The Great Path - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 9. RIGHT SEARCH, WRONG DIRECTION
gives you the direction and that is his contribution. He takes you in the direction that he had taken.
The man of self knowledge gives no explanations, for there is no way to explain. He merely takes
you by the hand and leads you there. But you are so timid and fearful; you are afraid even to take
his hand! You cannot surrender, you cannot have faith, you cannot believe anyone. You have been
so frightened by your sufferings, you have been made to feel so insecure, that you cannot trust even
one who offers to lead you out of them. You feel that he will create new problems for you. You are
so surrounded by problems that you see problems everywhere.
If you do not put out your hand, the man of self knowledge cannot help you. How can he give to you
when your hands are closed; you will have to accept his gift. If you are not prepared to open your
hands, if you are not prepared to accept his generosity, the one who knows himself will have to turn
back without giving.
THE CONSTANT ENJOYMENT OF SELF ENERGIES IS HIS UNIVERSE.
THERE IT IS CONSTANT PLEASURE, WHILE HERE YOU ARE IN CONSTANT PAIN.
TO MERGE INTO THE VOID OR REMAIN BEHIND IS WITHIN HIS WILL.
This is difficult to understand, for it can only be known through experience, but if you have some
idea of it, it can sometimes be helpful.
As soon as a person becomes capable of knowing himself, a unique energy – which is the greatest
energy in this world and the greatest miracle – is achieved by him. The miracle is: he can be when
he wishes, and he can not be when he wishes. He can come into existence when he pleases and
he can lose himself in the void when he pleases. Now you sleep and get up, but not voluntarily. If
your sleep is done then you wake up, and you cannot go back to sleep again. Just as you are with
sleeping and waking, the one who knows himself disappears into the void and comes into existence
at his own will.
There is a story in the life of Buddha: When Buddha reached heaven and the guard opened the
door, Buddha turned his back to heaven. He said, ”I will not enter until each and every person is
liberated. When the last person enters I will follow behind him.”
This is a beautiful story. In this world there are two types of self-realized persons, and all religions
have known these two kinds. One attains self-realization and becomes one with the void; the other
type attains self-realization but still remains in existence to help others. The first type of enlightened
person is called kaivalya, he who has known the ultimate aloneness, by the Jainas. There have
been so many kaivalyas who have attained enlightenment and have disappeared into the void. They
have reached their destination. They enter and don’t wait at the door.
The Jainas have named twenty-four of these enlightened souls, ’tirthankaras’. These twenty-four
waited at the door. They are the ones who guided others, who paved the way for them. The
Buddhists have also recognized these two types. One is the arhat, who attains self-realization and
merges into the void; the other is the bodhisattva, the one who waits for others.
So there are two kinds of self-realized souls. When you also reach this ultimate state, if a desire to
help others – for the urge to help others is also a desire – remains within you, you will wait. If it does
The Great Path 171 Osho