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

CHAPTER 17. DON’T IMITATE, JUST BE YOURSELF
QUESTIONER: THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE LIFE OF EVERY GREAT MAN. WHILE
ONE SIDE IS PERSONAL AND PRIVATE, THE OTHER IS OPEN, PUBLIC. THESE FEW DAYS
THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO US ABOUT KRISHNA, WE HAVE BEEN HELPED TO
UNDERSTAND SOME FEATURES OF HIS LIFE WHICH ARE SUCH THAT IF WE TRY TO IMITATE
HIM TODAY WE WILL AT ONCE BE OSTRACIZED BY THE SOCIETY. WE CANNOT PLAY
PRANKS WITH OUR GIRLFRIENDS IN THE STREETS; WE CANNOT RUN AWAY WITH THEIR
CLOTHES WHILE THEY ARE BATHING IN A SWIMMING POOL; WE CANNOT DANCE WITH
OUR RADHAS AS KRISHNA DANCES WITH HIS RADHA WHO IS HIS GIRLFRIEND, NOT HIS
WIFE – EVEN IF WE ARE DEEP IN LOVE WITH THEM. BUT ANOTHER SIDE OF KRISHNA’S
LIFE IS ABOVE-BOARD. HIS SAYINGS HAVE TREMENDOUS RELEVANCE FOR ALL TIMES –
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. AND IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT WE REQUEST YOU TO
SHED LIGHT ON HIS PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, ON HIS DISCIPLINE OF WORK, KNOWLEDGE
AND NON-ATTACHMENT, AND HIS ART OF LIVING, SO THAT WE CAN EMULATE HIM IN OUR
DAY TO DAY LIFE.
Don’t think that only in the present it is difficult to play the role of Krishna; it was difficult in Krishna’s
own times. Otherwise there would have been not only one, but any number of Krishnas. And if
it seems difficult for you today to become Krishna-like, know that it would have been as difficult in
Krishna’s time if you were his contemporaries. And for Krishna it would be as easy to be a Krishna
today – if he were born again – as it was in his own days. But this illusion stems from our idea
and habit of following and imitating others in every way. In fact, imitation is the beginning of all our
problems.
You could never have imitated Krishna if you lived in his days, nor can you imitate him now. It is
impossible. And if you do, you are right in saying that you will end up in a mess.
I have been talking on Krishna’s life and philosophy not so that you will make him your ideal and
imitate him. Nothing is farther from me than the idea of imitation. If we can understand Krishna’s
life, it will help us to understand our own life in its right perspective. If we fully unfold and understand
Krishna’s life, which is vast and multidimensional, it will enable us to unfold our own life and know it.
But you will never understand Krishna if you think in terms of imitating him.
If we imitate someone or other, we will never understand him because of that. And we will never
understand our own life. In fact, the reason we want to imitate someone is that we don’t want to
take the trouble of understanding ourselves. It is convenient to live in somebody else’s shadow
and imitate him; it is a way to escape the arduous task of understanding ourselves. Understanding
begins when someone ceases to imitate others, to be like others, when he wants to know directly
who he is and what he can be.
The life of one who has achieved his full unfoldment helps to understand one’s own life. It doesn’t
mean that one becomes like him, becomes his carbon copy. To become like others is neither
possible nor desirable. Everyone is different and will remain different.
If you think in terms of imitation when we are discussing Krishna – and it seems from your question
that you do think in such terms – then you will never understand Krishna. Never mind Krishna, you
will never understand yourselves.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 330 Osho