Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Monkey Mountain

This story contains one of the most hidden tricks of the Tao.Tao said, whatever is beautiful in you, hide it, never perform it; whatever is real and valuable in you, hide it, because whenever a truth is buried in the heart, it is like soil grow like a seed.Don't throw it out.If you throw a seed in the street for everyone to see, it will die, and it will die for no reason.It just dies and there will be no rebirth.Treat all that is beautiful, good and true as a seed.Give it some soil, give it a secret place in your heart, don't show it.But what everyone does is the exact opposite: whatever is wrong, you hide it, you don't want other people to know about it.Whatever is ugly you hide, and whatever is beautiful, even if it is not so beautiful, you try to proclaim it, enlarge it, show it.This is the tragedy - because the ugliness grows and the beauty is lost.The unreal grows, it becomes a seed, the real is thrown away.

Valuable things are thrown away, and rubbish grows; you become like weeds.No flowers will come into your life because you have never done the right thing - hide the flower seeds inside.The opposite is the way, which I say is one of the most secret tricks of the Tao. A Taoist is always ordinary, absolutely ordinary.No one knows who he is, no one knows what he is carrying inside, what treasures.He never preaches, he never tries to show.But why do we show it?Because of ego.You are not satisfied with yourself, you are only satisfied when other people appreciate you.Indian diamonds are not enough.You may have a priceless gem, but that's not enough; other people have to appreciate it.Other people's opinions are more valuable - not your existence.You look into other people's eyes as if they are mirrors, and you feel good if they admire you and applaud you.

The ego is a false phenomenon.It is a pile of other people's opinions, it is not an understanding of oneself.The self, the so-called self but actually the ego, is nothing but a pile of feedback -- and then there is always fear.Others may change their minds, and you are always dependent on them.If they say you are good, you have to follow their code to be good, you have to follow them to be good in their eyes, because once they change their point of view, you are not good anymore.You have no direct access to your being, but through others.So you not only proclaim it, you amplify it, and then it becomes ridiculous.

I remember - and I will never forget - the first time I was introduced to Mulla Nasrudin.A mutual friend introduced us."Among other things, Mulla Nasrudin was a great writer," said the friend, smiling knowingly.So I asked Mulla Nasrudin, "What have you written?" He said, "I just finished Hamlet".I couldn't believe my ears, so I asked him again, "Have you ever heard of a man named William Shakespeare?" Mulla Nasruddin said, "That's strange, because before, when I I was asked the same thing when I was writing Macbeth." He asked again, "Who is this man named Shakespeare? It seems that he is always copying my stuff. Whatever I write, he also writes." what."

You think everyone is repeating you, when in fact you are repeating others.You are a carbon copy, you are not a real person, because a real person never needs any showing. I heard that once in a summer resort, on the lawn of a large hotel, three elderly women were playing cards.A fourth woman approaches and asks if she can join them.They said, "Of course, you're welcome, but there are a few rules." They handed her a printed card with 4 rules on it.Number one is, don't talk about mink coats, because we all have them.Second, don't talk about your grandchildren, because we are all grandmothers.Third, don't talk about jewelry, because we all have precious jewelry from the best places.Fourth, don't talk about sex - because it is what it used to be!But everyone wanted to talk about herself, her mink coats, her jewelry, her children, her sex.Everyone bores everyone else.But if you tolerate bores, you tolerate them only because it is a mutual understanding: if he is bored, he will allow you to bore him too.You are just waiting - when he stops his display, you can start showing your own.The whole life becomes a falsehood, a constant display.What did you accomplish with it?Just a false sense that you are important and exceptional.

How can a man be distinguished by having a mink coat?How can one become exceptional just by owning precious jewels?How can a person be distinguished by doing this or that?Excellence has nothing to do with what you do, it has to do with who you are.You are already exceptional, everyone is unique, there is no need to prove it.If you try to prove it, you will just prove the opposite.If something is a fait accompli, how can you prove it?If you try to prove it, you are just showing that you are not aware of the uniqueness that has come to you. So if you want to prove something, it shows that you doubt it.You want to break through your doubts through the eyes of other people, through their perceptions.You don't really believe that you are beautiful, you want other people to say you are beautiful.

In a small village there is a custom that whenever the village priest officiates at someone's wedding, he kisses the bride.It's an old tradition.A woman who is about to marry is very worried.She thought she was very beautiful, like every woman.This is women, and this is nothing new.Really, every woman thinks that way - even the ugliest ones.She thought she was very beautiful, and she was very worried and worried.She told her future husband, the groom, over and over again: "Go tell that priest that I don't want to be kissed after the wedding." Before the wedding began, she asked the groom again, "Have you talked to the pastor?" The groom said sadly, "Yes." The bride asked, "Why are you so sad?" The groom said, "I told the pastor, he Very pleased, he said that if so I would only charge half the usual fee."

You may always think of yourself as a beautiful person, but no one else thinks of you that way, because everyone thinks of his own beauty, not yours.If someone nods and says, "Yes, you are beautiful," he or she is just waiting for you to recognize his or her beauty.It's a mutual transaction: you satisfy my ego and I satisfy yours.I know you are not beautiful, and you know I am not, but I satisfy your ego, so you will satisfy me. Everyone seems to have such a need to feel unique.That means you haven't discovered your own unique, unproven existence.Only lies need substantiation - remember.That's why you cannot prove God -- because He is the ultimate truth.Only a lie needs proof, not truth; it is—it is.

