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Affluence

In the English language there is a beautiful word: ‘affluence’. It has lost its original meaning. It has nothing to do with richness, it has nothing to do with luxuries, technological gadgets, a big palace and a big car and a great bank balance – it has nothing to do with these. You may be a millionaire and you may not be affluent.

‘Affluence’ means: one who is in the flow, one who is flowing. To be with the flow is to be affluent. The original meaning of the word is: to be in the flow, moving, flowing, not stuck. If you are flowing, moving with life, you are rich – and that is the only richness there is. All other richness is a false substitute.

So if your questions help you to move – I am not saying they will help you to find the answer, because there is none – but if your questioning helps you to move just a step further, good. It is time you should be moving.

Branihan was driving down the road. By the way the car weaved in and out of traffic, you could tell that Branihan was pickled to the gills.

“Where do you think you are going?” asked the motorcycle cop who finally stopped him.

“I’m coming home – hic – from a New Year’s Eve party.”

“Are you kidding?” asked the cop. “New Year’s was three weeks ago!”

“I know,” said Branihan. “That’s why I figure I better be getting home.”

You have been away from your home long enough. You should be getting home by now.

Anything that moves is good. A question, if real, helps you to move. Again, let me repeat: it is not going to help you to find the answer, because there is none.

But an authentic question that arises from your being is meaningful to you – it may be foolish to master but is relevant to you; it may be irrelevant in the ultimate understanding of things, but if it is relevant to you let it be foolish, let it be absurd – you ask it. And the master answer will just give you a push. You will be moving.

Keep moving. One thing has to be remembered: keep moving. Then you will be alive. That’s why a question is more important than a belief. I say all questions are foolish, but they are nothing compared to beliefs. Beliefs are ABSOLUTELY stupid. Questions are only foolish. To be a fool can be fun. but to be stupid is ugly, to be idiotic is to be ill.

Beliefs are idiotic. Somebody says. “I am a Hindu,” somebody says, “I am a Christian,” somebody says, “I am a Jaina,” somebody says. “I am a Buddhist” – these are idiots, because belief means they have come to the answer. A questioner is at least moving; he has not come to the answer. He thinks he can come by questioning; that is why he is foolish. But still, he has not come to the answer. The man of belief who says “I am a Christian” has arrived. He thinks he has found the answer. Now, he is absolutely an idiot. He is stuck, his flow is completely gone. That’s why you never see so-called religious people joyous.

You will never see them streaming with life, flowering.