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

CHAPTER 4. RELIGION HAS NO HISTORY, IT IS ETERNAL
The idea of non-violence could only take root in a soil deeply steeped in violence. People who
had lived with violence for generations were the right vehicles for non-violence, and the kshatriyas
became the vehicle.
Krishna could not have persuaded Mahavira to take to violence, because Mahavira did not say he
would not kill his family and relatives, he was not grieving for them. In fact, he had renounced them,
he had renounced the whole world of relationships. His stand was altogether different: he had
totally denied violence as inhuman and meaningless. He would have said, ”Violence is irreligious.”
If Krishna had argued with him that, ”It is better to die in one’s own nature,” he would simply have
said, ”Not to kill is my self-nature; I would die before killing.” He would have told Krishna, ”Don’t tell
me to kill. Killing is alien to me.” If the Geeta had been preached to Mahavira, he would simply have
stepped out of Krishna’s chariot, said goodbye and retired to the forest. The Geeta would not have
cut any ice with Mahavira.
But the Geeta had appeal for Arjuna; he was impressed and changed by it. The Geeta appealed
to him not because Krishna succeeded with him, it changed his mind because he was intrinsically
a warrior, because fighting was in his blood and bones. And all his distractions from war and its
attendant violence, and his grief and sorrow, were passing reactions caused by his deep clannish
attachments.
So Krishna succeeded in dispelling those patches of clouds that had temporarily covered the sky
of his mind. Those clouds did not represent his real mind, they did not make up his sky. If it were
his real sky, Krishna would not have tried to change it. This would be out of the question. Then the
GEETA would not have been delivered at all. Krishna would have known it was Arjuna’s own sky,
his own self-nature. But the sky does not come so suddenly.
Arjuna’s entire life bears witness to the fact that his real sky is that of a warrior, and not of a brahmin.
And his deviations are like transient clouds in the sky, which Krishna seeks to dispel. If it is his true
nature there is no reason for Arjuna to move from it. This is precisely what Krishna tells him, ”It is
better to die in one’s own nature than to live in any alien nature.”
And had Arjuna this much to say, ”This is my true nature, that it would be better to die than to kill
others. Forgive me, I am walking out on the battle. ”
The story would have ended right there. Krishna does not ask him to take on an alien nature; on the
contrary, he insists over and over again on his knowing his true nature and remaining steadfast in it.
Krishna’s entire effort, running through the whole of the GEETA, is directed towards making Arjuna
realize his self-nature. He has no wish whatsoever to impose anything alien on him.
The other part of your question also deserves consideration.
Of course, I said that Krishna is not a Master, that he is a friend to Arjuna, but I did not say that Arjuna
is not a disciple. I did not say that. Arjuna can well be a disciple, and this will be a relationship from
Arjuna’s side. He, on his side, can submit to being a disciple – which has nothing to do with Krishna
who, nevertheless, remains a friend. And Arjuna is really a disciple; he wants to learn. To be a
disciple means a readiness to learn. Therefore a disciple asks questions. Arjuna asks questions,
inquires, because he wants to learn.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 78 Osho