I tell you, you are unique and exceptional.Don't try to be like this, it's ridiculous, you'll just be a kind of laughing stock, and when you turn your back, everyone laughs.If you are not convinced of your uniqueness, who will be?Conviction is beyond proof.How did it come about?It comes from knowing oneself. So there are two paths: knowing -- direct knowledge, knowing oneself directly, immediately -- this is the right path.The wrong way is to know yourself through others, through what they say.How can they understand you if you don't know yourself?They are very far away.You are the closest person to know yourself.If you don't know your truth, how can other people know?

But because we lack self-knowledge, we need a substitute: the ego is that substitute, the ego is constantly on display.You are like a window in a market.You have become a commodity, you have turned yourself into a display commodity, always showing, always asking somebody to say: You are good, you are beautiful, you are holy, you are great, you are great. The Tao is the opposite of that, because the Tao says that's how you waste your life.That same energy can flow directly into your being, and when that presence manifests, it is exceptional. Thus, a person who seeks self-knowledge will remain ordinary in the eyes of others.He will not bother, he will hide himself, he will not show.He won't be exhibiting, he won't be on stage.He will always be quiet, live quietly, and enjoy life quietly.He doesn't want anyone to bother for him, because whenever someone is bothering and thinking about you, it becomes difficult and complicated -- self-knowledge becomes more and more difficult.

You have to go alone, and if you look at the crowd, if you think the crowd has to follow you, you'll never get there. If you are an exhibit, you will always be a commodity, an object.You can never be a human being, because human beings are hidden in the depths of existence.This is the deepest depth that the whole existence can reach.You are the grandest canyon.No one else can go with you.You must go alone.If you take too much into other people, their words, their thoughts, you will stay in the circle.That's the first thing. The second thing is: just go show, you hide all the ugly stuff.In clothes, in words, in gestures, in masks, in deeds, you try to hide all that is ugly and wrong.what are you doing?This error will become a seed within and grow.The more you push it in, the more you throw it towards the source of all energy; it will be strengthened.You throw something beautiful - it will never become a seed. Do the opposite: if you have something ugly, show it to others: it dissipates.If you're an angry person, tell everyone: I'm an angry person, don't love me, don't be friends with me.I am a very bad person.I'm ugly, I'm immoral, I'm greedy, and I'm highly sexual.Say everything ugly about you, and not just say it but actually do it.You'd be amazed how every time something is thrown, it dissipates. Hide something beautiful; let it go deep, then it will take root in your being, it will grow.But what you do is exactly the opposite. Now try to understand the story. King Wu arrived at Monkey Mountain by boat. Zhuangzi has been observing the monkey.He is deeply interested in them because they are the ancestors of human beings.There is a monkey hiding in you!The whole world is a monkey mountain, surrounded by monkeys. What are the characteristics of monkeys?What is the deepest quality of the monkey?Just repeat.Gurdjieff once said that you cannot be a man unless you stop being a monkey—and he was right.Someone asked him: "What is the deepest characteristic of monkeys?" He said: "Repetition, imitation." ①Gurdjieff (Gurdjieff, 1872～1949): Armenian philosopher. ——Editor's note. You have a car, you want that car - everything! The monkey is a perfect imitator.What have you been doing all your life?Are you a human or a monkey?You imitate, you just look around and follow; follow, you become false.You see someone walking in a certain way and you try to walk that way; someone wears a fancy dress and you want that dress; you never see what your needs are.If you really pay attention to your needs, life will be a blissful existence because there are not many needs.Mimic generals lead you down a path that ends up going nowhere.Needs are not many, needs are always few; if you pay attention to your needs, you will