Philosophical Questions

Mind Means Knowledge

Somebody asked Mark Twain once, “What do you think are the three best things in life?”

Humorously, sarcastically, he said, “The first best thing is never to be born. The second best thing is to die immediately after birth. And the third best thing is to die as soon as possible.” But his humor has a tremendous truth in it. That’s your logic too, that’s the logic of the average mind, that’s the logic of mind as such.

Mind is very much afraid of the unknown because the mind feels capable when you are functioning within the boundaries of the known. Mind means knowledge. You are acquainted with it. You know all pros and cons; you know what to do, what not to do. You have passed through the same route so many times that now you can pass with closed eyes without any fear of stumbling into anything or falling or going astray. You can function like a robot. Mind consists only of the known. The moment you start inviting the unknown in, the mind freaks. The mind says, “No, this is dangerous. I am not willing.”

Don’t listen to the mind because mind means past; dead it is, already dead and gone.

It is non-existential. It is only the footprints of the events that are no more. Mind knows nothing of the present, it cannot know of the present. It has not any capacity to commune with the present because the present is always unknown. You cannot reduce-it to the past. And the fear of the mind is that the moment you encounter the present you have to be spontaneous, and the mind becomes useless. The mind has to be put aside.

That is the moment where meditation starts happening. To remain confined into the known is to be in the mind; to allow the unknown to enter into your being is the beginning of meditation, beginning of Zen. The present can be approached only through the no-mind. If you have any conclusions you are still carrying the past; conclusions come from the past prejudices come from the past. You have to put aside everything that you have known. You have to look into the present in a state of not knowing. The mind will tremble – let it tremble. Let it die out of trembling. Don’t listen to it.

The mind will create many doubts. That’s why, Evi Huber, you say: There are doubts…. It is natural the mind will create many doubts. The mind will say “You are perfectly happy, you are perfectly comfortable. Why are you risking? For what? You may lose even that which you have; you may not gain anything. Don’t take the risk!” Mind teaches you to be calculating, to be cautious.

Religion cannot provide any guarantee. And the moment any religion starts providing guarantees it is no more religion; it becomes part of certain vested interests. It becomes part of the establishment; it loses all rebellion. Jesus cannot give you any guarantee; the Christian church can give you all kinds of guarantees. Buddha could not have given you any guarantee; the Buddhist church provides you all kinds of guarantees, here and hereafter, even in the other world.

The people who follow are always looking for guarantees, consciously, unconsciously; they are waiting for certain indications that truth should be ensured. “Then we can go into any adventure” – but it is no more adventure if it is guaranteed.

Bliss cannot be guaranteed, truth cannot be guaranteed, ecstasy cannot be guaranteed. Yes, it can be said it happens. The man who has tasted it can say, “I have tasted it, and there is a possibility that you may also taste it. If I have tasted it, why not you?” But there is no guarantee: you may, you may not.