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sleep. To his surprise, Tagore saw that the room was flooded with moonlight. The moonlight had been in his room for hours, but he had not noticed. Only when he switched off the table lamp, did he see. And he writes, "My table lamp ego did not allow the God-like moon to flood into my life." As long as we have the small ego lamp, we don't see the flood of cool, natural light; our ego looks only for that which confirms our beliefs and ideas. "Oh, he speaks of something different from my religion, my belief, my ideas, and my dreams...I don't want to hear that." But if you turn off the ego, you realize the very presence of God within you. Once this door opens, you become open. You can listen to others and learn. Everywhere you can see many viewpoints.
In the partnership of love and marriage, you don't treat your partner as an object of pleasure. Your partner is a partner sharing love; is a partner sharing feeling; is a partner sharing your divinity. And when you look into his or her eyes, you realize that you don't want to hurt your partner with criticism, finding fault, or blaming the family. You want to understand.
When people are not aware of who they are, they go on criticizing, pinching, nagging each other. They do it in the name of perfection, in the name of improvement, in the name of caring, in the name of helping. But violence is present because there is no understanding. No reverence. No love. When we have negativity and hate, do we feel joy? Do we feel love? Do we feel pleasantness? Do our eyes smile? Do our limbs dance? No! Negativity stifles, constricts and confines.
In one Indian town, a woman came to see me. She told me that her mother was sick and wanted me to come and bless her. But I saw that this woman was very old, so I asked, "You have a mother?" Yes," she said. I was curious and asked, "How old are you?" She answered, "I am ninety." Ninety? I was surprised. A ninety-year old daughter comes to take me to her mother? I asked, "How old is your mother?" "She's one hundred and ten," the woman told me. So, I went there. I saw. The mother's skin was so soft and tender. I touched her and it was like touching the holiest, highest, purest soul. So peaceful! I asked, "What is the secret of your longevity?" And she said, "I love everyone. I don't hate anybody. When anything happens I tell myself it is my karma. Nobody is responsible for my pain. I am responsible for my pain."
82-Journey to Enlightenment - Volume Two
