The auric fields of the astral and mental bodies extend much further from the physical body than that of the etheric body, which stands out no more than a half inch or so. The undulating flow and rhythmically shimmering color of the mental and astral bodies give the impression that they are moved by a breeze. In people, when the activity of the being is intensified, as during meditation, its energies pour through the fields of the mental, astral and etheric bodies, increasing their size and the brilliance of their colors. Auras are often depicted as a field of flames surrounding the physical body.

Now Avirbhava and Anando, bring your mechanism.

(Sure enough, the mysterious box illuminates the bulbs held by Anando and Avirbhava. The assembly cheers the new addition, and it is wheeled away.)

Maneesha has brought these sutras.

Joshu stayed with Nansen for thirty years. After his enlightenment he lived for thirty years more in the Kuan-yin temple. Once, he said:
“Smoke from the chimneys around me I see in vain, no bun or rice cake since last year have I eaten. Now thoughts of them make my mouth water.
“Not mindful of Buddhism, I often sigh deep sighs. None of the people of one hundred houses are good: every visitor only asks me for a cup of tea. If not given enough, he angrily leaves me.”

What he is saying is all symbolic. First you have to understand that Nansen stayed with his disciple Joshu for thirty years, waiting for the time when Joshu completely and totally opens up and becomes a flower of spiritual splendor. What you have to note about it is that neither is the master in a hurry, nor is the disciple in a hurry. Nowadays, to tell somebody that, “You will have to stay here thirty years, then you can hope – perhaps, it cannot be guaranteed – that you may become enlightened”…

The world has changed in many ways. The most important way is that everybody is in a hurry, not knowing for what. Everybody is running, not knowing where and why. Everybody is collecting money, power, prestige, without ever thinking – what are you going to do with all this? Soon, death will knock on your doors and everything will be taken away.

That which can be taken away by death is worthless to accumulate. Accumulate something that death cannot destroy. There were times when people were interested only in the immortal. That which dies is already dead; it is only a question of time, whether it is today or tomorrow. The body dies, the mind dies, they are of interest no more. The interest has to go deeper – is there something in you, hidden deep in your empty heart, which does not die? Discover it while there is time.

The whole effort of a certain golden age that we have passed and completely forgotten…all the intelligent people were interested only in one thing: to find the eternal in man. So thirty years was not a question; nobody counted time. The calendar was not consulted. Nobody said to the master, “Now I have been here for two years and nothing has happened.”