Essential Practice

Pure Mind

That’s why it is very difficult to translate. Buddha used a language that was understood by the people who surrounded him, but he gave twists and turns to words in such a subtle way that even people who knew the language were not alerted, and were not shocked. They thought they were hearing their own language.

Buddha uses the words pure mind for no-mind, because if you say “no-mind,” it immediately becomes impossible to understand. But if you say “pure mind,” then some communication is possible. Slowly, slowly he will convince you that pure mind means no-mind. But that will take time; very slowly you have to be caught and trapped into a totally new experience. But remember always: pure mind means no-mind, impure mind means mind.

By putting these adjectives, impure and pure, he is compromising with you so that you don’t become alerted too early and escape. You have to be allured, seduced. All great masters are seductive – that is their art. They seduce you in such a way that slowly, slowly you are ready to drink anything, whatsoever they give. First they supply you with ordinary water, then slowly, slowly, wine has to be mixed in it. Then water has to be withdrawn… And one day you are completely drunk. But it has to be a very slow process.

As you go deeper into the sutras you will understand. Impure mind means mind, pure mind means no-mind. And happiness will follow you if you have a pure mind or no mind: …happiness will follow you as your shadow, unshakable.

Misery is a by-product, so is bliss. Misery is a by-product of being asleep, bliss is a by-product of being awake. Hence you cannot seek and search for bliss directly, and those who seek and search for bliss directly are bound to fail, doomed to fail. Bliss can be attained only by those who don’t seek bliss directly; on the contrary, they seek awareness. And when awareness comes, bliss comes of its own accord, just like your shadow, unshakable.

“Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.”

Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.

“Look how he abused me and beat me, how he threw me down and robbed me.”

Abandon such thoughts, and live in love.

Something of profound importance: hate exists with the past and the future – love needs no past, no future. Love exists in the present. Hate has a reference in the past: somebody abused you yesterday and you are carrying it like a wound, a hangover. Or you are afraid that somebody is going to abuse you tomorrow – a fear, a shadow of the fear. And you are already getting ready, you are getting prepared to encounter it.

Hate exists in the past and the future. You cannot hate in the present – try, and you will be utterly impotent. Try it today: sit silently and hate somebody in the present, with no reference to the past or the future… You cannot do it. It cannot be done; in the very nature of things it is impossible. Hate can exist only if you remember the past: this man did something to you yesterday – then hate is possible. Or this man is going to do something to you tomorrow – then too, hate is possible. But if you don’t have any reference to the past or the future – this man has not done anything to you and he is not going to do anything to you, this man is just sitting there – how can you hate? But you can love.