From Ignorance to Innocence - Osho - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 30. SURRENDER: THE EGO UPSIDE DOWN
The king asked Sudas... Sudas opened his mouth and said, ”Forgive me, but if this flower gives you
so much pleasure, just presenting it to Buddha – then I am going to present it myself. You can keep
your money.
The king could not believe it. The rich man could not believe it. They both said, ”What are you
saying?”
He said, ”I am a poor man, but I manage to live. What am I going to do with all your money? But
this chance that you think is so precious, I am not going to miss. I am going to put this flower at
Buddha’s feet myself.”
But kings cannot be denied. The king said, ”Then you should be aware that you will never reach
Buddha; your head will be cut off. I will give you ten times.”
Seeing the situation, the poor man had to give the lotus to the king. The king was already going with
a very precious diamond to present to Buddha. That diamond that Bimbisara had was the biggest
diamond known in those days. Now he had two presents. When he went to Buddha, both hands
were full; in one a very precious diamond, in the other a very rare flower. Which to present first? –
of course he thought of the diamond.
As he was going to place the diamond, Buddha said, ”Drop it!” He did not give him the chance to
put it at his feet, he said, ”Drop it.” And when Buddha says drop it, he has to drop it... unwillingly,
reluctantly, because such a precious diamond.... In the whole country, all the kings were jealous of
the diamond – he was the owner of a rare piece – and Buddha says, ”Drop it!” He is not even giving
him the chance to put it at his feet.
Then he raised the other hand with the flower, and Buddha said, ”Drop it!” So he dropped both and
stood there empty-handed.
Buddha said, ”Drop it!”
Bimbisara said, ”Either you are mad or I am mad. Both my hands are empty – now what can I drop?”
Sariputta, one of Buddha’s disciples, said, ”You have not understood Buddha. He is not interested
in your diamond or in your lotus; you can take them away. Drop the real thing.”
”What real thing?” he said. ”I have only brought two things.”
Buddha said, ”Drop yourself!”
”But,” Bimbisara said, ”myself? I don’t know who I am.”
Buddha said, ”That was the point. Go home, find out, and when you find out who you are, then
come back.”
It was very insulting in a way. In front of ten thousand steps – the, Bimbisara is told to go back and
look into himself and find out who he is. But he was a man of tremendous courage, intelligence,
From Ignorance to Innocence 450 Osho