Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

SR No.: 007697
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish
Total Pages: 96
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 1 MB

Page 55

CHAPTER 5. PROCESS OF PROGRESS
When Jesus was to be crucified by the people, he was asked to pray to God at the last moment of his life, then Jesus prayed to God to pardon those people as they did not know what they were doing. This is response. This is a conscious reply. If a person is to be crucified he cannot generally show this type of reaction. His reaction would be to abuse his executioners, to curse them, to curse them to destruction. He would pray, 'Oh God, these people are crucifying your dear son, burn them, throw them all in hell.' This would be his reaction. This is mechanical. Jesus said, 'Pardon them because they know not what they are doing.' This is response.
Therefore the individual who wishes to enter the world of sadhana - practice for fulfilment-wants to go on the path of the sannyas, should be constantly aware of his actions, whether he is reacting or responding. While walking on a road you get pushed by another person, you should stop for a moment. What is the hurry to react? You should stop for a moment and see whether the answer you were about to give was mechanical or full of consciousness. You will find yourself in difficulty. Then you will not be able to give a mechanical answer. It is possible, you will laugh and proceed further on your way, you may not answer. But such behaviour will also be your answer. But we do not even give this much chance to ourselves. On one side, the button is pressed, on the other side sex is excited. You get a push and the result is anger. Somebody praised us and immediately we get a swollen head.
There is an interesting joke about Bertrand Russell. It is said, the words, 'Oh God' came out from his mouth at the time of his death. A priest was standing near the bed. He was very surprised. He was afraid to come there because Bertrand Russell did not believe in God, so it was not possible to ask Russell to pray or confess. He was standing there in a nervous condition, but when he heard the words 'Oh God' from Russell's mouth at the time of death, he got a little bold, and asked him, 'Do you believe in God?' Then Bertrand Russell opened his eyes and asked the priest who he was. He replied that he was a priest, and was afraid as to how he could ask him to repent or confess as he did not believe in God. Russell then told him, 'It is not proper to ask a guest who has come to my house to go back, so I shall confess, I shall repent.' And then Russell said, 'Oh God, if there is a God, please forgive my soul, if there is something like my soul.' Then the priest said, 'What are you doing? Then Russell replied, 'I cannot do anything without thinking about it. I do not know if God exists or not, I do not know if there is soul or not. At the most I can use 'If' in my statement. 'If God is there, please forgive this Bertrand Russell if Bertrand Russell is there.' This man is not showing any reaction even towards death. He makes a response even towards death. He is not nervous even at the moment of his death.
I have a friend. He is an old thinker, and a learned man. He always attends Krishnamurti's lectures. Once he told me, 'Rama, Om, Mantras, all such things have not disappeared from my mind' I asked him, 'Are you definite about this?' He replied, 'They have totally gone away. There is no place left in my mind for all such things. I neither sing devotional songs nor repeat God's name, because He has no name, there cannot be any song about Him. I listen to Krishnamurti's lectures. I have understood his view completely.' I thought the man very good, but when he asserts so forcefully that he has understood Krishnamurti completely, there must be some doubt within him. Again I said 'It is good you have understood Krishnamurti's arguments'
After a couple of days he had a heart attack. His son sent me a word that he was very nervous and that I should go and see him. I went there. His eyes were closed and he was repeating Rama, Rama. I shook him and asked 'What ar you doing' He opened his eyes and said, 'I don't know. When
The Perennial Path: The Art of Living
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Osho