I have seen people in temples – because in temples you have to leave your shoes outside – with their hands folded towards the statue of God, but they are looking at the door where they have left their shoes. They think they are praying to God, but anyone can see they are praying to the shoes. Their minds are preoccupied that somebody may take away the shoes. Just to avoid this, Mohammedans had to find a way: they take the shoes with them into the mosque. They have found a strategy – they put the shoes sole to sole and sit on them, so no fear of anybody…otherwise the shoe remains so much in the mind that it is almost insulting to God.
You have to watch what your preoccupations are that create the wall – and you forget to listen. Removing that wall is not difficult; just watching the futility of it is enough for its disappearance.
Sidney is visiting the psychiatrist. “Okay, Sidney,” says the psychiatrist, “what’s this?” and he shows Sidney a triangle.
“That’s a keyhole,” says Sidney, “and what’s going on behind there!”
The psychiatrist then shows Sidney a rectangle. “What’s this?” he asks.
“A motel window,” says Sidney, “and what’s going on behind there!”
The psychiatrist shows Sidney a circle. “What’s this?” he asks.
“A porthole,” replies Sidney. “And boy, oh boy,” he continues, “what’s going on there!”
“Well,” says the psychiatrist, “you certainly are sexually disturbed.”
“I am sexually disturbed?” Sidney exclaims. “What about you? – showing me all those dirty pictures!”
A preoccupied mind goes on projecting its own preoccupation on everything. And because it is so full of its own thoughts, it cannot allow any listening.
You have known perfectly well that there have been times that listening has happened and you have seen the great transformation that it brings. But you have not watched closely that it has always been a happening, not a doing. Once you understand that something is a happening, all that is left for you is negative doing. You simply remove the obstacles, the hindrances that prevent the happening, that prevent the spontaneous reaching to you, that prevent the opening of your heart. And remember, there is no technique to make the happening happen.
The happening simply means it is beyond you – it comes like a breeze. All that you can do is keep your windows and doors open – that is the negative part. Just by opening the windows it is not certain that the breeze will come immediately. The breeze is not just waiting by the side of the window, so that you open it and the breeze comes in…but an open window is an invitation.
An open window is saying to the breeze, “I am ready; if you come you will be welcomed, you will not be sent back. I am available.” Hence, just do the negative part and wait. Slowly, slowly the transformation goes so deep that preoccupation of the mind becomes impossible. When you can manage to have diamonds, naturally you will lose interest in stones. When you can have real roses come to you each moment, you will lose interest in plastic roses.
Nothing has to be done; it simply is the way things happen. Just get in contact with the higher, and the lower disappears. And to get in contact with the higher, you have only to make a passage for it to reach to you.