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your shadow appears behind you； it also runs with you。
everyone can see the shadow； no one can deny it。
and yet it can be said that there is no shadow because it has no entity of its own。
the shadow exists because your body obstructs the sunlight。
when the light is covered by your body； a shadow is formed； when the sun es above your head； no shadow is formed because the sunrays are not obstructed。
if we were to make a human figure of glass； no shadow would ever appear because the rays would pass through the glass。
when light is hindered； a shadow is formed； a shadow is merely an absence of light。
so if a person says the shadow exists； he is not wrong。
but this is a half…truth。
he should further add that the shadow does not exist。
then the truth bees plete。
this means a shadow is something which exists and yet does not exist。
but with our way of thinking； we cannot see anything unless it is divided into two independent parts。
once a man was tried for murder。
he had killed a man； and those who had seen the crime being mitted had e forward as witnesses。
one witness said； 〃the crime was mitted in the open and there were stars shining in the sky。
i saw the stars as well as the murder。
〃 he was followed by another eyewitness who said； 〃the crime was mitted inside the house； near the door； close to a wall。
there are bloodstains on the wall； and since i was standing beside the wall； my clothes were also stained with blood。
this murder took place inside the house。
〃
the judge was puzzled。
how could both be telling the truth？ obviously； one of them was lying。
the murderer began to laugh。
the judge asked what was so funny。
the man said； 〃let me tell you that both of them are right。
the house was inplete； the roof had not yet been laid …… the stars could be seen above。
the murder took place under the open sky； but close to the door； close to the wall which bears the bloodstains。
the house was almost ready； the walls had been raised； only the roofing was not yet done。
so both are right。
〃
life is so plicated that even the things we find contradictory in it turn out to be right。
life is highly plex。
life is not the way we think it is …… it contains many contradictions； it is very vast。
in one sense； death is the greatest truth …… because the way we are living will e to an end； we will die the way we are； and the framework we have created will also be destroyed。
those we see as constituting our whole world …… wife； husband； son； father； friend …… they will all die。
and yet death is a falsehood； because there is someone who dwells inside the son who is not the son and who will never die。
there is someone who dwells inside the father who is not the father and who will never die。
the father； of course； will die； but there is someone within him besides …… different from the father； separate； more than any relative …… who will never die。
the body will die but there is someone within the body who never dies。
both these things are simultaneously true。
so both these things need to be kept in mind to understand the nature of death。
question 2
another friend has asked： the things we want to destroy …… such as the chains of blind faith or superstition …… find even more confirmation in your talks。
it seems； according to what you are saying； that there is life after death； that there are gods and there are ghosts； that there is transmigration of the soul。
in that case； it would be difficult to get rid of superstitions； wont they bee even stronger？
two things need to be understood here。
one is： if something is accepted as a superstition without researching and investigating it properly； then that is tantamount to creating an even greater superstition； it shows a highly superstitious mind。
one man believes there are ghosts and evil spirits and you call him superstitious； you believe there are none and that makes you feel that you are very knowledgeable。
but the question is： what is superstition？ if someone believes there are ghosts and evil spirits without any investigation； that is superstition； and if someone else believes there are no such things； without investigation； then that is superstition too。
superstition means believing something without knowing it to be true。
just because someone holds beliefs contrary to yours does not mean he is superstitious。
a believer in god can be as gullible as a nonbeliever。
we must understand the definition of superstition。
it means to believe in something blindly without verification。
the russians are superstitious atheists； the indians are superstitious theists …… both suffer from blind faith。
the russians have never cared to discover there is no god and then believed it to be so； nor have the indians tried to ascertain that god is before believing it to be so。
so do not be mistaken in thinking that theists alone are superstitious； atheists have their own superstitions too。
and the strange thing is that there is also a scientific superstition。
it sounds contradictory： how can there be a scientific superstition？
if you have studied geometry； you must have e across euclids definition where he says a line has length but no breadth。
now； what can be more superstitious than this？ there has never been a line with no breadth。
children are taught that a point has neither length nor breadth； and even the greatest scientist works on the assumption that a point has no length or breadth。
can a point exist without length and breadth？
we are all used to the digits one through nine。
one may well ask： is this any less than superstition？ why nine digits？ no scientist can explain why nine digits。
why not seven？ whats wrong with seven？ why not three？ there are mathematicians …… liebnitz was one of them …… who got along with three digits。
he said： one； two； three is followed by ten； eleven； twelve； thirteen； then twenty； twenty…one； twenty…two； twenty…three。
his numbering system was such； he got along very well with it； and he challenged those who disagreed with him to prove him wrong。
he questioned the need for nine digits。
later on； einstein said that even three digits are also unnecessary； that one can even get along with two； it will be difficult with only one digit； but one can manage with two。
that there should be nine digits in mathematics is a scientific superstition。
but the mathematician is not ready to give up either。
he says； 〃how can you work with less than nine digits？〃 so this is just a belief too； it has no more significance than that。
from a scientific point of view we believe thousands of things to be right； but they are actually superstitions。
scientists are also superstitious； and in this age religious superstitions are fading while scientific superstitions are growing。
the difference between the two is simply that if you ask a religious person how he came to know about god he will say it is written in the gita； and if you ask him how he came to know there are nine digits in arithmetic； he will say it is written in such…and…such a mathematicians book。
what is the difference between the two？ one kind of answer is found in the gita； in the koran； another kind of answer is found in a book of mathematics。
what is the difference？ this shows we have to understand what is really meant by superstition。
superstition means that which we believe in without having knowledge of it。
we accept many things and we reject many things without knowing anything about them …… this is superstitious too。
suppose a man in a village is possessed by a ghost。
educated people will say it is superstition。
let us assume the uneducated people are superstitious； we have already branded them as superstitious because； being uneducated； these simple people are unable to offer any argument in favor of their belief。
so all the educated people of the village maintain that the story of this man being possessed by an evil spirit is fake； but they dont know that at a university like harvard； in america； there is a department conducting research into ghosts and spirits。
the department has even circulated pho