Panch Mahavrat or The Perennial Path The Art of Living

Author(s): Osho Rajnish
Publisher: Osho Rajnish

Page 86

CHAPTER 8. PERFECT KNOWLEDGE
If we go no pondering over this every evening for some days, we shall find it very difficult to entertain hopes of happiness for the future. And when it becomes absolutely impossible for a person to hope for happiness then his journey within begins. As long as we hope to find happiness from the world outside, the inner journey never begins. So the first thing to remember is that life is a deception. But this deception is broken at the last moment when there is nothing left to do.
Is it broken at the last moment. Generally it so happens that we repeat those old desires, make future hopes. stronger within, continue to hope for future happiness, and so death becomes the cause for a new birth and the same old circle which was completed by the death, begins again.
When a Sadhak approached Mahavira or Buddha they used to ask him to enter into remembering of his past births. Mahavira called this remembering jate smarana - self remembering. New Sadhaks used to say that past births have no meaning for us, we want to be calm - devoid of cares and anxieties, we wish to know the Atma, we wish to be liberated. Then Mahavira used lo reply: you cannot get that you cannot know them.
The first thing to do is that you should see your past birth. They could not understand what would happen by looking into their past births. But Mahavira used to take them through the process of knowing their past births. The process took some time but they could reach that state of remembering in deep meditation. Mahavira used to ask them what they saw. On hearing their replies Mahavira used to ask them: Don't you wish to get all these in this life?'
We forget our past births. That is why we go on repeating what we had done yesterday. Man is so absurd that even if he remembers his past birth, it is not certain that he may change. You remember you had been angry yesterday, and you also remember what you got. But you get angry again and you will be angry tomorrow also. You desired for happiness yesterday, what did you get? You remember it well. And yet you will wish it today. You will do so tomorrow also. You have desired it everyday and have got unhappiness instead, and yet it seems man has endless courage to deceive himself.
Everyday you are pierced with thorns, and never get flowers, but the search for flowers goes on. Perhaps he is afraid to see life in its true colours so that he may not have to change. But he who wants to enter the world of sadhna, of devotion, penance, awareness, in consciousness should remember the first slogan for all the twenty-four hours. As soon as he gets up in the morning he should remember that he awoke yesterday, the day before yesterday, fifty years have passed waking thus, and also remember if the same desires of yesterday have also caught him today.
Don't do anything, simply remember. Don't swear that I shall not do what I did yesterday. The swearing means you did not realize your mistake of yesterday. You did not benefit by them, so you had to swear. Remember your yesterday fully well. Don't say, I shall not do it again. Don't say I shall not be angry now. Say only this much 'yesterday I had been angry. Remember only that. I had repented yesterday and also the day before yesterday.
Don't take any decision on that matter today. It would be impossible to be angry if yesterday's remembering shadows you. To run after happiness would be looked upon as madness. The hope that something can be obtained from another person will decrease. And your hold on life will loosen day by day, and your fist will open. You entry within begins as soon as your grip on life loosens. So this slogan that life is a deception should be kept in mind always.
The Perennial Path: The Art of Living
86
Osho