Innocence

"That flower lying by the wayside, the sun, the earth, the wind and water, all have gone into making that flower; but the flower is none of them...." J.Krishnamurti

Sometime back I blogged about this flower. Today I am going to relate a different story about the flower.

A story had been taking rounds in E-mails some time back about the innocence of Socretes, one of the greatest philosophers this world ever produced. It says the the great thinker applied three filters before listening to a news to decide whether it is really worth listening to the news, whoever brings it. A disciple came to him one day and started telling "Sir, do you know somebody was telling me...." " Oh, wait it has to pass the three filters whatever you are going to tell me...err.... Is the news you are going to benefit me? " asked Socretes. "No" was the reply. Socretes asked again, " Is it going to benefit the person who gave the news to you?" Again there was a 'no' in reply. "Alright" said Socretes there is one more chance for you to deliver the news. Is it going to benefit you?" The fellow said "No" to this also. "Then I am not interested ". The circulated story gives the actual news that Plato, the closest disciple of Socretes was sleeping with Xanthippe, Socretes' wife! How innocent was the great philosopher!, - concludes the story.

A teen age high school girl is molested by her even teen age classmates. You and I declare on hearing the bad news, the innocent girl was raped by the beastly boys!

The smell of new heifer arouses a young bull in the herd making him chase and mate the heifer. We don't see the bull as a rapist or consider the heifer innocent. We don't even give a thought to such very natural things constantly going on around us.

It has always bothered me, what is innocence? What is ignorance? Ignorance is considered bad and innocence is natural. Even J.Krishnamurti declares, ".... I am not telling you about ignorance; it is innocence I am concerned with...."

What is innocence then? Is it lack of knowledge, right knowledge? But, the very sense of right and wrong, good and bad are given to me; they are not my discovery. All knowledge is given. When I go deep into any thought that comes to mind, I clearly see there is nothing in this mind other than coming from outside me. So according to me ignorance is lack of proper knowledge and innocence is absence of knowledge itself. That makes me declare that both Socretes and the teen age girls are not innocent but ignorant and all animals, which have no mind at all, not even knowing they are living beings are truly innocent, without even knowing that they live in total freedom allowed by nature.

Coming back to that flower, does that flower lying by the wayside knows it is the same sun, one of it makers is going to burn it? Or again, the water is going to wash it away in torrential rains, or the breeze taking it into nothingness and finally the earth is taking it back into its safe fold? That flower is the only innocent form of life in this world, right?