To think together does not imply agreement or disagreement, but putting aside one’s own particular point of view—one’s own particular prejudice, opinion, judgment—and having the capacity, thus, to think together.
If we are able to think together, the division between “you” and “another” comes to an end. There is only thinking. Not your way of thinking or another way of thinking, just the capacity to think together. But that is not possible if you don’t put aside your own particular conclusions, your own vanity, your own personal demands.
What is your relationship to another when “tomorrow,” psychologically, is not there?
The ancient Hindus and the Greeks formulated a concept of a good society. (Don’t get bored with this!) They said, “A good society is this, this, this.” Greeks said a good society is justice, and so on, so on. The ancient Hindus said a good society is only possible if there are a group of people who have renounced the world—please, careful! I am not asking you to do it; anything. I am pointing out—who do not own property, who are outside society, and—being outside society—they are responsible to the activities of the society. You follow?
You are the rest of mankind. If you see that, you won’t give such tremendous importance to yourself.
We are saying a good society can come into being immediately—not something to be achieved in the future—that [a] good society can come into being only when we think together, which means no division between you and another. Then, our whole conduct changes. Right? Do you see that? Then, one does not exploit the other, either sexually, or in various psychological, subtle ways.
What has happened to a mind that has been accustomed, trained, educated, conditioned to accept the whole pattern of a life which is based on the future?
Find out for yourself what happens if you do not think in terms of the future.
Some have said you can have such a good society if you alter the circumstances, the environment. The communists, the socialists—all the rest of the world—says change all that through law, democratically if you can. If you cannot, totalitarian: suppress, conform, force. But: change the environment. They have tried it in ten different ways. That’s never happened. Man has not changed, either as a Christian human being, or a Hindu—he has not changed radically. Why?
Why has there been, in the world, thousands and thousands of years this constant division? The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians—you know, the whole division. Why? Is it because no two human beings have ever found out how to think together? You understand my point? You and I can’t think together. I want to. The speaker says, “For God’s sake, let’s think together! Because we will create a different world altogether.” But you say, “Sorry. I want my opinions, I like my opinions, I cannot let go [of] my experiences, my pleasures.” So it keeps that division going.
You had fifty-two years. Why in the name of heavens haven’t you changed? So it means you are accepting the future. Something will happen to make you change.
Will a belief bring us together?
What will bring us together? Belief won’t. Authority of any kind is rejected. The reward by another as a means for you to change is also rejected. And if you say you are going to be punished in heaven for not obeying, you say “Go away, don’t be silly,” and you pass him. So what will make us come together?
You won’t listen if you are prejudiced. Right? So, will you drop your prejudice?
Gosh! Will you let your past go? Your hurts, the wounds that you have received, the unfulfilled desires, the anxieties—which is the past.
Our difficulty is to let go, [of] either the past or the future, because we are frightened.
What shall we do to bring about a feeling that we are not separate; we are together?
What will make you change? Being hit on the head? Offering you a reward? What will make you change so that you say, “Look, it is the greatest importance in life to be together!”
We think we are secure in our separateness.
Each one of us thinks—because we have a particular name, a form, a job, a bank account, belong to a particular nation, particular group—we are safe, secure. And I say: are you secure? Obviously you are not. So, you follow? You want to be secure, completely, in your isolation, and the moment you are isolated you cannot be secure. That is what each nation is saying: we must be secure, we must build up arms, we must protect ourselves against you! So each human being wants to be secure in his isolation. Oh, for God’s sake! And when you are isolated you can never be secure!