have them.Contentment is easy because few things are needed.But if you imitate, thousands of unnecessary needs gather around.They go on and on because there are thousands of people and you want to imitate everyone.It becomes impossible; you start living everyone's life, so you forget that you are here doing your own thing, you become a copycat. You are here to fulfill your own mission, and that mission is unique and no one else's.This existence allows you to be born to fulfill a special purpose that no one else can.Buddha cannot do it, Christ cannot do it, only you can do it.You are imitating.That's why Hinduism says that unless you stop imitating, you will be thrown into existence again and again -- that is the theory of reincarnation.You will be thrown in again and again, unless you fulfill your calling - unless you bloom, you must come back.How can you bloom if you imitate?You see a musician and you want to be a musician; you see an actor and you want to be an actor; you see a doctor and you want to be a doctor.You want to be everything but yourself -- and that's all you can be, nothing else.Nothing else is possible, no one else is like you, so no one else can be your ideal. Love Buddha, Buddha is beautiful -- but don't imitate, or you will miss it.Christ is great, but he is no longer needed; the existence has fulfilled that mission, that work has been done.He has blossomed.That's why whenever a man blooms, he never comes back.Love Christ, but don't be an imitator, or you will end up unfinished, in misery and sorrow.You can't really follow anyone.You can have revelation, but then you have to be very alert; revelation should not be a blind imitation. If you see Buddha, take how he blossomed as a revelation.What is the way?what is he doingTry to comprehend it and let that comprehension be absorbed.Little by little you will start to feel your way.It will never be like Buddha, it will never be, it will be very different.But drawing on Buddha will help.You must grow in your own way, but drawing on it will make you more enlightened.That is the difference between a true disciple and a false follower. A disciple is something very different from a follower, and I will make you my disciple but not my follower.What is spiritual practice?Practice is learning.The root of practice comes from learning, it has nothing to do with self-denial, nothing.A disciple is one who is ready to learn; a disciple is one who is ready to absorb; a disciple is one who is open, receptive; a disciple is one who is ready to become a womb.He is not an opponent, he does not fight or argue.He tries to understand, and when you try to understand, the mind stops working.Because the mind can do two things: either fight or follow.It is either a blind follower or a blind enemy, but it can never be a disciple.A sannyasin is totally different because he is not head-directed; a sannyasin is heart-directed.He loves his master, absorbs him, and goes his own way. It's a very indirect, very subtle kind of thing.This is not straightforward.You can't just watch what the master does and do everything - then you will become a follower.You cannot learn words and repeat them -- then you will become a follower, that effort is in the mind, and the mind is a problem. Whenever you don't fight, when you don't seek someone to emulate, your consciousness falls from the head to the heart.Then you are open, then you are simply loving.That's what confidence and trust mean.It is neither belief nor disbelief. Do not think that faith or trust is believing, it is not.Belief is in the head, disbelief is in the head, but trust is in the heart.It has nothing to do with believing or not believing.Believe it or not believe it is out of the question; you just love. You watch a rose bloom.Do you believe it or you don't believe it?You don't do anything, you just watch it.No one is a follower, no one is against.The sun rises in the morning.what you do?You are a believer or a disbelief, or you follow the path of the sun all day because you are a follower.Either way you will go crazy.You just admire, you absorb the morning, its freshness, its youth, its newness -- with the sun everything is alive.You enjoy that life and become more alive through it.You look at a rose and something in the rose touches your heart.Outside, the rose is blooming; inside, the heart is beginning to bloom.You contact a master, Buddha