X-ray

When the pain in Mulla Nasruddin’s back became unbearable, he reluctantly went to a specialist to diagnose his problem.

“Well,” said the doctor, “your problem can be cured by an operation, two weeks in the hospital and six months totally horizontal.”

“Doctor, I can’t afford the cost of all that!” shouted Nasruddin.

 “Well then, for twenty-five dollars I can retouch the X-ray,” suggested the doctor.

This is cheap! – retouch the X-ray – but that is not going to make you healthy. That’s what we are doing: continuously retouching the X-ray, and thinking that somehow the miracle will happen. When you are decorating your ego you are retouching the X-ray. That is not going to help in any way; it is not going to help you become healthy. But it is cheaper: no operation is needed; at no cost. But what is the point?

Your misery remains. You become respectable and your misery remains. You become highly praised by society – your misery remains. You are decorated by medals, gold medals – Padma Bhushan, Victoria Cross – but your misery remains. These gold medals are not going to destroy your misery: they are like retouching the X-ray. All decoration on the ego, for the ego, is nothing but deceiving yourself.