Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

Author(s): Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish

Page 42

CHAPTER 4. NONSTEALING
luck. I have no objection in becoming a witness for those sannyasis who wish I should become a witness on their journey to God. But I am not their Guru or Master. Nobody is my pupil, I am simply a witness. I do not have any objection to becoming a witness if anyone starts to follow the path of sannyasa in front of me, but I would object strongly if anyone approaches me to become my pupil. If anyone wants to follow me, I shall stop him. But it is impossible for me not to give my good wishes to him who is starting on his own journey to God. There is no reason to believe the sannyasis whom you see around here trying to imitate me. I do not wear red or ochre clothes. I do not have any 'MALA' around my neck.
Now you tell me, I am accepting, approving the sannyasa of anyone without taking into consideration his or her fitness. When God Himself has accepted U5 all without any conditions, who am I then not to accept them? And there is only one fitness to be a sannyasi and that is, the person concerned accepts with total humility his 'unfitness'. There is no other test of fitness except this. If somebody says, 'I am a fit person. Please give me sannyasa,' I will immediately fold my hands (a sign of saying 'excuse me') because there is on need for a fit person to be a sannyasi. And one who thinks himself fit, will not attain sannyasa because sannyasa is the power of humility - humbleness. It blooms in humility. He who goes before God with a certificate of fitness will, find perhaps doors closed against him. The doors will open for him who stands at the doors with tears in his eyes and will say, I am an unfit person. I have no qualification to ask you to open the doors, and yet I am trying, I have a great desire, I have a sort of madness, I have hunger, a keen desire to see you.
It is enough for me when a person comes to me and expresses his/her desire to be a sannyasi. I never examine the fitness of that person. Is not his desire to be a sannyasi enough? Are not his keen thirst and prayers - request to be a sannyasi enough? And what is the test of fitness? What can a person do except show his thirst or his prayers. What can a person do except completely surrender? But is any qualification, any certificate required for surrender? A person with qualifications cannot surrender, because he thinks he has a right. But only those who are fully aware of their unfitness can surrender.
The doors of God are always open for them who are helpless, unfit, lowly, and unqualified, whose hearts are full of prayer. But those who are fit, certified, and qualified, hold degrees of Kashi, are experts in the knowledge of the shastras are compact with penance, and who have a list of fasts observed by them, are full of pride and vanity. There is no other greater 'unfitness' - disqualification then pride. All who consider themselves fit are full of pride. Only those who consider themselves unfit are able to go on a journey of humbleness, so I cannot inquire about their fitness. Moreover I am not their Guru who can inquire about their fitness. They have come to me only with a view to make me their witness. I shall tell you two or three more things about this.
According to me Sannyas is a direct relationship between an individual and God. There cannot be any intermediary. Sannyas is a direct surrender by an individual. When God is present on all sides, there is no need for anyone to be an intermediary between them. If a person wants to surrender to God he can do so. An unfit person begins to be fit by surrendering himself to God. Moreover, the beginning of fitness qualifications takes place by the determination, surrender, and prayers of the unfit. A Sannyasi is not a realized person, to be a sannyasi is simply to make a firm determination to start on a journey to become a realized person. A Sannyasi is simply the first point of that holy journey, it is not the end. It is only the blessed beginning, it is the milestone on that road, it is not the destination. Why should he walk who has already reached the destination. And how can he who
The Perennial Path: The Art of Living
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Osho