OSHO

Think about the mind As stars, a fault of vision, as a lamp,

A mock show, dewdrops, or a bubble, A dream, a lightning flash, or a cloud,

So should one view what is conditioned.

Mind is a conditioned phenomenon. It is the effect of some causes. You cannot destroy the effects directly, you will have to go to the causes. You cannot destroy a tree just by cutting its branches and leaves and foliage: you will have to go to the roots- and roots are hidden underneath. So are the roots in you. These things have to be understood. Buddha says: "Think of your mind as stars." Why? Stars exist only in darkness. When the morning comes and the sun rises they disappear.

So is your mind: it exists only in unconsciousness. When the sun of consciousness rises it disappears - just like stars. Don't fight with the stars. You will not be able to destroy them, they are millions. Just become more aware and they will disappear on their own accord

A fault of vision.... Your eye is ill, it has some fault. Then you see things which are not there. For example, you may be seeing double or you may be seeing patterns, because your eye is not as it should be. If your liver is not good your eyes will start seeing things which are not there; a weak liver, and eyes will see patterns in the air, bubbles, designs, patterns. They are not really there. they are caused by your eye itself. You cannot fight with them. you cannot destroy them, because they don't exist. All that is needed is that you will have to go to a physician. Your eye needs treatment, your eye needs to be cured.

Buddha used to say, "I am not a philosopher, I am a physician. 1 don't give you a doctrine. I doctor you. I don't give you a theory. I simply give you a medicine. I don't talk about what light is. I only help you open your eyes so you yourself can see it

The blind man cannot be helped by definitions of light and color and rainbows. The only help possible is that his eyes have to be brought back. You cannot explain to a deaf person what music Is. Only when he can hear will he know. The experience is the only explanation:

Third. Buddha says think of the mind as a lamp. Why as a lamp? The lamp burns only while the oil in it lasts. Once the oil is finished the flame disappears. So is the mind- and the oil is the desire. While there are desires in the mind, the mind will remain alive. Don't fight with the flame, just don't go on pouring fuel on it. Desire is the fuel.

Desire means, that which is, you are not satisfied with it, you want something else. You are not living in suchness - that's what desire means. Desire means you want things to be other than they are. You don't want them the way they are. You have your own ideas, you have your private dreams to impose upon reality. You are not contented with reality as such, you want to change it according to your heart's desire. Then mind will remain. Mind exists because you are not contented with reality.

So many people come to me and they ask, "How to stop the thoughts? They want to stop the thoughts directly. They cannot be stopped. Thoughts exist because desires exist. Unless you understand desire and drop desire, you will not be able to drop thoughts - because thoughts are by-products.

First the desire comes in. You see a beautiful car passing by and a desire arises. Buddha will say, "Say, 'Car, car. Finished. If a desire has arisen in you, say again. 'Desire, desire,' and be finished." But you have seen a beautiful car and a dream, a desire, takes posses- sion of you.

Now so many thoughts will arise: "How can I manage to pur- chase this car? Should I sell my house? Should I go to the bank?

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OSHO

The Diamond Sutra,