A: Instead of the one act of perception we have our deep conditioning. Cultural,
sociological, and anthropological conditioning together create a ready frame of
reference which gives us security.
K: Why do you do this, sir?
R: We have been brought up that way.
K: That is not good enough. Do you know why we do this? We know that it is
economically and sociologically beneficial. Tribalism still persists; it is
tremendously important. Step out of the patterns, the formulas—of Hinduism, of
Islam—and you will see what happens. Personally I have no formulas. Why do
you have them? Find out.
Formulas, which are patterns, give us safe conduct in action. We lay down the
line according to which we act, and in that there is safety. So fear of insecurity
must be one reason why we have formulas, ideas. The mind wants to be certain;
the brain cells function perfectly only when there is complete security. I wonder
whether you have yourself not noticed that the brain cells function only when
there is order. And there is order in a formula.
A: Do you mean that physiologically we have an inbuilt need for order?
K: Even physiologically speaking, the organism rebels if you do not have a
certain type of order. Order is essential. Have you not noticed that before going
to sleep the brain tries to establish order, saying: I should not have done this; I
should not have said that? And, unless you establish order before going to sleep,
the brain creates its own order. These are all facts.
Formulas are one of the safest ways of conducting one’s life without disorder.
They are necessary for a mind that wants order, that hopes to find order. What
happens to the mind which finds safety in gurus or in various forms of
tribalism?—the Brahmin tribe, the Hindu tribe, or the Indian tribe. To call
yourself an Indian is to be safe. To belong to Jehovah is to be treated as one
belonging to a group. As long as I belong to some sect, to some guru, I am safe.
What happens when I have my formula and you have your formula, when I am a
Hindu and you are a Muslim? There is division; therefore insecurity.
The brain demands order, it demands security; otherwise it cannot function
properly. It uses formulas as a means to order. Seeking order through formulas
creates division and disorder. Once I see the real danger in all this, what
happens? Then I do not seek security in formulas; then I inquire whether there is
safety in any other direction, and whether there is any such thing as safety at all.
A: But the brain needs safety.
K: The brain must have order.
A: Order is not safety.