Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

Author(s): Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish

Page 29

CHAPTER 3. MATERIAL PROSPERITY AND NONPOSSESSIVENESS
It is said the Jains could never achieve the height of Mahavira, the Christians could not reach The height of Christ, the Buddhists could not reach the height of Buddha. There is a reason why the followers of Mahavira could not reach the height of Mahavira. A follower can never get to the height, because he who follows another is in fact losing his self. In going after, in following someone else, one kills oneself. To follow another, we have to cut ourselves. To put on another's clothes, we have either to shorten or lengthen ourselves. To adopt another's self-individuality we have to suppress ourselves. A follower can never reach the height, because one who has decided to be a follower has decided to commit suicide. I do not advise you to become the follower of Mahavira. It is enough to understand Mahavira, let other things go. If possible, be yourself. There is no way for you to become Mahavira or Jesus. This does not mean that you cannot reach, that height to which Jesus reached. You also can reach, but can reach only if you become yourself. The person who tries to be the carbon copy cannot get the clarity of the original. It is all right if it is a second copy. 2500 years have passed since Mahavira's death. In these 2500 years, thousands of copies have been taken out, and you stand after them. Lakhs of copies have been taken out on this carbon. Now nothing is understood from these copies, but you go on as if you have understood, you go on following. A follower can never be a spiritual person.
The renunciation of Mahavira, his nakedness were natural. Another person can be naked only by making an effort and when he does so, his nakedness will be that of the circus. It cannot be of sannyas. It will only be a borrowed thing; it will be a matter thrust upon by someone else. At the most he can act as Mahavira, he cannot be Mahavira.
Those who follow Jesus, Buddha, Krishna or Rama are simply acting. They have refused to have an authentic real self. There is one thing worth remembering. God has given the right to each person to be his own self, and he who lets go this right gives up the greatest girt Or God. Such a person is an atheist, such a person says to God, you have thrown a very great responsibility on me, I was not for it, let me follow somebody. I cannot be an engine, I am fit lo be only a carriage which remains attached to the engine and whose shunting is being done here and there. Such a person will anyhow pass his life. Each person created is born to be himself; he is incomparable, he is unique. No person was created like him in this world in the past, and will not be created in future. God is not a mediocre creator. He is not an ordinary creator who would create the same person a second time. He creates new persons everyday.
I have heard a story, that someone bought a picture of Piccaso for a million rupees. That man asked Piccaso's wife if the picture was authentic. Piccaso's wife replied, 'Don't worry, you may purchase it, because this picture was done by Piccaso in front of me.' The picture was purchased. That man went to inform Piccaso about the purchase. He said that he had purchased the picture for a million rupees. He had taken the picture with him. Piccaso saw it and said that it was not the original. It was not authentic. That man was puzzled, he became nervous. He had paid one million rupees and Piccaso declared it was not the original. The man said 'What do you say? Your wife assured me that the picture was made in front of her.' His wife was present there. She said, 'What do you say, have you forgotten it? You have done this picture, I was present there. Piccaso replied that he himself had done it, there was no doubt about it, but it was not authentic. Now the matter was more confounded. If it was done by Piccaso, why was it not authentic? Then the purchaser said, 'Are you joking? Piccaso replied that he was not joking. The picture was certainly done by him. But that picture was done by him previously also, so this was simply its copy. It is not the original. This idea of mine I have already exhibited once.
The Perennial Path: The Art of Living
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Osho