So, we have created this society, so you are this society.
You understand?
You are the society.
So unless you change radically,
you’ll never change the society.
Communists have tried this, forcing, compelling,
secretly, viciously, destroying millions,
to force man, his psychology, his being,
to submit to various forms of compulsion.
You must know all this, this is history – daily newspaper.
And so, where there is division – please listen –
where there is division there must be conflict.
That’s law.
And we like conflict apparently,
to live with perpetual conflict.
So we must go back and find out what is the cause of this, all this.
Is it desire, is it fear, is it pleasure,
is this the avoidance of all pain, and therefore guilt?
You understand all this? Am I going too fast?
So let’s begin to find out for ourselves what is desire.
That’s the basis.
Desire to have power, desire to achieve,
desire to become somebody.
We are not against desire, we are not trying to suppress desire
or transcend desire, like the monks,
like most of you, transcend, control, suppress,
we’re not going into that.
We must together understand what is desire.
What is desire?
Are you working as hard as the speaker?
Or you just say, ‘Well, let’s listen to that man,
it’s a nice day, a nice morning’.
So we’re asking, what is desire?
How does it come about, what is it’s source?
Not how to suppress it, how to control it, or let it go,
but the root of it.
Aren’t you interested in that?
Aren’t you interested to find out what is the root of it?
Do you want me to explain? As usual.
Sir, explanation is not the thing.
The word is not this – I may call it ‘microphone’,
and you will call it ‘microphone’, but the word is not that.
Therefore explanation is not that.
The description is not that.
When one describes a marvellous tree,
the description is not the tree.
So, we are going to use words to convey to each other,
but the words, the description, is not the fact.
So, at least one learns that. The word is not the thing.
My wife, the word my ‘wife’ is not the wife.
If we can understand that simple fact,
you will treat her better.
So what is desire, and why does it dominate us?
What is its place, what is its nature? You understand?
What is desire? You understand?
All the monks the world over suppress desire,
or wanting to transcend desire,
or desire is identified with certain images,
certain symbols, certain rituals.
You’re all there some of you, the monks, etc.
What is desire?
Have you ever asked that question?
Or do you yield to desire,
whatever the consequence is?