Enlightenment may not be by the corner, but there are things which are tremendously beautiful, peaceful, silent, very fulfilling. And by the time you reach to the corner, you will experience all those things and you will forget your past engagements, occupations. A great desire is bound to arise to go a little more, a little deeper; perhaps things are more juicy – and things are juicier the deeper you go.

And as the taste becomes your taste, not just my word, then it takes you. Even if the goal is miles away, a slight taste of evolving consciousness is enough seduction to follow the path.

But even when it was just around the corner, you did not explore the corner. On the contrary, you accepted the idea that it is just by the corner so what is the hurry? We can continue to be as we are. Any time, any day, when you don’t have anything else to do – when the girlfriend has escaped, when you have been thrown out of your job, when there is a strike in the office – you can have a look by the corner. But that moment never comes; one girlfriend leaves, and before she has even left the other has already arrived.

Mulla Nasruddin’s wife was dying, and Mulla asked, “Is there anything that I can do to make you happy in the last moments of your life?”

She said, “Yes, promise me that you will not marry that bitchy woman, Fatima.”

Nasruddin said, “Don’t be worried. Moreover, your clothes don’t fit her.”

He has already decided about Fatima. He’s just working out how to make his wife’s clothes fit her because she was fat, and Fatima is not fat – she’s young.

One problem leaves, and ten others are standing in a queue by your door. You were thinking that there will be some time left to inquire into enlightenment, but these problems go on growing – they are unending. Even when you are dying, you will have to leave things half done – many problems untouched. And now, because I cannot go on telling you that it is by the corner…sooner or later I have to tell you the fact that it is a long journey, long because of you. Seeing your approach, it is millions of miles long.

You can bring it back to the corner, but you have to create the passion. People are running after power, money, prestige – and they devote their whole lives to it. And things like enlightenment they want to get free. They don’t want to pay anything for them – not even a little walk.

Now you are saying, “It does not seem to matter really anymore, each day seeing you again is enough in itself.”

That is a very dangerous conclusion, because one day certainly you will not see me. I cannot help it. I would love to remain with you forever, but that is not how things happen. Today I’m with you, tomorrow is uncertain, and the day after tomorrow it is certain that I will have to leave.

You can be nourished by my presence, you can drink me, you can allow yourself to be showered by me; but all these things should create a passion to reach to the same state in which I am. Otherwise, you will not be able to console yourself – your misery will be great because you have made me something ultimate.