The Empty Boat - Osho.pdf - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 4. APOLOGIES
Life is an organic unity. You cannot replace a plant because every plant is unique, you cannot find
another, the same cannot be found. Life has a quality of uniqueness. Even a small rock is unique –
you can go all over the world to find a similar rock and you will not be able to. How can you replace
it? This is the difference between organic unity and mechanical unity. Mechanical unity depends on
the parts; the parts are replaceable, they are not unique. Organic unity depends on the whole, not
on the parts. Parts are not really parts, they are not separate from the whole – they are one, they
cannot be replaced.
When you become alert to the inner flame of your inner being, suddenly you become alert that you
are not an island, it is a vast continent, an infinite continent. There are no boundaries separating you
from it. All boundaries are false, make-believe. All boundaries are in the mind; in existence there
are no boundaries.
Then who can be a stranger? When you step on somebody, it is you; you have stepped on your
own foot. No apology is needed, no explanation is needed. There is no one else, there is only one.
Then your life becomes real, authentic, spontaneous; then it is not formal, then you do not follow
any rules. You have come to know the ultimate law. Now no rules are needed. You have become
the law – there is no need to remember the rules now.
THE GREATEST POLITENESS
IS FREE OF ALL FORMALITY.
Have you looked at people who are polite? You will not find more egoistic people than them. Look at
a polite person, the very way he stands, the way he talks, the way he looks, walks; he has managed
to make everything look polite, but inside the ego is manipulating.
Look at the so-called humble people. They say they are nobodies, but when they say it, look into
their eyes, at the ego asserting. This is a very cunning ego, because if you say, ”I am somebody,”
everybody will be against you, and everybody will try to put you in your place. If you say, ”I am
nobody,” everybody is for you, nobody is against you.
Polite people are very cunning, clever. They know what to say, what to do, so that they can
exploit you. If they say, ”I am somebody,” everybody is against them. Then conflict arises because
everybody thinks that he is an egoist. It will be difficult then to exploit people because everybody
is closed against you. If you say, ”I am nobody, I am just dust on your feet,” then the doors are
open and you can exploit. All etiquette, culture, is a type of sophisticated cunningness, and you are
exploiting.
THE GREATEST POLITENESS
IS FREE OF ALL FORMALITY.
It happened that Confucius came to see Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu’s master. And Confucius was the
image of formal politeness. He was the greatest formalist in the world, the world has never known
such a great formalist. He was simply manners, formality, culture and etiquette. He came to see Lao
Tzu, the polar opposite.
The Empty Boat 75 Osho