Be Selfish

[Guest guest]

Gautam Buddha is passing near a village which consists of high caste brahmins

only. They are very much against Gautam Buddha, they have all gathered outside

the village to condemn him, to abuse him. He stands there listening to their

abuse, their allegations, their lies. Even Ananda -- who has been with him all

these years -- feels angry. Because they were born into a royal family: they

were warriors, their whole training was to fight. But because Gautam Buddha is

present, he controls himself; otherwise he would have killed one or two people

then and there.

 

Gautam Buddha said to them, "You see that the sun is going to set soon, and we

have to reach the other village before the sun sets. If you have not finished

all that you wanted to say to me, I will make a point that when I return I set

aside enough time to listen to you again. And in two days, I will be returning

along the same route -- so it will be very kind of you if you can wait just two

days."

 

One man from the crowd said, "You don't seem to be disturbed at all. And we are

not just saying things to you -- we are abusing you, insulting you."

 

Gautam Buddha said, "You have come a little late. If you had come ten years

before, you would not have gone back alive. I am also a warrior. There would

have been bloodshed here; not a single man in this crowd would have gone back

alive. But you have come a little late.

 

"In the village just before this village, people came with sweets and fruits.

And we said, `We eat only once a day, and we have taken our food, so it would be

very kind if you would take these things back with you. We are grateful.' What

do you think they did with those sweets and those fruits?"

 

Somebody said, "They must have distributed them amongst themselves; they must

have eaten them."

 

Buddha said, "You are intelligent. Do the same: whatever you have brought, I

don't accept; take it back. Because unless I accept your insult, you cannot

insult me; it is a two-way affair. It is your mouth, you can say anything -- but

unless I accept it, you are just talking into the air. Just go home and say all

these things to each other; enjoy. And I will be coming again after two days, so

be ready."

 

They were shocked, and they could not believe -- what kind of man is this? When

they moved on, Ananda said to Buddha, "This is too much. There were moments when

I was going to jump and hit the man! Just because of you, I tried to control my

temptation."

 

Buddha said -- and remember it -- he said: "What those people were saying has

not hurt me.

 

What you are saying hurts me. You have been with me for so many years, and yet

you are not aware enough to know what to take and what not to take? Can't you

discriminate?"

 

I want you not to become missionaries, I want you to become messages.

 

And that is possible only if you are utterly selfish, so that before you start

helping others, you have helped yourself; before you start enlightening other

people, you are enlightened yourself.

 

That's what I mean by being selfish.

 

Whatever you want to spread must be your living experience.

 

-Osho

 

Beyond Enlightenment

 

 

 

 

 

The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.

 

 

[Guest guest]

"Enlightened leadership is service, not selfishness. The leader

grows more and lasts longer by placing the well-being of all

above the well-being of self alone." -- John Heider, Tao of

Leadership

 

And I would add to the above that one cannot place the

well-being of all above self when one does not respect all.

 

, Friends of Osho

<supraath> wrote:

>

> I want you not to become missionaries, I want you to become

messages.

>

> And that is possible only if you are utterly selfish, so that before

you start helping others, you have helped yourself; before you

start enlightening other people, you are enlightened yourself.

>

> That's what I mean by being selfish.

>

> Whatever you want to spread must be your living experience.

>

> -Osho

>

> Beyond Enlightenment

>

>

>

>

>

> The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.

>

>