or Christ, Chuang Tzu.what you do?Just do what you did with the rose or the sunrise.There is no need to follow, no need not to follow, just to absorb. Christ's last words to his disciples were: "Eat me, let me be your food, let me flow in your blood, absorb me." When he said, "Eat me," it meant to absorb me, digest me ;Do not follow outside, digest me, and then you will have your own inner light. A real master never gives you rules, he gives you eyes.He never shows you the path, never says it is the path for you to follow.He just gives you light and says: go into darkness with light, and this light will point your way. A false master will give you a map: this is the map.Do not stray, follow the map and you will find your way. Everyone's path will be different because everyone is different.Let this understanding sink into your heart: no two are the same, there cannot be.Existence is not repetition, existence is not exhausted.There is no need to prove it.If you want to prove it, you will become a monkey, not a human being.stop repeating.Repetition is easy, comprehension is difficult.That's why one repeats, because it is so easy -- just a rule that has to be followed.You don't have to have any insight into it: there is a written rule for you to follow.People come to me and they say, "Give us the rules so we can follow." They are saying: We don't want to grow, we don't want to mature ourselves.You just give us clear rules: what to eat, what not to eat, when to get up in the morning, and when to go to bed.As long as you give us clear rules, we can follow them.You want to be a monkey, not a person. A man never asks for definite rules, what he asks for is understanding, so that he can find his own way, so that he can move in the vast world.He didn't need a map, he didn't need any compass.Just your inner light will point your way. There is beauty because there is freedom.When freedom does not exist, beauty does not exist either.Chains, slavery, are the ugliest things in the world. King Wu arrived at Monkey Mountain by boat.The monkeys ran away in panic when they saw him, and hid in the top of the tree. One monkey remained completely oblivious, swinging from branch to branch--a display of dexterity desperately. That monkey must be the leader, head or prime minister of the monkeys.How can a chief run when all the ordinary run away?A chief, a great chief, following ordinary monkeys?It has to express itself, to show its toughness.Otherwise, in the eyes of the monkeys, its authority will be lost.This is not a show to King Wu, this is a show to other monkeys.If you want to remain a leader, you have to be tough.If you want to continue to be a leader, you must continue to perform. All political leaders are always showing.You never know their true colors, no one does.Even their wives and children don't know their true colors.They become so capable that no one knows who they are, they always go on and on, just acting.It is said that if a politician says yes to something, it means maybe; if he says maybe, it means no.If he says no, he's not a politician at all.Whatever a politician says is never what he really means, what he really means he never says.Through a politician you can understand yourself because he is just a magnified picture of you.A leader is just a magnified picture of his followers.It's always easy to see things in a zoomed-in photo.With a magnifying glass you can see. It's good to try to get to know the human chiefs, because they're amazing monkeys.You thought you were following them?Fundamentally, at a deep level, they are following you.A chief is always the follower of his own followers, because he has to see where you are going and what you are doing.He has to know where the wind is blowing so he can take a step ahead. Once Mulla Nasrudin was going somewhere on his donkey.The donkey walked very fast.A friend asked, "Nasruddin, where are you going?" Nasruddin said, "To tell you the truth, I don't know. Don't ask me. Ask the donkey." The man was confused and he Say, "What do you mean?" Mulla Nasruddin said, "You are a friend, so I must be honest and forthright. This donkey is tough and stubborn, like all donkeys, he always creates trouble .When I pass a market or a town, if I insist we should go this way, it insists on another way, and in the market it gets ridiculous and I'm a laughing stock. People say, even your donkey Not