THE DHAMMAPADA: THE WAY OF THE BUDDHA, VOL. 9-12 The ...

THE DHAMMAPADA: THE WAY OF THE BUDDHA, VOL. 9-12 171
more you are a nuisance, the more you will be taken notice of, obviously. If you are a silent person living in deep
harmony with yourself and existence, who is going to take any notice of you? Do something wrong, anything!
That’s why your saints go on doing such stupid things just to be taken notice of. Stand on your head in the
M.G. Road market and a crowd will gather. People will stop wherever they were going. They may have been
going on some urgent work, but now a greater thing is happening: a foolish man is standing on his head! They
have to stop, they have to watch. Do something stupid.
Robert Ripley says that one man wanted to become famous. He asked Ripley what to do. Ripley is a famous
man; he has written many books Believe It Or Not.... He used to accumulate all kinds of unbelievable things; he
was an expert in unbelievable things true but unbelievable. People used to ask him also... somebody asked him
how to become famous.
He said, ”You do one thing. Shave half the hair of your head and just walk silently all over New York. For
three days go on walking and don’t say anything, just let people watch.”
And within three days he was in every newspaper! That a strange man is there, half his head shaved, walking
all over New York, never saying anything. You ask him and he keeps quiet. Very strange!
That’s why I have chosen orange for you, so that wherever you are New York, Berlin, Paris, Rome, wherever
you are, everybody has to take notice of you. It helps my work! People start asking, ”What has happened to
you?” My sannyasins all look like Jesus is back!
Narendra, you must be doing everything right. Be happy that nobody is taking notice of you.
The seventh question:
Question 7
BELOVED MASTER, WHY DO YOU GIVE THE PRIESTS SUCH A BAD TIME? THEY DON’T STOP
YOU DRINKING AND YOU ONLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM ONCE A WEEK.
Niranjan, it is enough to poison people if they have to listen once a week to all kinds of nonsense. For centuries
it has been propagated... it has come into the air, it has become part of the atmosphere. It is not a question of
listening to them once a week only; their vibe is everywhere. They go on reminding you in every possible way.
Whenever you pass, there is a church or a temple or a mosque. Do you think it does not remind you of something?
And they go on tolling bells in the churches just to remind you, ”Don’t forget we are still here!” And the towering
churches, you can see them from anywhere; they are reminding you. These are subtle processes of reminding you.
In India you cannot pass a street without coming across a temple everywhere temples. And it is so simple in
India to make a temple: you can just paint any stone. You can try! Just bring a rock from anywhere, put it under
a tree, paint it red and just sit by the side with closed eyes. Within a few minutes you will see people are arriving.
Somebody will put flowers, somebody will bow down to the rock; they will think this is the statue of Hanumanji!
India does not believe in very costly things; it has made everything cheap. It is a poor country, you know, so
things have to be cheap, within everybody’s capacity. You can have as many gods as you want. Any stone will do;
just, if it is round it becomes Shankara, Shiva. If it is not round, ugly in shape, paint it red; it becomes Hanuman!
Just sit by the side and wait, and you will find worshippers have started coming.
I am not giving a bad time to the priests. In fact, the intelligent priests are immensely pleased with me.
Just the other day I received a card from a priest who is very happy because he has been listening to my
tapes, reading my books. He is happy because I am here a congratulation card from a priest! I am not giving
a hard time to intelligent priests. No, I am simply showing them the exit! And a few have escaped. There are
many priests, monks and nuns who have become sannyasins. And there is great fear now because if this goes on
happening there is danger.
The Protestant authorities in Germany have ordered all the Protestant churches of Germany that my name
has not to be mentioned in any sermon. There was an eighteen-page report published by a special commission
appointed by the Protestant church to investigate what I am saying. They have read all the books... and my
feeling is half of them will be converted because the report seems to be very confused! Sometimes they seem to
be favorable to me, sometimes they seem to be against me. They are not in a situation to say whether this man
is right or wrong. Their report is very revealing.
They say, ”This man talks like Jesus yet beware of him.” Now I think more priests, particularly Protestant
priests in Germany, will read the books. They have quoted all the books. They have given the names of the
books. Even the priests who would not have known about me will be knowing about me now! This is how things
happen in the world. This is a very strange world!
And I am not giving anybody a hard time. At the most, I told a few jokes about the priests. And my feeling
is that reading them when they are alone they must be enjoying!
The pope stood before a hushed crowd of attentive villagers and spoke to them, ”You must not use the Pill!”