The followers of the awakened
awake
and day and night they watch
and meditate upon their master.

Forever wakeful,
they mind the law.

They know their brothers on the way.
They understand the mystery of the body.
They find joy in all beings.
They delight in meditation.

It is hard to live in the world
and hard to live out of it.
It is hard to be one among many.

And for the wanderer, how long is the road
wandering through many lives!

Let him rest.
Let him not suffer.
Let him not fall into suffering.

If he is a good man,
a man of faith, honored and prosperous,
wherever he goes he is welcome.

Like the Himalayas
good men shine from afar,
but bad men move unseen
like arrows in the night.

Sit.
Rest.
Work.

Alone with yourself,
never weary.

On the edge of the forest
live joyfully,
without desire.

Three reformed and very progressive rabbis were boasting about the advanced views of their respective congregations.

“We are so modern,” said the first, “we have installed ashtrays in every pew so members can smoke while they pray.”

“Ah!” snorted the second. “We now have a snack bar in the basement that serves ham sandwiches after services.”

“You boys,” said the third, “are not even in the same class as my congregation. We are so reformed, we close for the Jewish holidays.”

That’s what has happened to all the so-called followers – Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists. They are not real followers; their being a follower is only a formality. It is just by accident of birth that one is a Hindu and another is a Christian. It is not out of your own choice, it is not your commitment. You have not chosen to be a Christian or a Hindu or a Buddhist; hence it is absolutely meaningless, it carries no weight. It is at the most a social phenomenon. It has nothing to do with religion, it has no sacredness about it – a social conformity, useful in its own ways.

Your church is nothing but a club. Just as there are Rotarians, so there are Christians. You belong to a certain club and the club has a few privileges; belonging to it, you also have the right to have those privileges. It is not a search for truth because the search for truth does not make you part of a tradition. It certainly makes you a disciple, but not a part of a dead tradition, religion, organization. It certainly brings you close to a Christ or a Buddha, but it has nothing to do with the scriptures.