following you! So I made a rule that wherever it goes, I follow it. Everyone thinks the donkey follows me, but that's not true. As much as it pleases the donkey, my reputation is safe." Every great chief is just following his followers all the time.He's been watching where the wind blows, and he has to stay ahead.That's the secret of being a great leader - you have to be able to know what people want.You have to give them a catchphrase before they perceive what they want.Then they come after you. This monkey must be a chief and must show that it is not afraid, even for a great king.The other monkeys ran away, poor ordinary monkeys, but he was no ordinary monkey, he was an emperor himself.It has to come out, it has to stay there; that's how it achieves greater authority in the eyes of the monkeys. One monkey remained completely oblivious, swinging from branch to branch--a display of dexterity desperately. King Wu shot an arrow at the monkey. Your king isn't much different either.This is an insult to the king, and this monkey is insulting.All monkeys run away, it is natural.But now, a great king, here's an ordinary monkey trying to show that it's tough.No, this is not allowed, because the king has his own followers.The king had to think, what would others think if he didn't even care about a monkey and didn't care about the king?The monkey must be killed.Whether you are a human or a monkey, the logic is always the same. King Wu shot an arrow at the monkey, but the monkey quickly caught the flying arrow in the air. At this time, the king of Wu ordered his followers to chase after him with arrows. This is happening all over the world.In every relationship, you can always see the other's self, but you cannot see your own -- and the other always sees your self.It's a story written by one man, just think how different it would be if a monkey had written it.Just think, Chuang Tzu among monkeys writing this story...then he would write about the king being very pompous, stubborn and unnecessarily violent - because that monkey did nothing wrong, it was just entertaining itself.Why should the king be offended?Why should he feel that the monkey must be killed?The king must have been a very, very self-centered man.He tried to kill it, the monkey was just defending itself, nothing else. If you look at the story from a monkey's standpoint, it's going to be completely different, but the fundamentals are the same, and that's what happens all the time.A wise person also always sees every problem from the other person's point of view.You cannot be wise if you have only one point of view.Sometimes try to stand in someone else's shoes and observe from there. Many couples come to me, wives and husbands, with big problems.This question is the biggest question because that is the basic unit of life.So much tension, so much ego, so much falsehood goes on, goes on, goes on, it becomes a hell.Couples come to me and I always suggest that they take a day to try out the other's role: the wife becomes the husband, the husband becomes the wife.Try the other side's role for 24 hours, and then it will be very easy to understand the other side.Even taking the role of the other party in a 1 hour conversation and answering from the other party's point of view, you will feel very relaxed. At that moment you must be flexible enough to watch the other person's feelings.The husband comes home and he says something that he finds justifiable, but the wife is offended.He didn't understand what happened and he didn't say anything.Just meditate for a while, put yourself in the wife's shoes, think about you being the wife, when the husband comes in and says the same words.how do you feelThen you can understand why your wife feels that way.If you can understand the other person, you can also understand more about yourself.The other party always sees you as a self-centered person.You can never see it, you are blind to yourself. The king was also blind.He could see the monkey trying to behave, but he couldn't see why he was offended.Make it behave--a monkey is always a monkey, let it be fun; it does no one wrong, it just jumps from branch to branch, drifts, and plays games.Let it play well.Why does that king care so much?He felt he was insulted, the monkey was trying to say, "You are nothing, I don't care. You may be a king among men, but monkeys don't care about you. I am a king