Question: Can this happen that ‘I don’t know and I don’t even want to know, and that there will always be something more to know’? Can this happen that a person thinks that ‘I am so peaceful that I don’t even want to know’?
Shri Prashant: You see, these are two different things, extremely different things. One can say that ‘I do not want to know’ because it is unknowable. So, wanting to know would be my insolence, would be my arrogance. Because it is beyond me; hence, laying a claim over it would be beyond my grain, would be beyond my rights. So, I cannot say I want to know. I don’t even have the rights to say that. That is one thing. It is a humble statement of surrender .
And the other way of saying it could be, “I already know. So, I don’t bother to know”. When you say, “I don’t know, and I don’t even want to know”, you are still saying that “I know it is not worthy of knowing ”. So, “I know so much that I don’t want to know”. Prima facie it appears that you are saying that, “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know”, but actually, what you are saying is, “I know so much that I don’t want to know”. You are saying that “I know at least this much that it is not worthy of knowing. Something else is more important. I would rather be doing that. I would rather be knowing that”. Are you getting it?
Prima facie it appears that you are saying that, “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know”, but actually, what you are saying is, “I know so much that I don’t want to know”. You are saying that “I know at least this much that it is not worthy of knowing. Something else is more important. I would rather be doing that. I would rather be knowing that”. Are you getting it?
“Something else is on my mind. I do not exactly know what is in your shop. But I am certain that it is not very valuable. So, I don’t want to come to your shop. How do I know it is not very valuable? Because I already know what is valuable.”
Now this is in complete contrast to the first way of saying, “I do not want to know”. The first way was the most humble way. And this second way is an extremely arrogant way. So, do not be taken in by this man’s words when he says, “I do not know, and I do not want to know”. Essentially, he is saying, “I know a lot. So, I don’t want to know”. He has great trust in his knowledge. He has great trust in his experience.
Essentially he is trusting his conditioning.
Anything more on this?
L1: Sir, as you said, there will always be more to realize. Just now you said. I wanted to know, and there is also a statement, “Die and come alive”. I wanted to know that will there be a moment or something of that sort where there will be no fear because people talk of enlightenment or something? What I want to know is that will there be a point where there is no fear or something of that sort?
SP: Never in the future . Now, it is there, but never in the future. If you are really, really looking for the Highest, then your craziness for it will be the deepest. Please understand this.
If you are really looking for the Highest, then your craziness for it will be the deepest.
If you want something which is just of symbolic value, then you may say, “It is alright if I get it five years later”. If you want something that has some value, then you will say, “I can’t wait for it for so long. I need to get it within two years”. But if you really, really love that which you want, then you can’t wait for it. Then, there is no future.
So, if fearlessness is something that you really want, and because fearlessness is the highest end possible, it can be sought only with a deep craziness. If you have a lukewarm want for fearlessness , you will never get fearlessness. You need to have a deep, burning desire for it. And such a desire is not really a conventional desire . Conventional desires are always for the future. But when your desire is really, really hot, then it says, “Right now! I am so crazy after you that I want you immediately. Here, right now! I can’t wait a second.” So, there is no future.
I can ask for fearlessness. It is such a worthy goal that I can ask for fearlessness only with complete dedication of the Heart. When you ask with complete dedication, then it is there.
Now where is fear?
There is only dedication.
Mind you, complete dedication. Complete dedication means- now there is no space for anything else. When there is no space for anything else, there is no space for fear either. So you get it. You want fearlessness so earnestly that nothing remains except fearlessness. Everything else is dropped. You get it right now.
So, if you ask me, “Will there be a time when I can get fearlessness?”
Then my answer will be- Never in the future. It is either right now or never.
That is the futility of chasing goals you see.
Whatever is really important deserves to be had right now.
And if it is not worthy of being had right now, then it means it is not important. Why have goals? You can have goals for petty things. You want to go to Kolkata. You can have a goal to get reservations done two months in advance. It is alright. It is a petty matter.
For the essential, you can’t wait. You must not wait.
