Freedom from the Known

Chapter One"Man's Search-The Tortured Mind-the Traditional Approach-The Trap of Respectability-The Human Being and the Individual-The Battle of ExistenceThe Basic Nature of Man --Responsibility --TruthSelf --transformation --Dissipation of Energy--Freedom from Authority" Man has throughout the ages been seeking something beyond himself, beyond material welfare--something we call truth or God or reality, a timeless state --something that cannot be disturbed by circumstances, by thought or by human corruption. Man has always asked the question: what is it all about? Has life any meaning. at all? He sees the enormous confusion of life, the brutalities, the revolts, the wars, the endless divisions of religion, ideology and nationality, and with a sense of deep abiding frustration he asks, what is one to do, what is this thing we call living, is there anything beyond it? And not finding this nameless thing of a thousand names which he has always sought, he has cultivated faith-faith in a saviour or an ideal-and faith invariably breeds violence. In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behaviour as part of our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be. We look to someone to tell us what is right or wrong behaviour, what is right or wrong following this pattern our conduct and thought, and inour thinking become mechanical, our responses automatic. We can observe this very easily in ourselves.For centuries we have been spoon-fed by our teachers, by our authorities, byour books) our saints. We say, 'Tellme all about it--what lies beyond the hills and the moun-tains and the earth?' and we are satisfied with their descrip-tions, which means that we live on words and our life isshallow and empty. We are second-hand people. We havelived on what