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

CHAPTER 18. NON-ATTACHMENT IS NOT AVERSION
will mix in society, but his aloneness will remain inviolate and untouched. He will love, but his love
will be like lines drawn on the surface of water. Even if he goes to fight, he will fight as though in
a play which leaves no marks on the player after he is finished with it. His mirror of consciousness
will reflect both love and war, but in itself it will remain unaffected by either. Whatever he will do,
his consciousness will be still and steady like the center of the cyclone. His behavior will be just an
acting. He will no more remain a doer; he will be an actor on the stage of life.
If Krishna is anything, he is an actor – a superb actor at that. There has never been a greater and
more skilled actor in the whole history of man-kind. He is incomparable even as an actor – he who
turned the whole world into a stage. While all other actors perform their skill on petty stages, Krishna
uses the whole earth for his stage.
If a wooden stage can be used why not the whole earth? It does not make much difference; the
world can be turned into a leela, a theatrical performance – which it really is – and we all can play
our roles as actors and performers. An actor weeps and laughs, but tears and laughter don’t bind
him; he remains untouched by them. When he loves he does not love, when he fights he does not
fight; he is never involved in his roles as worldly people are. He plays a friend and a foe without
being involved in friendship and enmity.
The life of one who treats everything as play-acting becomes a triangle, a complete triangle.
Ordinarily our life is only two points of this triangle, while the third is submerged in darkness. While
the two points of attachment and aversion are functioning and visible, the angle of non-attachment
is shrouded in darkness. A person of non-attachment brings this third side into light, and the triangle
becomes com-plete. While he acts around the points of attachment and aversion, he remains
centered at the third – the point of non-attachment. In his behavior he appears to be attached
or averse to people and things, but it is only appearance, acting, it is not real. In reality, he exists at
the third point, and to be on this third point is called anasakti or non-attachment.
In fact, all the three points of the triangle exist in each of us but we are ordinarily aware of only two
– one of attachment and the other of aversion. The third point, that of non attachment, remains
unknown to us. And the two points of attachment and aversion are like the frying pan and the fire:
move from one to the other, do what you can, there is no escape from suffering, pain and misery.
One comes to the third point of the triangle when after long suffering, he turns in and discovers his
self-nature, his center, the center of the cyclone.
When all the darkness of the mind, of the unconscious is dispelled, the third point of the triangle
becomes visible. And one who achieves this third point of non-attachment achieves Krishnahood
or Buddhahood, of Jinahood or godliness, or whatever you want to call it. He achieves everything
that is worth achieving. Once he knows that he can remain non-attached in every situation, he can
afford to play the roles of attachment and dislike.
Someone has written a book called GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. In this long book he has described all
the games that people play, but he has missed the very basic game of life. What is this basic game
of life? To play the game of attachment and aversion and yet remain non-attached is the ultimate
game. But because very few people have played this game, the author of the book missed it.
By turning inward one attains to non-attachment. And turning in is possible only if you become
a witness – a watcher on the hill. Begin witnessing from any point of life and you will reach your
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 343 Osho