too, you are nothing to me." .can you swing from branch to branch like I do?" It is said that when Darwin discovered that humans evolved from monkeys, some people protested: "Ask the monkeys first." I agree with this point of view. If we ask monkeys, they will not say that humans are a kind of evolution.It's a degeneration - a degeneration from a monkey.See... monkeys are better than you, and they can do things that you can't.They are much happier than you, and they enjoy life more than you.So what have you gained from your evolution?Your mechanized stuff, your weapons, your atomic bombs?Why do you think this is an evolution, growth, development?Ask the monkeys, they will laugh, they will call you a fool.You can't even walk on all fours.You can't climb a tree like a monkey. The monkey is in the same situation as the king. "The king of Wu shot an arrow at the monkey, but the monkey quickly caught the flying arrow in the air." The king of Wu was more violent than the monkey, because the monkey's behavior was only asking: "Why did you kill me? "But man is more violent than any animal. There is a zoo in Tokyo - if you go to Tokyo, don't miss that zoo.where to!There were many wild animals there, hundreds of cages, and on the last cage there was a sign: "The most dangerous animal of all." But the cage was empty, no.If you look for - you will - the most dangerous animal of all, you will find him, because there is a mirror. A monkey is harmless in its self.Animals have their egos, but they are still harmless and not as violent.But man is violent, and man appears to be the only violent animal.Tigers kill, lions kill, but only for food, never for anything else.A man kills not only for food, but also for pleasure.Hunting was a game to him.He just killed for the sake of killing—no animal in the world kills its own siblings, no!A lion will not kill another lion, and a monkey will not kill another monkey.Man is the only animal that kills other humans.Every animal has an inherent protection; zoologists say that every kind of animal carries with it an inherent instinct not to kill its own kind.But it seems that something is wrong with man, he kills his kind.Although there are individual fights, there has never been such a thing as war in the animal world.Animals are more aware.If two dogs fight, within two minutes, sooner or later they will understand.Man never understands; unless he kills, there seems to be no other solution.Even dogs are smarter.If two dogs bark at each other, bark their teeth, and jump at each other, it's just a sign that they're trying to figure out who is stronger.This is a mock war.They haven't started yet, and if one of them feels that it is not so strong, it knows that it is useless to fight.It just tucks its tail - STOP!Then it's over, they get it.A hierarchy has been established - of course the strong will win, so why go through an unnecessary fight? Only man is stupid, the stupidest animal, because he never believes that the weak will defeat and the strong will win.It is a very common arithmetic that the strong will win, so why fight?no need.Hitler could call out to Stalin, and Stalin could call out to Hitler, and both of them could call out their mathematicians to figure out who had the most planes, the most bombs.Things get sorted out in 2 minutes - and then you raise the white flag.There is no need to go to war, because war will only prove what is already proven on the table - namely, who is the strongest.Why is there such a waste, such a waste of humanity? But no, it's not possible.Man is such an egotist that even the weak think he has a chance of winning.No animal ever deceives itself so much.The simulated battle is just to judge who is stronger, and then it is over.You'd say a dog with its tail tucked up is a coward.No it's not, it's just smart.It's weak, so why join a fight?This has been proven, innocuously, without any bloodshed.Even by fighting will prove the same thing.Why join the fight unnecessarily?This is more economical. "At this time, King Wu ordered his followers to chase after him with arrows." Look at that stupidity!Just to kill a monkey requires a volley of shots, with many people attacking the monkey from all directions. "In an instant, the monkey died under the random arrows." Wu Wang must feel very good, what did he do.But look at the folly - with so many men chasing him at least 100 entourages