WITH MORE HONEY THAN HE COULD EVER EAT. WHEN HE ROLLED INTO EEYORE'S LATER THAT NIGHT, ALL STICKY AND CONTENT AND FULL OF HIS DISCOVERY, EEYORE LOOKED WISE AND SAID, 'HONEY IS ALWAYS THERE -- BUT YOU CAN ONLY FIND IT WHEN YOU ARE NOT LOOKING.' POOH BEAR THOUGHT HE UNDERSTOOD, BUT FOR DAYS AFTER WHEN HE MADE SUDDEN SURREPTITIOUS GLANCES OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE -- NO HONEY! HE EVEN TRIED SITTING DOWN AGAIN AND SAYING VERY LOUDLY,'I AM NOT LOOKING FOR HONEY!' BUT WHEN HE OPENED HIS EYES, THE HONEY STILL WAS NOT THERE. DEAR EEYORE, HOW CAN I DROP MY GREED AND MY EXPECTATIONS, AND JUST BE? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 7
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 7, MY PARENTS DECEIVED ME WITH FATHER CHRISTMAS. ARE YOU REAL, OR WILL I BE DISILLUSIONED AGAIN? at energyenhancement.org

  • Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 8
    Talks on Zen, The First Principle Chapter 2: Greed behind greed behind greed, Question 8, THE ZEN MASTERS SAY, 'KILL YOUR PARENTS, ' AND EVEN, 'IF YOU MEET THE BUDDHA ON THE WAY, KILL HIM IMMEDIATELY. 'IS IT NOT SHOCKING?IS IT NOT IRREVERENT? at energyenhancement.org

 

 

 
ENERGY ENHANCEMENT
TESTIMONIALS
EE LEVEL1   EE LEVEL2
EE LEVEL3   EE LEVEL4   EE FAQS
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
NAME:
EMAIL:

Google

Search energyenhancement.org Search web