Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

Author(s): Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish

Page 35

CHAPTER 4. NONSTEALING
his neck. Remember, a cross is not made of gold, a gibbet is not made of gold. If gibbets were made of gold, what would be the metal for thrones. And bear in mind that gibbets are not hung down from the neck, but necks are hanged on gibbets, and so Christians are thieves.
Mohammed has a special individuality and Musalman has his own. If Mohammed is the world, it is a matter of rejoicing and happiness and beauty; but if a Musalman is there in the world, it is dangerous. If Mahavira is there in the world he is welcome but if a Jain were there in the world it is dangerous. Buddha his his own speciality, he has a special fragrance; but the one who believes in Buddha has a bad smell, he is not fragrant. And this has some cause. The first is, as soon as a person decides that he will follow someone else, it means he is willing to lose his own individuality. There is no meaning in following someone else. In fact, to follow someone else means that The follower wants to save himself from the realities of life. One who does not wish to be a Jin, becomes a Jain, one who does not wish to be Buddha, becomes a Buddha. One who dares not be a Christ, becomes a Christian. He know, there is nothing special or particular to do in being a Christian, but to try to be a Christ is to throw life in danger. What is there to do in being a Jain? It requires a great penance in becoming a Jin. In becoming a Jain, one has simply to follow the Jins. And to follow is to play. And in becoming a Jin one has not to follow, just to work hard for fulfilment - to practice for sadhna. And sadhna means difficulty, hard labour and firm determination. In fact, he who does not wish to work hard to achieve fulfilment of his own self, plays a game to deceive his mind and resorts to some kind of worship. He who does not desire to achieve his individuality, begins to play the game of following someone else. No one can achieve one's individuality by following another, the other is always the other. I may follow another and roam the whole earth, yet I cannot reach within. And if I want to reach within I will have to cease wandering. To follow always means to walk on the outer side and the outer side is following.
Mahavira does not go after anybody, Jesus does not go after somebody, Krishna does not go after anybody. It is interesting to know that innumerable people go after those who have not followed anybody. Buddha follows none but thousands follow him. If we wish to learn from Buddha himself, we have to learn that we should not go after anyone. If we desire to learn something from Mahavira, we should learn that nothing is going to be worthwhile, by worshipping somebody. Mahavira is not in favour of worshipping anyone. If we want to learn something from Jesus, we should bear this fact in mind that God can be t realized even without becoming a Christian. Jesus was not a Christian. If you wish to learn something from Muhammad, we should learn this very firmly that God has nothing to do with Musalmans. Muhammad was not a Musalman. Muhammad who is not a Musalman can meet god. They who are followed by the whole world, do not follow anybody, and we follow them because we hope we may also get that thing which they achieved. They achieved because they went within themselves, and we wish to achieve that by following someone to follow is to go out. Therefore, I consider all forms of following as stealing and this type of following did not produce any civilization or culture. An adverse effect has been created by this concept of following in every civilization, as all these followers do nothing but fight and murder. The church, the temple, the masjid and the gurudwara have become the centres and the means to fight one another. Man's history is full of religious wars. These followers, believing in following Muhammad and Mahavira, Krishna and Christ could not evolve any system of becoming Krishna or Christ, but they exhibited great skills in annihilating one another. There are many kinds of killing. Some jump into the battlefield with sword in hand, and some others go out fighting with swords of thoughts and principles. The Jains try to falsify the principles of the Musalmans, the Musalmans try to pervert the principles of the Hindus, the Hindus misrepresent the principles of the Christians, and the Christians falsify the principles of
The Perennial Path: The Art of Living
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Osho