with the king. It feels good for 100 people to kill a monkey, it feels like a victory.The monkeys are laughing at what you've done. "The monkey died under the random arrows. So the King of Wu said to his friend Yan Buyi, "...Look how we prove that we are wise even in our stupidity!"The king killed needlessly, which cannot be called a victory by any means.Just to kill one monkey, 100 men were mobilized to chase after them with arrows; the monkey had no weapons, was unarmed, and had no protection. Is this a victory?It's not even a win at all, it's not even strategic.Generally speaking, if we fight a war, we also give each other weapons.He must have a sword, and he must have the same protection.They were all protected, but one innocent and defenseless monkey was killed. The king is stupid, but look at his advice, and even from our stupidity we feel that we are wise.what did he say?He said to his friend Yan Buyi: "Look what happened? This animal is playing tricks. It relies on its own skills, thinking that no one can touch it. Remember! When you deal with people, don't rely on your own skills." Excellence and talent." This is one of the subtle things to realize.If we have to advise others, we are always wise, but when we are in the same situation, with the same problem, the same crisis, we are not wise.If someone comes to you with a problem and you give him good advice, that advice may be right.But if you have the same problem, you won't be able to give yourself the same advice.Why?Because other people's problems have nothing to do with themselves. The king told his friend: "Look what happened? The animal is cunning. It relies on its skill, thinking that no one can touch it. Remember! When you deal with people, don't rely on your own excellence and talent. " He can see the stupidity of the monkey, but he cannot see the stupidity of his actions.In my feeling, what he did was far more stupid than a monkey. He is also showing off his skills, he is also showing his talents, not only to people but also to monkeys.He showed who he was: he was no ordinary man, he was a king like no other.He is not a commoner.Then he gave this advice to his friend: "When you deal with people, don't rely on your own excellence and talent." But that advice was right. 它发生了，就像许多次发生过的那样，那个朋友接受了忠告，它改变了他的整个存在。国王仍维持原状。所以如果你能够学习，你也能从傻瓜那里学习。如果你不能学习，就连佛陀也没有用，你学不到什么。有时会发生这种情况，给你忠告的人维持原状。如果你能够学习，你就能够改变你自己。 有时老师落在后面，学生却进步很快，并达到了目标。因为你能给别人以好的忠告并不意味着你实现了那个真理。 这是好的。忠告是美丽的，道也说了同样的事情。道有着同样的教导，但却没有与国王同样的意念。庄子让这一教导从国王的嘴里说出，但国王就像一名学者，一名权威，说出了语词却没能身体力行。这不是一种活生生的经验；它只是一种教条。国王一定从某处听到它，从一些道家的渠道，因为这是他们的秘诀之一。 你看发生了什么？这个动物卖弄机巧。它仗着自己的技艺，以为没人能够碰它。remember! 不要表现，不要展示，不然你将惹出不必要的麻烦，你会招来不必要的问题。甚至你可能陷得如此之深，以致它会证实你的死亡。 当你与人打交道时，不要依仗自己的卓越和天赋。 这一教训来自国王的口中。那位朋友是个真正智慧的人，因为他不在乎国王自己是否遵从了他所说的话。在生活中应该如此，你不要在乎，你只是接受忠告并渐渐改变。但你是在乎的。 老想着瓶子有什么用呢？只管拿装的东西就是了。老是问容器有什么用？只管品尝它装的东西就是了，如果东西是好的，忘了容器。这个国王与那只猴子的地位是一样的，甚至更坏，但他说出了道家教导的秘诀之一。他可能是读到它的，他可能受了这样的教导，忽然间，情景触发了他的知识。于是他对朋友说，不要表现，不要成为一个展览品，不然你将会陷入麻烦。当你与人打交道时，不要依仗自己的卓越和天赋。Why?因为每个人都是自我中心者。如果你依仗你的天赋你会陷入麻烦，因为你将树敌。没有人愿意你超出他们。 有一次摩拉·纳斯鲁丁来找我，非常激动。他说："现在你必须帮助我。"我问他："什么事？"他说："我感觉很糟糕，糟透了。最近我产生了一种自卑情结。帮帮我！做些什么！"于是我说："再对我说得详细些。为什么你会产生一种自卑情结呢！"他说："最近我觉得每个人都像我一样好。"每当你显示你的天赋时，你在显示其他人没有你棒——别人会被冒犯。记住，国王被冒犯只因为一只猴子在树枝间跳荡…… 如果你显示你的卓越，如果你说你是个人物，如果你试图用微妙的方式证明你的天赋，所有人都会被冒犯。他们不会原谅你，他们会报复。耶稣被钉上十字架可能就是因为大众不能容忍他的出类拔萃——他是出类拔萃的。他们不能容忍这个品质卓越的人。他是优异的，他们必须杀了他。雅典不能容忍苏格拉底。他是罕见的——有世以来最非凡的思想家之一，如此锋芒毕露，乃至无可匹敌。雅典不能容忍他，所有人都觉得被冒犯了。 庄子说："当你与人打交道时，不要依仗天赋。保持隐蔽！必须记取的是道家的师父从来没有被钉上十字架或毒死的。他们从不说他们高于你，比你神圣，比你高超，不。他们从不说什么。他们用这样一种方式行动，使他们周围的人会觉得自己高于他们。" 庄子自己就过着这样一种平凡的生活，这样一种美丽的生活，甚至没有人怀疑这里有一个生活在不同寻常的层面的人。他穿过村庄，这个村庄竟然没有觉察庄子路过了。 有一次皇帝从某些渠道听说了庄子，传言说他是个非常聪明的人。于是他就派遣他的大臣去找他。但哪里去找他呢？他没有家，没有地址，他是个流浪者。庄子曾经说如果你住在一个地方就很难隐藏，人们将开始怀疑。因为你有本事，他们会怀疑，渐渐地他们会察觉。所以要在他们察觉之前离开，不然你就会有麻烦。所以他是一个不停地流浪的人——没有地址，没有家。哪里去找他？ 可他们还是试图去找，一旦皇帝下令，是必须去找的。他们问了许多道家的师父："我们在哪儿能找到庄子？"他们说："非常困难，没人知道。他像风一样行走，没人知道，像一片云，不知去向。但你去，如果有村民说这里有一个十足平凡的人，就找到他，他可能是庄子。"他们用那种方式找到了他。在一个村庄里有人告知："是的，有一个人刚来这个村子，十足地平凡。你找不到一个比他更平凡的人了。"当问到他在哪里时，他说："他正在河岸边钓鱼。"他们到那里对庄子说："皇帝问起你，我们正在找你。你想去朝廷吗？你想成为朝廷的一员——皇帝的顾问吗？" 庄子说："等等，让我想一想。"第二天，当他们来问他时，那个村子里已经找不到他了；他避开了。因为人们起了疑心，他们渐渐知道了。 道家的生活是绝对不带任何特征的。Why?因为如果你显示天赋，人们是不能原谅你的。人们可以原谅傻瓜，但他们不能原谅聪明人。那就是为什么基督被钉上十字架，苏格拉底被毒害。在基督或苏格拉底面前你感到如此完全的低下，你怎么能原谅他们！这是自然的，你将竭力攻击。你将竭力攻击去杀死那人。然后你将觉得扔掉了一副担子。 耶稣是如此杰出——如果他就站在你身边，你会感到自卑。他必须隐藏他自己。这一教导是非常基本的。国王把这些话告诉他的朋友颜不疑。 当他们回家之后，颜不疑成为圣贤董梧的门徒，以便摆脱一切令他出类拔萃的东西。他退避了一切享乐。他学会了隐藏所有的出众之处。不久这个王国里没有人知道怎么利用他，于是他们敬畏他。 