Authenticity
The third thing about authenticity: always remain in the present – because all falseness enters either from the past or from the future. That which has passed has passed; don’t bother about it. Don’t carry it as a burden; otherwise it will not allow you to be authentic to the present. All that has not come has not come yet. Don’t unnecessarily be bothered about the future; otherwise that will come into the present and destroy it. Be true to the present, and then you will be authentic. To be here-now is to be authentic. No past, no future: this moment all, this moment the whole eternity.
These three things, and you attain what Patanjali calls truthfulness. Then whatsoever you say will be true. Ordinarily you think you have to be alert to say the truth. I’m not saying that. I am saying: you create authenticity; whatsoever you say will be true. An authentic man cannot lie; whatsoever he says will be true.
In Yoga we have a tradition – it may not even be possible for you to believe it; I believe it because I have known it, I experienced it: if a real, authentic man lies, the lie will become true, because an authentic man cannot lie. That’s why in the old scriptures it is said, “If you are practicing authenticity, be alert not to say anything against anybody – because it can become true.” We have many stories of great seers who said something in anger, but they were so authentic….
You must have heard the name of Durvasa – a great seer, authentic man. If he says something, even he cannot cancel it. If he curses you, the curse is going to come true. If he says, “You will die tomorrow!” you will die tomorrow, because from that source of authenticity the lie is not possible. The whole existence follows an authentic man and then even he cannot cancel it.
It is beautiful. That’s why people go to great seers for their blessing: if they bless, it is going to come true. That is the meaning, nothing else. They go and they ask blessings. If the seer gives the blessings then they are not worried; it is going to happen now, because how can an authentic man say a lie? Even if it is a lie, it is going to be true. So I don’t say, “Tell the truth.” I say, “Be authentic and whatsoever you say is going to be true.”
The true man has no ideals. He lives moment to moment: he always lives as he feels in the moment. He is utterly respectful towards his feelings, his emotions, his moods. And this is what I want people to be: authentic, true, sincere, respectful toward their own soul.
Always listen to your own feelings, there is no need to look around. And by looking at people, you cannot see exactly what is happening to them because their face is not their reality, just as your face is not your reality. their outside appearance is not their inner, just as your outside appearance is not your inner.
That is the whole hypocrisy of society – not to show your inner, your center, your real face. Hide it. Show it only to someone who is very intimate and who will understand. But who is intimate? Even lovers don’t show their faces to each other….each becomes like an island, closed.
Don’t look at others, look at yourself. And let what is inside of you come out, Whatsoever the risk. There is no greater risk in life than suppression. If you suppress, you will lose all zest for life, all enthusiasm. You will lose all life if you go on suppressing. It is toxic; it poisons the being.
Be true to yourself – there is no other responsibility. One has to be responsible toward one’s being. You are answerable to your own being, and god is not going to ask you why you were not somebody else….
This is the whole problem, how to be oneself. And if you can solve this, then every other problem becomes non problematic. Then life is a beautiful mystery to be lived – not a problem to be solved but just to be lived and enjoyed.
Tags: Authentic Rebel Authenticity Be Authentic Don’t Wear Masks Small Light True To Oneself
