love, joy. When you perceive all that, there is the essence. And in that there are
no two essences.
When you use the word ‘essence’, what does it imply? You see, it is the
essence of the flower which makes the perfume. The essence has to come into
being. Now, how do you produce it? Do you distil it?—When flowers are
distilled, the essence of the flowers is the perfume.
D: When the pollution goes, it is essence.
F: There is the essence of friendship, of affection.
K: No, no. I would not use ‘essence’ in that way—as ‘essence of friendship’,
‘essence of jealousy’. No. No.
F: What do you mean by ‘essence’?
K: Just look. I have watched what we have been doing during these discussions.
We have observed the movement of thought as consciousness; we have observed
the whole of it—the content of the movement is consciousness. There is the
perception of that. The perception is the distillation of that; and that we call
‘essence’ which is pure intelligence. It is not my intelligence or your intelligence;
it is intelligence. It is essence. And when we observe the movement of love, hate,
pleasure, fear, which are all emotive, there is perception. And, as you perceive,
the essence comes out of that. There are no two essences.
D: Here comes my question. What is the relationship between essence as you
perceive it and uniqueness? I think they are interchangeable.
K: I think I would rather use the word ‘essence’.
P: The great masters of alchemy were called rasa-siddhas.
D: ‘They who are established in rasa’, that is, those who have attained, who have
their being in that.
K: During these days and before, one has watched the movement of thought. One
has watched it, and watched it without any choice; and in that is the essence. Out
of that choiceless observation, comes the essence of the one and the essence of
the other. Therefore what is the essence? Is it a refinement of emotions, or is it
totally unrelated to emotion?—and yet related, because it has been observed.
Right?
P: So energy which is attention—
K: Energy is essence.