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

CHAPTER 10. SPIRITUALISM, RELIGION AND POLITICS
remnant of old times when armed troops were sent with the lover to forcibly bring his beloved from
the house of her parents. Even today, the bridegroom with a sword in his hand is made to ride a
horse when he leaves for the house of his bride. A horse and a sword don’t fit with marriage today;
they are just relics of ancient customs.
In olden times a lover had to go on horseback so that he could elope with his beloved. And for this
very purpose he carried a sword, and a troop of armed men rode with him. And you know that even
now when a wedding party arrives at the house of the bride’s parents, the women of the family and
neighborhood gather together and receive the guests with insults and invectives. Why this strange
practice? In the days when brides were forcibly seized it was natural that the kidnappers were
treated with abuse and curses. The practice is now meaningless, because marriages are arranged
– but it continues. Even today the bride’s father bows to the bridegroom’s father; this too is a residue
from the same dead past, when in acknowledgement of his defeat the father of the bride bowed to
the victor’s father.
Question 8
QUESTIONER: ONCE WHEN KRISHNA IS ON HIS WAY TO DWARKA HE MEETS KUNTA WHO
REQUESTS OF HIM A GIFT OF PAIN AND SUFFERING. BUT KRISHNA ONLY LAUGHS; HE
DOES NOT EVEN SAY THAT SUCH A REQUEST IS NOT RIGHT. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
When a devotee prays for pain it is very meaningful. And there are reasons for it.
To pray for happiness seems to be somewhat selfish. It is. When one prays to God for happiness,
he does not really pray to God, he only seeks happiness. His prayer has nothing to do with God, it
is only concerned with his happiness. If he can find happiness without God, he will gladly give him
up and move directly toward happiness. He prays to God only because he believes that happiness
can be had through him. So he uses God as a means; happiness remains his end, his objective.
Therefore a true devotee will not pray for happiness, because he would not like to place anything,
not even happiness, above God.
When a devotee prays for unhappiness, he simply means to say to God, ”Even if you give me
unhappiness, it would be far better than happiness coming from somewhere else.” A devotee will
prefer unhappiness coming from God to happiness that comes from the world. Now there is no way
left for this person to move away from God. Man is in the habit of moving away from unhappiness
and chasing happiness. The devotee seeking happiness can part with God, but one who asks for
suffering cannot; he has now burned his bridges.
A prayer for unhappiness is immensely significant. It is asking for the very thing which people avoid
at all costs. A true devotee asks for unhappiness.
There is yet another side to this prayer to God for unhappiness. You can easily risk this kind of prayer,
because God can never inflict unhappiness on you. His gift is always happiness. In fact, whatever
comes from God is happiness. And if happiness is the only gift that comes from God then why beg
for it? There is some sense in seeking happiness from those who cannot give it. And it is safe to
pray to God for unhappiness, because he is incapable of granting this prayer. He has only one gift
to make, and that is happiness. This devotee is trying to be clever with God; he is playing a joke on
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 186 Osho