The Great Path - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 5. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IS SELF KNOWLEDGE
three days after my death.” Now the king was really in a dilemma. He kept the astrologer in the
palace and had him looked after day and night. He himself took care of his body because his death
meant the death of the king.
Wherever you place your very being, there are you enslaved. Watch people approaching their
strong-box, with folded hands, as if they are going to the temple. All sorts of holy inscriptions are
written on it as if it is the very place where God resides. They worship it.
On the festival of diwali you should see these mad people worshipping their wealth, with such feeling!
Their attitude is worth watching. Every year on this day the shopkeeper starts his new account book.
On the first page he draws a swastika, the symbol of Ganesh, and he writes, ”I bow to Ganesh.”
This Ganesh is an old trouble-maker. The ancient story tells us that Ganesh is the Lord of all
obstacles, and he looks like a mischief-making sort of God. First of all, he doesn’t have a head of
his own, and anyone who doesn’t have a head of his own is really crazy! He can do the impossible.
Everything about him is ambiguous and confused. He sits astride a mouse that he rides. And the
mouse is the symbol of reasoning and logic. And logic is as sharp as the teeth of a mouse; it bites
and chews things into pieces. You can never depend on logic, for wherever there is logic it creates a
great deal of obstacles. If a person’s life is pervaded with logic it will be full of confusion and chaos;
he will lose all peace and tranquillity.
It is an ancient story that ganesh is a God who creates trouble. Whenever there is an auspicious
occasion he presents himself. People were afraid of him. They stood before him with folded hands
and begged him to create no trouble for them in their affairs. Gradually people began to look upon
the God Who was a trouble maker, as a trouble-shooter but they have forgotten the real story. They
are right when they fold their hands and beg him to have mercy on them.
The curtain of attachments means that your soul is prisoner elsewhere. Whether it is locked up in
your son or your wife or your wealth makes no difference. What matters is the fact that your soul is
not within you; that’s what attachment means. A permanent conquest of attachment means that you
have given up all dependence on others. Now you no longer depend on someone else in order to
live. Your life depends entirely on you. You are centered within your own self. You have made your
own existence your center. Now if your wife dies or your wealth disappears, it does not matter at
all. For these are just superficial waves. Then, whether you succeed or fail, whether happiness or
sorrow, it makes no difference, for the difference was caused by your dependence.
Victory over attachment means to become completely independent. It means the feeling and the
knowledge that ”I depend on no one. I am enough for myself, alone!” Such satisfaction! Such
contentment! That I exist is enough. Such an attitude is victory over attachments. As long as your
being depends on another attachment holds you captive. Until then you will grab on to others so
tightly for fear of losing them, for you cannot live without them.
Mulla Nasruddin’s wife died. The Mulla cried dutifully, but one of his friends could not contain his
grief. He cried and howled he beat his breast and refused to be consoled. The Mulla could not
endure it. He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and said, ”Don’t grieve my friend, I shall marry
again.” Now this man had been in love with the Mulla’s wife; his life-force was invested in her, so it
was only natural that he should be so distressed, but not so the Mulla!
The Great Path 98 Osho