Another side of this horrible ego is the conditioning. That also has a very, very, very subtle ego, for example, supposing if somebody comes to your house and starts saying that ‘Ah, what a dirty carpet. I don’t like this color. That thing I don’t like’ without understanding that you are hurting another person. Talking like that, he comes inside. And then, you see how stupid he has been because nobody likes such a person who is talking like that. But to him, it is very important that he should correct because he has a conditioning that a particular type of carpet is good and another is not. That conditioning works. And he goes on talking nonsense that ‘This is not good, that is not good.’ You cannot enjoy anything. You cannot enjoy anything. You go to any home, you don’t like it because there’s conditioning. You know of something else which is good. No – so they can’t enjoy. Everything they decide on their conditioning. [There] Is nothing independent. It has nothing to do with the intrinsic personality. Intrinsic value of that thing. Just like that, ‘Oh, I don’t like it.’ It’s not good. Never use this word. You can find out from Me. I never do that. Whatever it is I say, it’s all right. I never criticize it. This criticism business comes from this conditioning because you have had such conditioning. Supposing you are an Englishman you have English conditioning. Now, correction comes. Their cows got this disease. How did they get the disease when you are such perfect people? Then in Europe the animals got one disease. How is it they got this disease when you think you are the cleanest people living ever? Just watch out why? It’s all their own conditioning that ‘We know everything. We are the best in the whole world and we have a right to rule everyone.’
This world is one and you need people from every country to help each other. But this conditioning of thinking themselves to be something great is a very bad conditioning. It is a mixture of ego with conditioning, conditioning giving the ego that ‘we are the best.’
When you understand your own value, you’ll understand everything. Otherwise, what is it? You are looking through your eyes or somebody else’s eyes? You’re hearing through your ears or somebody else’s ear? It should be your own, so know thyself. When you know thyself, everything will work out very well.
22.04.2001