有许多事：这个人，颜不疑，是一个真正的聪明人。他不在乎谁给了他这个教训。他不在乎载体，他只是接受了教训。 记住这个……你总是关注载体。如果我对你说些什么，你开始考虑我，这个人是否可靠，这个人是否实行了他说的话。首先你要确信我——但那是不可能的。我说什么——关注那个——彻底忘了我。我实行或不实行是我自己的事，不是你的事。你为什么在乎它？我说什么，如果你感觉到它的芬芳，试试这药，别管医生。不要关注医生，关注药，因为最终治好你的病的是药。甚至是江湖郎中对症下药也是可能的。相反的情况也可能：好的医生也可能用错药。真正的东西是药。颜不疑这个人，一定是一个非常智慧和聪明的人，不然他会想这个愚蠢的人，这个愚蠢的国王，他给我忠告，他自己却活得那么显眼，过着一种展示者的生活。 没有人像国王那样生活，他们在王位上，总是在表现。他们要使每一个人都清楚，没有人像他们一样。他们在平民百姓和他们自身之间造成了一种距离——一条鸿沟。你不能去把你的手放在国王的肩上。No!他将被冒犯：你在干什么？你是说你和我一样吗？你会被杀。 据说希特勒从不允许任何人把手放在他的肩上，从不！没有一个朋友。没有人被允许叫他的名字希特勒，他必须被称为元首。没有人被允许用他正式的名字，因为这会显出友谊。他从未爱过任何女人，因为爱一个女人而不让她与你平等是非常困难的。This is impossible.女人是那样地聪明和狡黠；如果你爱她们，她们不仅会试图与你平等。她们还会试图高于你——她们可以证明这一点。他从未爱过一个女人。他与女人有过一些关系，但从不是一种恋爱关系——只是性关系。他就像对待仆人一样对待女人，不仅是仆人，还是个奴隶。 他与一个女人生活了许多年，一天发生了一点小事。那女人想去看她的母亲，她母亲生病住院。希特勒说：不！他非常专横；如果他说不，他就是这个意思。那女人想，她不再谈论此事了，等希特勒去办公时她就去几分钟看看她母亲再回来，没有问题。 希特勒去办公了。那女人去看了她母亲并在希特勒回来之前返回。他在门口查问他的女朋友是否出去过。她出去过。他查问她是否去了医院。然后他进去没有问任何问题，他杀了她，立刻开枪击毙了她。只有做奴隶才能被容忍，这算是什么爱情？ 爱情使你平等。一个自我中心的人不能爱，因为爱使人平等。只有两种力量使人平等，一个是爱，另一个是死。当你爱一个人时你变得与那个人平等。如果你真正地爱，在那个爱的时刻，你将感到整个存在是平等的，没有人卑下，没有人优越。 在恋爱中你感到一种与整个存在的沟通，一切都变得平等，具有同等的价值。死亡是一种巨大的平等。当你死去，一切区别都消失了，一个死了的希特勒就如同一条死狗——没有区别。你能在一条死狗与一个死了的希特勒，甚至是一个死去的佛陀之间看出任何不同吗？没有区别可以划分，躯体都是一样的：从尘土归于尘土。那些能够爱的人能够感觉到一种与整个存在——甚至与岩石的平等。 如果你在恋爱，你会有一种一切都平等的振荡，甚至一块岩石也像你一样平等。那时就没有死亡，因为那时你不会死亡——你感受到这样一种与存在的统一。这种统一将持续。形式会消亡，躯体将不再存在，但内在最深处的统一将会留存。你将在新的波浪中升起，你将在新的树木中开花，你将在新的存在中舞蹈，但不管怎样，你将继续。 这是最辩证的事情之一——你是独一无二的，又是与存在合一的。这种悖论是不能解释的，你必须经历它。你是独一无二的，又是与存在合一的。 当他们回家之后，颜不疑成为圣贤董梧的门徒。他不在乎国王是否将他自己的忠告牢记于心。国王维持原状，老样子，但颜不疑改变了他的整个存在；他成为一名圣贤的门徒。你如果想改变你的生活你必须成为一个门徒，因为单独是非常困难的，单独几乎是不可能的。你需要明白的人帮助你。你需要信任某个走在你前面的人。 修行意味着向某人学习，降服于某人，接受某人；不是跟从和模仿，而只是汲取他的领悟来点燃你内在的火焰，只是走向一种闪光的火焰来点燃你自己的火焰。然后你就能自己运行，然后你成为自己的宇宙。但在此之前发现是非常困难的，运行是非常困难的，到达正确的路径是困难的。 在一名圣贤近旁许多事情都成为可能——许多不可能的事情成为可能，因为圣贤是世界上唯一的奇迹。他生活在躯体中但他不再是躯体，他在这里与你一起又不再与你一起，他触及你；但你与他之间存在着一种广大的、无限的距离。圣贤是唯一的奇迹。如果你生活在他身边，只是静静地，只是汲取，饮他的酒，不久你将感觉到奇迹，它已开始改变你。 这就像当你生病的时候，你到瑞士去。瑞士能做什么？不过整个气候是健康的，在那种健康的气候中你的疾病不能持续。你的疾病需要支持，没有支持，它就失落了。 在一名圣贤近旁，你改变了你的气候。你与像你一样无知的人在一起，你生活在一种气候、一种环境中，然后你来到一个圣贤近旁——改变了气候了。你去过喜马拉雅山，阿尔卑斯山，瑞士，现在气候不同了，现在它不再支持你的疾病。它将渐渐地撤掉所有的支持。没有支持，疾病就失败了。 每当没有疾病时，你自己的健康开花了。 需要做的一切就是移去疾病——健康已经有了，它不是给予你的。只要移去疾病，健康就开花了。在圣贤近旁——气候改变了。但你必须打开。如果你去瑞士，你带着钢铁盔甲，你将不会改变，因为你的铁甲会在里面带着它自己的气候。没有任何武装地走近一名圣贤，不带任何防卫——这就是臣服的意思。 当他们回家之后，颜不疑成为圣贤董梧的门徒，以便摆脱一切令他出类拨萃的东西。 看……我们在生活中所做的一切就是学习如何成为出类拔萃。如何在班上做第一，在大学里做第一，如何获取金牌，如何成为一个诺贝尔奖获得者，如何在这方面或那方面出众——随便什么都可以。 一次摩拉·纳斯鲁丁敲一位大马戏团经理的门，他说："你必须看看我，我有精彩的表演！我是一个侏儒。"经理看着纳斯鲁丁。他有6英尺2英寸高，而他在说："我是个侏儒。"于是经理说："你在说什么？你看起来有6英尺2英寸高！"纳斯鲁丁说："是，那是对的；我是世界上最高的侏儒。" 意念想方设法地出众。如果你不能成为别的什么，至少你能做个最高的侏儒。但要成大事，做大人物。整个的教育、文化、文明教养你出类拔萃，道说：不要出众，放下一切出众的东西，只是普通，只是简单。轻松是对的；做普通人是对的，因为普通你就能轻松。如果你想出人头地，出类拔萃，你会一直不轻松和一直紧张，因为你必须证明一些事情。你必须使其他人信服，你的整个生活将一直是不定的。有了这种不定，内在就会有一种波动，颤抖。 ……颜不疑成为圣贤董梧的门徒，以便摆脱一切令他出类拔萃的东西。他退避了一切享乐。他学会了隐藏所有的出众之处。 不久这个王国里没有人知道怎么利用他，于是他们敬畏他。 道说，当没有人知道怎么利用你时——你是如此平凡，没有人知道能利用你什么，没有人知道你的用处，你不能被利用，你是如此普通，没有任何天赋——然后，他们说，真正的奥秘通过你揭开了。那时你成为一种真正的奥秘。当你不能被利用你就变得像神一样。What does that mean?当你被利用时，你成了一件东西；当你不能被利用时，你成为一个人。 一个人不是一种用途；一件东西是一种用途。如果有人问你："你是谁？"你说："我是一个医生。"你是什么意思？这意味着社会在利用作为一个医生的你。这是一种用途，不是一种个性。这不是你的人，不是你的存在，这是一种用途——社会在利用作为一个医生的你。 某人是个木匠，另一个人是个鞋匠。这是你的存在吗？或者只是社会中的一种用途？社会把你当一件东西来使用，你的用途越有价值，社会就把你估价越高。但如果你放下所有的天才，如果你只是平凡，没有人知道拿你做什么，没有人可以利用你，你超越了这个社会。现在你不再是一件东西，你成了一个人。这并不意味着你将不再作事，你还将做事，但没有人会利用你。你自己会做，它将成为你的花朵。一朵玫瑰开花，不是为了那些过路人，不是为了那些将会看见的人，不是为了那些将会闻到芳香的人。No!它是自己开花的。一位道家也是自己开花的。他像一朵玫瑰，他不是一种用途。一个不知道自己内心最深处的存在的人总是像一件东西，总是在商店的橱窗里展示；总是等着有人来利用他所有的证书、出众之处及天才；总是在喊叫："来利用我，把我当一件东西。我是最有价值的东西，你永远不会得到比我更好的东西。来利用我！"这就是你全部的呼喊。如果这是你的呼喊，你将变成一件东西。 道家放下了所有出众之处，他烧毁了所有证书，他打破了所有桥梁，他留存了自己，他成了一朵花。这朵花是没有目的的——它是没有用途的。许多人得益于它，但它不是为了他们，它为了他自己。他实行了自己的使命，那时就有了满足。 作为一件东西你一直没有满足，因为你必须成为一个人，一个真正的人。你不必成为一样东西，不是一个丈夫，因为丈夫是一样东西；你不必成为妻子，因为当妻子有一种用途。只做一朵花，那么你能够爱。但没有必要去做一个丈夫，没有必要去做一个妻子。你可以分享，但没有必要宣扬。一朵花开花；它不需要任何宣扬。如果有人分享它的愉悦和快乐，这很好；如果没有人路过那个地方，这也很好。当你为自己开花时，一切都是好的，没有什么是错的。当你为了其他人，只是在一个陈列柜里，被贴上商标，标了价，分了类，做了广告，你将永远不能达到满足，因为一件东西是死的东西，只有一个人是活着的。 活着，做一个人。如果你继续重复，你永远不能做到。如果你留在猴山上，你将永远不是真实的，你将仍然是虚假的。放下一切虚假、展览、表现。只做你自己，平凡而独特，完成你的命运。没有任何其他人可以为你去做这件事。你可以汲取我，你不能跟从我。我从不跟从任何人，我有自己的道路。你也将有你的道路。你将走上一条没有人曾经走过、今后也不会有人再走的道路。 在心灵世界中没有足迹会留下。它就像天空：一只鸟飞过——没有足迹留下，没有人可以跟从。只是在我身上汲取快乐，快乐地与我在一起，你将汲取。那将成为你内在的光芒，那将指出你的道路。但不要重复，不要相信或不相信，不要受头脑指引。不要做一只猴子——成为一个人。 你不能把大量的东西放进一个小袋，你也不能，用一根短绳，从深井里汲水。你没有听说过一只海鸟是如何来到岸上，在鲁国的城外栖息的吗？国王下令隆重接待，在神圣的庙堂里给海鸟献上美酒，召来乐师们演奏"九韶"乐曲，杀了牛给它吃。让交响乐搞得晕头转向，那只不快乐的海鸟绝望地死去。你应该如何对鸟？像对待你自己一样，或者像对鸟一样？它难道不应该在深林中作窝，在草地和沼泽上飞翔？它难道不应该在河流和池塘中浮游，吃一些鱼鳝，与其他水鸟结伴飞行，在芦苇中栖息？ 让海鸟被人群包围，被他们的声音惊吓已经够糟了！那还不够！他们用音乐杀了它！鱼需要水，人需要空气，自然特性不同，他们的需要也不同。因此聪明的古人并没有立下适用于一切的尺度。