Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Q: I see you sitting on an antelope skin. How does it tally with non-violence?
All my working life I was a cigarette-maker, helping people to spoil their health. And in front of my door the municipality has put up a public lavatory, spoiling my health. In this violent world how can one keep away from violence of some kind or other?
Q: Surely all avoidable violence should be avoided. And yet in India every holy man has his tiger, leopard or antelope skin to sit on.
Maybe because no plastics were available in ancient times and a skin was best to keep damp away. Rheumatism has no charm, even for a saint. Thus the tradition arise that for lengthy meditations a skin is needed. Just like the drum-hide in a temple, so is the antelope skin of a Yogi. We hardly notice it.
Q: But the animal had to be killed.
I have never heard of a Yogi killing a tiger for his side. The killers are not Yogis and the Yogis are not killers.
Q: Should you not express your disapproval by refusing to sit on a skin?
What an idea! I disapprove of the entire universe, why only a skin?
Q: What is wrong with the universe?
Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care of itself. You do not tidy up a dark room. You open the windows first. Letting in the light makes everything easy. So let us wait with improving others until we have seen ourselves as we are - and have changed. There is no need to turn round and round in endless questioning; find yourself and everything will fall into its proper place.
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