The Enlightened Man proclaimed to one and all that he was free of any sense of "I", had no attachments, and that he no longer suffered. Unfortunately, he agreed to a Q&A session. The transcript follows:
Q: So if I hit your ankle, there is no pain?
A: There is pain, but no suffering.
Q: No suffering, as in?
A: Full acceptance of the pain and no desire to be free of this pain.
Q: So if I keep hitting you, you won't move your leg away?
A: That will happen, but there is no desire to move it away.
Q: Then why move it away?
A: Because it is sensible to do so.
Q: So if someone wants to avoid pain, and thereby "suffers", is that not sensible?
A: It is sensible, as long as if one is unable to, one doesn't cry about it.
Q: Oh, so wanting to avoid pain is alright. Accepting inevitable pain is what distinguishes you from Ron?
A: Pretty much.
Q: How do you conclude that a particular pain is inevitable? Let's say you are in a jail with lots of mosquitoes. Will you try to escape that jail, or accept that the jail is inevitable? What about a life-threatening disease? Will you get it treated, or accept that it is what it is?
A: (inaudible)
...
Q: So why are you still making efforts to remain alive?
A: It is effortless. People give me food, and I eat it.
Q: How did people come to know that you are a holy man and that they should give food to you? After all, they don't give such good food to any odd guy on the street.
A: After I became enlightened, I told them. That's how I became well-known.
Q: What was the reason you proclaimed to one and all about your special state?
A: I had found the secret to everlasting bliss and it was natural for me to want to share what I was experiencing.
Q: Is it possible people are giving food and gold to you in the hope that they can also experience what you claim you are experiencing? Aren't you therefore exploiting their ill-informed hope?
A: It is possible. But I have no desire to exploit them. If they give me something of their own free will, that is their choice.
Q: Why do you then sit on a pedestal and make people feel as if they have received a blessing from a great man?
A: I have compassion for all. I cannot help but bless anyone who comes to me.
Q: Does the blessing actually help them?
A: It does make them feel good, doesn't it?
Q: How should they distinguish between a truly blessed man like you, and an impostor? As you know, there are many of those around.
A: That distinguishing can't be done by a lay person. Only a blessed man can recognize another.
Q: Do you know of any other blessed man currently alive?
A: None. All others are impostors.
...
Q: If you are free from all attachments, how come you have such nice cars and a nice mansion?
A: That just happens to be given to me to use. They can be taken away and I will still be happy.
Q: Why don't you give them away?
A: There is no reason to.
Q: But selling them and using the proceeds might help people who are poor and in need of, say, medical treatment.
A: One can't remove all suffering. Even if I do all in my power, suffering will still continue for so many. I intend to help people remove the root cause of suffering. Helping people materially is not my intent.
Q: But if someone is suffering from a lot of pain and is bed-ridden, won't it help them if they are somewhat free from pain and can come listen to you and follow your advice?
A: (inaudible)
...
Q: Will a man free from desire and attachment still be able to be a family man?
A: Yes, why not?
Q: But if he has no desires, why will he want a sexual partner?
A: He won't. But women might come to him on their own.
Q: But he will have to remove his clothes and make love to one of them? Why will he do that?
A: It will be natural, and not an outcome of desire.
Q: So, the beauty of the woman will play no part in it I guess? Beauty is intimately tied to attraction and desire. The women I see in your harem are all quite young and pretty. Why no ugly or fat women?
A: Well, only the outwardly beautiful have the inner beauty which makes them come to me.
Q: Say that again? You mean if an ugly or fat woman comes to you, you will make love to her also?
A: (inaudible)
(to be continued)
Q: So if I hit your ankle, there is no pain?
A: There is pain, but no suffering.
Q: No suffering, as in?
A: Full acceptance of the pain and no desire to be free of this pain.
Q: So if I keep hitting you, you won't move your leg away?
A: That will happen, but there is no desire to move it away.
Q: Then why move it away?
A: Because it is sensible to do so.
Q: So if someone wants to avoid pain, and thereby "suffers", is that not sensible?
A: It is sensible, as long as if one is unable to, one doesn't cry about it.
Q: Oh, so wanting to avoid pain is alright. Accepting inevitable pain is what distinguishes you from Ron?
A: Pretty much.
Q: How do you conclude that a particular pain is inevitable? Let's say you are in a jail with lots of mosquitoes. Will you try to escape that jail, or accept that the jail is inevitable? What about a life-threatening disease? Will you get it treated, or accept that it is what it is?
A: (inaudible)
...
Q: So why are you still making efforts to remain alive?
A: It is effortless. People give me food, and I eat it.
Q: How did people come to know that you are a holy man and that they should give food to you? After all, they don't give such good food to any odd guy on the street.
A: After I became enlightened, I told them. That's how I became well-known.
Q: What was the reason you proclaimed to one and all about your special state?
A: I had found the secret to everlasting bliss and it was natural for me to want to share what I was experiencing.
Q: Is it possible people are giving food and gold to you in the hope that they can also experience what you claim you are experiencing? Aren't you therefore exploiting their ill-informed hope?
A: It is possible. But I have no desire to exploit them. If they give me something of their own free will, that is their choice.
Q: Why do you then sit on a pedestal and make people feel as if they have received a blessing from a great man?
A: I have compassion for all. I cannot help but bless anyone who comes to me.
Q: Does the blessing actually help them?
A: It does make them feel good, doesn't it?
Q: How should they distinguish between a truly blessed man like you, and an impostor? As you know, there are many of those around.
A: That distinguishing can't be done by a lay person. Only a blessed man can recognize another.
Q: Do you know of any other blessed man currently alive?
A: None. All others are impostors.
...
Q: If you are free from all attachments, how come you have such nice cars and a nice mansion?
A: That just happens to be given to me to use. They can be taken away and I will still be happy.
Q: Why don't you give them away?
A: There is no reason to.
Q: But selling them and using the proceeds might help people who are poor and in need of, say, medical treatment.
A: One can't remove all suffering. Even if I do all in my power, suffering will still continue for so many. I intend to help people remove the root cause of suffering. Helping people materially is not my intent.
Q: But if someone is suffering from a lot of pain and is bed-ridden, won't it help them if they are somewhat free from pain and can come listen to you and follow your advice?
A: (inaudible)
...
Q: Will a man free from desire and attachment still be able to be a family man?
A: Yes, why not?
Q: But if he has no desires, why will he want a sexual partner?
A: He won't. But women might come to him on their own.
Q: But he will have to remove his clothes and make love to one of them? Why will he do that?
A: It will be natural, and not an outcome of desire.
Q: So, the beauty of the woman will play no part in it I guess? Beauty is intimately tied to attraction and desire. The women I see in your harem are all quite young and pretty. Why no ugly or fat women?
A: Well, only the outwardly beautiful have the inner beauty which makes them come to me.
Q: Say that again? You mean if an ugly or fat woman comes to you, you will make love to her also?
A: (inaudible)
(to be continued)
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