Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

Author(s): Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish

Page 12

10 November 1970 am in
CHAPTER 2
Source of violence in man
There would not be any difference if a person sitting in his cave on a dark night of the last day of the dark half of the months keeps his eyes closed or open. There will be darkness even if the eyes are closed or open. But there would be difference if that person keeps on sitting with his eyes closed when morning comes, the sun is rising, the rays the of the sun are falling on the door of the cave and birds begin to sing. There was no difference when the eyes were closed or open in the darkness of night. And the darkness of the night was not responsible for that man's condition. The situation was that there was darkness. But when the sun has risen if the man keeps on sitting with his eyes closed and sees darkness, it will be his responsibility for seeing the darkness. If he wishes, he can open his eyes and be free from darkness.
The animal's life is like the dark night of the lost day of the dark half of the month. There is no possibility of self-knowledge in that condition.
Animals have no knowledge of self-existence, there is no alternative for them, there is no freedom to know themselves, there is no possibility for this. So it cannot be said that animals are responsible for self-ignorance. They are in a dark night and are not responsible for the darkness. That is why no fault can be attributed to them if they do not go in search of self-knowledge; but man has passed through that journey of animal world and has entered the world of consciousness where there is Sun's bright light, and if any man remains in darkness then no one but he alone is responsible for it.
12
If we are ignorant of self-knowledge it is due to our eyes being closed. It is not our natural state, it is our choice. There is light on all sides. In the journey of his evolution, man is standing at that place from where he can know himself. In spite of this, if he does not know himself who else but him is