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

CHAPTER 18. NON-ATTACHMENT IS NOT AVERSION
The truth is that friendship always happens between persons of opposite orientations. The opposite
attracts, is the rule. The more opposite two per sons are, the deeper their friendship. In fact,
opposites are not really opposites, they are complementary to each other. Because of it you will
rarely find two equally intelligent persons making friends; if they do they will only quarrel and wrangle
over every conceivable issue. An intelligent person will find a stupid partner to join him in friendship,
so they complement each other.
Two powerful persons will not make friends; not even two persons having the same skills. You will
rarely come across two poets or two painters as intimate friends. If two poets become friends,
the cause of friendship will be something other than poetry. Maybe they drink together or gamble
together, but then it is association and not friendship.
Psychologists believe if there is intimate friendship between two men, deep down it is a homosexual
relationship. Similarly they think any such intimacy between two women to be homosexual. You will
find it difficult to agree with the psychologists, but there is some element of truth in what they say.
It has been observed that more or less everyone misses the intimate friendship of his early years
for the test of his life, because there is a phase of homosexual relationship in everyone’s life in his
adolescence. Before they get interested in the opposite sex boys get interested in boys and girls in
girls. In fact, before they attain sexual maturity there is not much difference between a boy and a
girl as far as sex is concerned. So boys become interested in boys and girls in girls. For this reason
friendships struck in the early years are so enduring.
After they attain sexual maturity, boys and girls who are psychologically natural and normal begin
to take interest in the opposite sex. Then they become what psychologists call heterosexual.
Old relationships are forgotten and new intimacies with the opposite sex begin to build up. Of
course, about twenty to thirty percent of young men and women remain fixed at their adolescence,
which means their psychological age is stuck at fourteen years. It means they are not growing
psychologically; they are stunted and sick and need psychotherapy.
If a young woman of twenty-five continues to be interested in members of her own sex, if she
refuses to take interest in some young men, there is certainly something wrong with her psyche and
she needs treatment. It does not mean that now they will not enter into friendship with any members
of their own sex; they will – but it will be a kind of association, it can. not be real friendship. Two
men or women will be friends if they ate members of the same club – say the Rotary Club, or if they
subscribe to the same political ideology – say communism, or they are disciples of the same guru.
But these relationships can never have the depth and intimacy of the early years.
The opposite has great attraction. Look at it from some different angles. Often lovers of good clothes
are attracted by a naked fakir; lovers of delicious dishes become disciples of a master who is known
for fasting. It is ironic that the followers of a renunciate saint comprise those who are known for
their indulgence. It is deserving of serious consideration that while Mahavira, the founder of Jainism
remained naked, most of the Jainas chose to sell clothes – and they have been selling clothes down
the centuries. Fot sure, people who loved good clothes were attracted by the nude Mahavira and
they became his followers. It is surprising but true that Mahavira renounced a kingdom and became
a beggar, and the Jainas are the richest community in India.
This is not accidental; there is a sound reason behind it. When Mahavira renounced his kingdom
and wealth – he really gave away every bit of his pos sessions to the poor before he left for the forest
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 355 Osho