On the Matter of Trust

DEVOTEE: I feel there is a real fierceness for the truth.

PAPAJI: What?

DEVOTEE: There is a fierceness…

PAPAJI: Fierceness, fierce…

DEVOTEE: Strong — for the truth.

PAPAJI Yes. 

DEVOTEE: Can I trust this?

PAPAJI: Trust will not do, will not help.  You remove the mistrust first. You remove the snake which is not true. That was a doubt. It was not a snake. You simply remove the snake whatever it is. Then essence will show what it was. When you see a snake which was not a snake in the evening, it may be water line that you see. In the evening you think you see a snake. So you get afraid. You can’t go on the other side. You’re collecting sticks and stones but if you’re careful and quiet, you start moving. “Let me go near and search”. Then the snake will disappear. It was just a water line, you see. Someone, some animal has passed, so that water line was there. It looked like snake, that’s all. So that never existed. It looked like reality and fear came. You decide it’s a snake, therefore, you are afraid. But when you carefully study it, go near, see, and reason about it — it’s not moving, not shaking— perhaps the line of water will simply be apparent.  So this depends upon you. It needs discerning — then you don’t really need trust. It is a fact. You are essence. This is a fact. You don’t need any trust. You must have mistrust in what is not there. That mistrust you have to remove. This snake you have to remove by mistrust. It’s not there. It will go. So what of all this ego. Actually it’s not there. It vanishes also. When you sleep all the egos vanish. So what rises and vanishes is not true. What appears and disappears — this snake appeared and disappeared — is not true. Body that appears and disappears is not true. Find out which is eternal.