Question: What is maturity?
Speaker: Whenever we mention the word ‘maturity’, we mention it in the sense of growing up. We mention it in the sense of ‘becoming’ mature. What we mean is- maturity is something to be achieved. You ‘become’ mature. Notice the word ‘become.’ ‘I am not mature, I will ‘become’ mature.’ For us maturity is something in the future. For us maturity is something to be achieved through a process after a period of time. Right? You say,’These experiences made me mature.’ So something will happen which will bring maturity to you, but you are firmly convinced that right now you are not mature.
Let me give you an alternative, let me say something little different. May be ‘maturity’ is not an achievement, may be ‘maturity’ is not what you become, may be mature is already what you are, may be ‘maturity’ is something what you discover.
There is a difference between discovery and achievement. Do you understand that- the difference between discovery and achievement? When you say, ‘I am achieving something’, what you mean is, ‘I do not have it and I will be getting it.’ That is what you mean by achievement. What is meant by discovery? It is there, it is right here, but it is covered, so I cannot see it. So what am I doing?’ I am discovering it.’ ‘I am not achieving, I am just discovering what is already there.’
Maturity is something to be discovered. At our age, given that we all are adults, young adults, maturity is already there right with us, right within us. All of us are already mature. When we sit here, none of us need to achieve maturity. I will not say the same thing to an eight year old. With the eight year old, the physical apparatus is not yet ready; the brain is not yet ripe. But as far as we go, as far as anybody after the age of twelve, fourteen or fifteen goes, maturity is available. But whether or not he lives in maturity depends on whether he has discovered it.
