Life — a Continuous Evolution
The most fundamental question to be remembered is that one has to be constantly aware — one can never take for granted that suffering is over and there is bliss all around. If one takes it for granted that the suffering is over, then rest assured that the suffering will enter through the back door. One has to be constantly alert and aware.
Today, for the moment, there may be no jealousy, no passion, no anger, and so much love flowing naturally. When there is no passion and no jealousy, all the energies move into the direction of love. It is the same energy that becomes passion, that becomes jealousy. When there is no jealousy, no passion, all the energy is available for the flowers of love to bloom. But do not take it for granted. Do not think that the suffering is over for ever.
Life is a continuous evolution, and we have to be constantly alert, otherwise we can fall back into the old patterns very easily. And the old patterns have persisted so long, they have become so ingrained in our blood, in our bones, in our very marrow, that one moment of unconsciousness and we are back. We have to go on being aware.
We are never aware of our potential unless it becomes actual. We have seen a beautiful space of non-jealous love. Passion is a kind of fever, and it consumes tremendous energy. Fever naturally consumes energy — and passion is fever. When passion disappears, compassion arises. And compassion is cool. Passion is hot, it burns us. Compassion is cool — not cold. Hatred is cold, lust is hot. Exactly between the two is the golden mean, neither hot nor cold. Then we are in a state of cool warmth. Very paradoxical it seems — cool warmth. It is not hot, but it is warm; it is not cold, but it is cool.
A warm coolness is the right climate for the lotus of love to blossom. But do not take it for granted. Never take anything for granted! Each moment we have to conquer it again and again. Life is a continuous conquest. It is not that once and for all it is settled and then we can fall asleep and stay unconscious and there is no worry left. Again, we will be back in the same rut — unless we learn to live in awareness and manage the inevitable downturns of life.
When we have something precious, we have to be more aware. When we have nothing to lose, we can be unconscious, we can fall asleep; there is no problem. But when we have something to lose — and this is something precious — we have to be more conscious, be more alert.
