The Great Path - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 6. THE MAD PROJECTIONIST
many lives that you have now forgotten that it was you yourself who had chosen to cry, but your lack
of memory does not turn truth into a lie. You have chosen it; you are the master, and therefore the
moment you make up your mind and decide, this crying will stop.
To be filled with the knowledge that I am the master. I am the creator and responsible for all
my actions, brings about a transformation in your life. As long as you hold others responsible,
transformation is not possible because till then you will be dependent. You think that others are
making you unhappy so how can you ever be happy? It is impossible, it is not in your hands to
change others. Only the power to change your own self lies in your hands.
If you think it is your fate to be unhappy then the matter is not in your hands any more. How can you
change your destiny? Destiny is above you. And if you feel that whatever is happening has been
destined to happen to you by God, you will just be a machine, dependent on outside factors and
without any soul of your own.
The very meaning of soul is that you are independent. No matter how great your suffering, it is of
your own making. The day you decide otherwise, your life will change. Everything depends on your
outlook towards life.
I was a guest at Mulla Nasruddin’s house. In the morning while taking a walk in the garden, I
happened to see Mulla’s wife throwing a cup at his head. It missed his head and crashed against
the wall. Nasruddin also became aware that I had seen it. So he came out and said,”Forgive me!
But don’t think otherwise. We are very happy. Sometimes the wife throws some things but that does
not make any difference in our happiness.”
I was a little surprised. I asked him, ”Mulla, would you mind explaining that in more detail.”
He said, ”You see, if she hits the target then she feels happy and if she misses then I feel happy. But
it doesn’t affect our happiness. And sometimes the aim connects and sometimes it misses. So we
both are happy.
Everything depends on how you view life. It is you who makes it, it is you who experiences it and it is
you who interprets it. You are absolutely alone. Nobody ever enters into your life. Nobody ever can.
If anyone does, it is because you give him permission. Now this understanding brings up a problem,
and because of this problem you have chosen to forget your understanding.
The problem is: if you realize that you alone are responsible, then you cannot suffer. And still if you
choose to suffer then you cannot complain. You enjoy both the suffering and the complaining.
You enjoy pain and suffering because then you feel like a martyr. There is great pleasure in
martyrdom. When you are unhappy, you ask for sympathy, and sympathy is very pleasant. That
is why people exaggerate their suffering tenfold, while telling it to other people. What could be the
reason that people go on telling their tales of suffering when nobody wants to listen.
Who is interested in your suffering? Your tales of woe only make others sad; they can’t possibly
make flowers bloom in their lives, yet you insist on telling them. And the other listens only till he is
hopeful that you will also listen to his woes. If he doesn’t think that will happen then he slips away.
The Great Path 104 Osho