But the moment you are awake, the whole becomes a mystery. Suddenly all knowledge evaporates like dewdrops in the early morning sun. For the first time your eyes are full of wonder like a child. It is a second birth! In India we have called the man who comes to know the mystery of existence, dwij – twice-born.

Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Unless you are born again you will not enter into my kingdom of God.” He also says, “Unless you are like a child you will not enter into my kingdom of God.” What does he mean? He simply means that a rebirth is needed. The way you have lived is the way of the ego. You have to drop that whole lifestyle. You have lived believing that you are separate from the whole.

It is as if a leaf on the tree believes that it is separate from the tree, although believing makes no difference in reality – it is still part of the tree. But its belief will create much misery for it because the moment the leaf starts believing, “I am separate,” it starts dreaming of separate aspirations of its own. It starts thinking in terms of achieving something. It becomes ambitious, it has to reach some goals. It starts deciding its own goals – which are not possible, because when the wind comes and the whole tree sways and dances, this small leaf wants not to dance. Now there is frustration. It has to dance with the whole tree. Hence the proverb: Man proposes and God disposes. God really never disposes.

The problem is you, the problem is in you, the problem is in your very proposal. The leaf is proposing that “I want to be still,” and the whole tree is dancing. Now, it is not possible. The leaf of course will think the leaf proposes and the tree disposes and then what can the tree do? The tree is part of the earth, of the sky, of the sun. The tree cannot exist without the sun, without the wind, without the rain – it is part of it. What can the tree do? The wind is blowing, it is swaying with the wind. The tree is part of a bigger phenomenon. Everything is part of something bigger. Ultimately we are part of one organic unity; we are rooted in existence.

But our whole effort, our whole education, our whole so-called religion, culture – they all give us the idea that “You are separate.” Even the so-called religion which goes on talking about dropping your ego on one hand, and on another hand goes on nourishing and feeding your ego…. “Be virtuous and you will be respected,” they say. You will be respected, remember. “Be virtuous, be knowledgeable, and you will be respected – not only here but even after death, in the other world too. You will go to paradise, to heaven and those who are not virtuous will fall into hell.” As if we are separate!

Buddha has said: “The moment I became enlightened, the whole existence became enlightened with me.” Now there is something of tremendous significance. What does he mean by this statement? Certainly you are not enlightened, but he is saying, “The moment I became enlightened I came to know that I am not separate. And if I am enlightened, the whole existence is enlightened, because there is no separation anywhere, there is no demarcation. Either the whole is enlightened or I am not enlightened; there is no other possibility.”