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DISCOURSE 86
181
FLOAT ON THE THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS OF THE SPEAKER
Once we went to a town. It was a small town. In that town, there were some two or three Jin temples and one large Upashraya. Discourses were arranged there. People came to the Upashraya to hear the discourse half-an-hour late. The discourse began. The listeners sat silent and still like stithaprajnas (men of absolute intellectual and emotional equanimity). Their faces were devoid of any feelings, enthusiasm or emotion. They sat like people at a meeting of condolence. I thought, “This is the first day. They are sitting thus probably because they are nut familiar with me". But the next day also, the same equanimity was perceptible in them! The same thing continued on the third and the fourth days also. I tried my best to disturb their equanimity but I could not.
From the Audience : Equanimity is a good quality; is it
not?
Maharajashri : It will be bad if I call it stupidity; so I called it equanimity. When you are listening to a discourse, your face must reveal your emotional response to the discourse. When there is something to laugh at; you must laugh. When some moving situation is described; you must show the feelings of kindness and compassion and when something is being said about renunciation, there should be a lofty feeling of detachment in your face shining forth.
If you are really absorbed in listening to a discussion of Dharmatatvas, these different emotions naturally appear in your face. If you are deeply interested in something, the corresponding emotion appears in your face. When you are deeply immersed in listening to the discourse, you will be naturally silent; and you will not at all feel like speaking.
From the Audience : Those who are sitting at a distance from the speaker cannot hear what he says, so naturally they begin talking
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