“ You can’t keep such people under the bushel” - UG

" If there is one (a true individual), you see, (s)he won't be hiding somewhere, you see, you know. (S)he'll be there shining like the star.

You can't keep such people under the bushel. To be an individual is not an easy thing, you see. That means you are very ordinary. " - UG

Ordinariness is the hard way but the only way out of the societal mess, the way out of the burden of pretence or the artificiality of living for the sake of others or society. 

In some of his discussions with philosophers, UG used to highlight the fact that 'becoming' and 'being' are one and the same thing. They both are a psychological burden that guzzle away tons of vitality and energy. Contrast this psychological battle or struggle with children who are totally free of 'being' or 'becoming', no wonder they come across fresh as flowers and full of beans.

To be ordinary is to own our flaws, limitations or weaknesses, it is to be wholly and solely responsible and accountable (total ownership) for all our actions. 

To be ordinary is to reject all external moulds or models, to discard all psychological dependencies. 

To be ordinary is to embrace utter simplicity and honesty. 

To be ordinary is to stop and abandon all attempts at escaping the 'brutal' reality of the world. It is to stop chasing a non-existent heaven or some other utopia. It is to refuse to succumb to all kinds of social, cultural or religious pressures. 

" Wanting to fit yourself into that framework is the cause of your sorrow" - UG

The most ancient and pragmatic tradition of China, the Taoism advocated sages (Taoism called sages - the Real men and women) to never abandon society but to be fully and actively engaged in day-to-day society, silently carrying on activities that are beneficial to humanity.

Ordinariness is tremendously powerful as it directly taps into the vast reserves of life energy connecting the individuals to the source. 

Ordinariness unburdens and heals, restores vitality and energy, bestows sanity and intelligence thereby giving the individual the courage to walk alone. 

The greatest of sages from across ages and lands have led the most ordinary and simplest of lives. Their secret was ordinariness. This enabled them to lead uncomplaining, uncompromising lives amidst the worst brutalities and conflicts of the mundane world while healing, unburdening and empowering their fellow beings.

" To be ordinary is extraordinarily difficult " - UG

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Audio Clip

Audio Transcription

I have been everywhere else in the world.

Seeing people, and so I can say human nature is exactly the same, not one.

If there is one (a true individual), you see, (s)he won't be hiding somewhere, you see, you know.

(S)he'll be there shining like the star.

You can't keep such people under the bushel.

To be an individual is not an easy thing, you see.

That means you are very ordinary.

It is very difficult to be ordinary, you know.

You want to be something other than what you are.

To be yourself is very easy.

You don't have to do anything.

No effort is necessary.

You don't have to exercise will.

You don't have to do anything to be yourself.

But to be something other than what you are, you have to do a lot of things.

All the restlessness you have is only because you think that you must be doing something more interesting, more valuable, more meaningful than what you are doing.

This is a terrible bore to you.

That's all there is, you know.

There is nothing else there.

You see the dog, all the time (it keeps) running from one end to the other.

Why it's doing?

I don't know.

It knows.

It doesn't even want to know.

You acquire so much garbage.

We think we know everything.

The more you know, the more difficult it is for you to be a very ordinary person.

You talk of humility.

You talk of this sensitivity.

You talk of so many things, you know.

How can you be...

How can there be humility as long as you know something?

No.

They can talk of humility.

If you know anything, you see, you can't be a person of humility.

Just to be the ordinary person.

It's not so easy. Because we have psychological norms, religious norms, everything is set there, behavior patterns.

So, you're wanting to fit yourself into that framework is the cause of your sorrow.