" That's all that you can do. Replace one illusion with another illusion." - UG

    

    In this clip UG exorcises the two ghosts that constantly haunt us, the 'ghost of restlessness' goading us to seek permanence, and the 'ghost of understanding' frustrating us with its flawed pursuit of life and mysteries through mechanism of thinking.  

    We all are disturbed, frustrated, restless and burdened with a myriad problems in our lives. UG calls them, 'the problems of living' - the problems of fitting into the cultural framework, living up to its ideals, achieving its goals, negotiating conflicts and frictions born in relationships like hatred, jealousy, anger, fear, frustration etc. 

    As humans we have placed a huge premium on 'understanding' - understanding of problems.' Through understanding of problems, we believe that we can get a real handle on problems and gain control over them.

    Well, our faith in the 'instrument of understanding' is not completely misplaced as the understanding of nature has given us the awesome science and technology resulting in human progress.

    Understanding takes many forms - the ability to know or learn, the ability to see or recognise causes or sources, to verify and validate facts, and build structures of knowledge based on observable, proven or established facts. 

    " That (understanding) is the only instrument you have... it's a very, very useful one. Very useful one to deal with the reality of the world." -UG

     But what is good for the goose may not be good for the gander.  

    Understanding may be a great tool in dealing with the problems of the transactional world (learning a technique, finding a job, buying property, investing, planning, building, fixing a machine etc.) but is utterly futile in dealing with 'problems of living' with other human beings or in society.

    These 'hard' problems of living frustrate us, make us restless and compel even the best of us to abandon reason and discretion. They make us desperate and push us to seek solutions from unknown or risky sources. 

    And there is a booming spiritual marketplace ready and replete with all types of shady characters (market gurus) to cater to the never-ending demands of desperate, lost souls. Promise of solutions ranges from the exotic to the esoteric, from Tantrik sex to Vedanta as antidotes to frustration, restlessness etc.

    UG rubbishes all our attempts to find a way out of our restlessness or frustration by a reality check about the impermanent nature of life. The greed in seeking permanence in an impermanent reality is the crux of all our problems. 

    We seek permanence in everything- we want permanent happiness (UG calls it the notion of God), permanent relationships, permanent loyalty, permanent reputation, permanent solution etc.  But people change, situations change and problems change. Everything is in a flux, making solutions and answers redundant and meaningless in no time.

    In this uncertain, ever-changing reality, we seek 'permanence' through search and seek 'meaning' through understanding. 

    We feverishly chase after one guru after another. Once we discover some guru or solution, we find that that is not really enduring and soon get disillusioned, we then move on to another guru, another solution, and on and on, becoming totally restless.     

    The greed for solution makes us blind to the problem and keeps it going. As long as we refuse to see the total and complete futility of seeking permanence in an ever-changing, impermanent world of names and forms, our search will never end.

    UG debunks the myth of 'search or seeking' that keeps replacing one goal with another, and also the myth of 'understanding' that is totally misleading and frustrating, 

    "That's all that you can do. Replace one with another. Replace one illusion with another illusion. One restlessness with another restlessness."

    "And you will remain in the same situation for the rest of your life as long as you try to understand something and act from that understanding."  

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Audio Clip  

Audio Transcription    

UG: I knew some of those fellows who are (with) Mr. Rajaneesh for years and years. 

    I told the story. He also knows.  And before he came into contact with me, he had a very big painting of Rajanesh of the size of this wall. And then you see, in the same place, the same size photo of UG is there now.

    And what happened to Rajneesh? He put it there in the attic somewhere. That's all that you can do. 

Q: I did the same. Exactly the same. You are now in my house.

UG: Yes. So, what for? It's like all these Americans, you know, the wife changes, you see, all the photos, they're badly messed up. Everybody goes in the office -he has a new wife, new wife's brother, sister, all the new photos. That's all that you can do. 

    Replace one with another. Replace one illusion with another illusion. One restlessness with another restlessness. 

    You try to understand that. Now you want to understand. You are in the same situation. And you will remain in the same situation for the rest of your life as long as you try to understand something and act from that understanding. 

    No. So, there is nothing to understand. That's all that I am saying.

    How this dawned on me, occurred to me, I really don't know. So, I cannot help you. This is something which I cannot. This is the way I have come to the understanding that there is nothing to understand.

    You see. So, it is not that way you can understand anything. That's the only instrument you have. There is no other instrument, no intuitive understanding, nothing.

    You see that instrument has not helped you to understand the living problems, the living issues you are dealing with. And it will not help you at all in the future. And there is no other instrument. There is no other instrument. 

    That's the only instrument you have. If that is not used for that purpose, it's a very, very useful one. Very useful one to deal with the reality of the world.

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