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

CHAPTER 19. RITUALS, FIRE AND KNOWLEDGE
Do you think a stream is flowing towards some future? Do you think a river is running to the sea?
You are mistaken if you think so. It is another matter that the river reaches the ocean – but it is
certainly not flowing for the sake of the ocean. A river flows for the love of flowing, it is really its
abundant energy that is flowing. And this energy, this force, this strength of a river comes from its
source, its original source.
The Ganges flows with the strength of the Gangotri; it is the Gangotri flowing through the Ganges.
Of course she reaches the sea, but it is just a by product, it is inconsequential. In her whole journey
the Ganges has nothing to do with the ocean; she is not even aware that she is going to the ocean.
It is her own abundant energy that makes her flow and dance and sing and celebrate.
The Ganges dances not only when she reaches the shore of the ocean, she dances on every shore,
on every bank. She dances through hills and valleys, through green forests and dry deserts, through
cities and villages, through happiness and misery, through human beings and animals. She dances
and rejoices wherever she happens to be. And if she reaches the ocean it is just a consequence
which she had neither desired nor expected. It is the culmination of her life’s journey; it is existence’s
echo, its answer to her.
Life is a play of energy; like a river it moves with its own energy. Krishna says man should live
so that his action stems from his own energy, from its innermost source. In my view there is only
one difference between a householder and a sannyasin: a house holder lives for tomorrow, he is
future-oriented; a sannyasin lives and flowers now and here. He derives his strength from his today.
For him today, now is enough unto itself. And when a sannyasin’s tomorrow comes, it will come in
the form of his today, and he will live it the way he lives his today.
There is a significant episode In the life of Mohammed. Mohammed is a rare kind of sannyasin, and
I would like to see many more sannyasins like him in the world.
Every day his lovers bring all kinds of gifts for him. Someone brings sweets, another brings clothes,
and another money. Mohammed shares everything with his visitors and others, and if something is
left over by the evening he asks his wife to distribute it among the needy.
By the evening Mohammed again becomes a pauper, a fakir. When sometimes his wife suggests
that something should be saved for tomorrow, Mohammed says, ”Tomorrow will come as today, and
it will care for itself.” If his wife still grumbles he says to her, ”Do you think I am an atheist that I should
care for tomorrow? Caring for tomorrow is what I call atheism. Worrying for tomorrow means I don’t
trust existence, who has provided everything for today. I trust existence will provide for our tomorrow
too. Worrying about tomorrow is lack of trust in existence, in the cosmic energy. And after all, what
carl we do? What worth is our own effort?”
Mohammed insists that his wife give away everything that is left over saying, ”With trust in our hearts
we will wait for tomorrow. I am a theist, and if I save for tomorrow God will say, ’Mohammed, don’t
you have even this much trust in me?’”
This is the way Mohammed lives all through his life. Then he becomes critically ill, and one evening
his physicians declare that he is not going to survive the coming night. So his wife, thinking she
should save something for any emergency that may arise that night, saves five dinars and hides the
money under her pillow.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 368 Osho