Ultimate Values

The alchemy of transforming destructive unconscious energies into nourishing creative qualities

When we condemn the old concepts of morality as a fixed discipline, and bring out awareness as a virtue, then the ultimate qualities of a person will be decisive of whether they are enlightened or not.

All unconscious qualities/energies can be transformed, by the alchemy of awareness, into their opposite, positive values – for example, fear to love.

The state of unconsciousness is like the roots of a tree. The roots of the tree remain underground, you don’t see them. That’s how our unconscious is, underground; we don’t see it, but it affects everything. And unless you understand your roots you cannot have a real experience of your total being.

The branches of the tree are like our so-called consciousness: but this is just a thin layer. You have to use this small fragment of awareness as a seed and you have to start growing it, nourishing it, helping it in every way, co-operating with it. Slowly, slowly, the territory of the conscious becomes bigger and bigger and the unconscious goes on shrinking, disappearing. Finally the whole unconscious territory is claimed by the consciousness. That is the moment you start growing flowers; for the first time your tree has flowers.

And when one hundred per cent of the territory is reclaimed, when nothing of the unconscious remains in you, your flowers release their fragrance. In the East we have called that fragrance Buddhahood, awakenedness. And unless you have become a pure fragrance, your life has been a sheer wastage.

Awareness gives your life a new sense, a new insight, a new joy, a new ecstasy – unexperienced before, undreamt before. Life starts becoming more like a song. It starts having more and more music in it, it starts becoming harmonious; all discord disappears.

For the first time you experience utter silence, so profound that it is absolutely unfathomable, immeasurable. You can dive into it and disappear, but that disappearance is not death.