Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy - Osho - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 9. THE COSMOS IS A DANCE OF OPPOSITES
and this goes on increasing. In spite of what we do to control population, it is going to increase in
an unprecedented manner.
The day is not far off when we will leave behind this agitation against cow slaughter and will instead
be agitating for a large-scale slaughter of men. The day is not distant when man will eat man,
because you cannot argue with hunger As we now ask a dying man to donate his eyes or kidneys,
we will soon ask him to donate his flesh for the hungry. And we will honor him who donates his
flesh, as today we honor one who donates his heart or lungs. There is going to be such a population
explosion on the earth.
Very soon we will begin to think it is unjust to cremate dead bodies, they should be saved for food
– and it will not be something new and extraordinary; cannibalism has been known to man since
ancient times. There have been tribes where man ate man to satiate his hunger. Once again we
are coming close to that situation when cannibalism will be revived. In view of it, it is just stupid to
agitate for a ban on cow slaughter. It is utterly unscientific to do so.
I don’t suggest that cow slaughter should not and cannot go. It can go. Not only the killing of cows,
all kinds of killing can go. But then we will have to take a revolutionary step in the direction of our
food and food habits. I am not in favor of cow slaughter, but I am also not in favor of those who shout
out against it. All their talk is sheer nonsense. They don’t have a correct perspective and a right
plan to stop cow slaughter. But it must stop; the cow should be the last animal to be killed. She is
the highest in animal evolution; she is the connecting link between man and animal. She deserves
all our care and compassion, we are connected with her in an innate and intimate manner. We have
to take every care for her.
But remember, caring is possible only when you are in a position to take care. Without the facilities
and the wherewithal, caring is impossible. We have to be pragmatic; it is no use being sentimental.
I should tell you an anecdote which I narrated to some friends the other day while we were on a
walk.
A priest has to go to a church to give a Sunday sermon. The priest is an old man and his church
is four miles away, and the road to it is difficult as it passes through a hilly area with many ups and
downs. So the old priest hires a horse-driven coach for his journey. He sends for the owner of the
coach and tells him that he will be well paid for his services. The coachman says, ”That is okay, but
my horse, Gaffar, is very old, and we will have to take care of him.”
The priest says, ”Don’t worry, I will be as considerate of the horse as you are. He will be well cared
for.”
After only a half mile’s drive the coach reaches a steep rise in the hills. So the coach stops and the
coachman tells the priest, ”Now please step out of the coach, because the uphill road begins and
since Gaffar is very old we have to care for him.” The old priest gets out and begins to walk alongside
the coach. And when they reach the plain the priest is asked to board the coach again. This is how
the whole journey is covered – the priest is made to walk when the road is uphill and rides in the
carriage when it is on flat ground. On a four-mile journey he drives hardly a mile in the coach, and
the rest he has to cover by walking. In fact, he has to walk where for his age it is necessary to ride,
and he rides where he can well afford to walk.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 174 Osho