When the Shoe Fits - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 5. MONKEY MOUNTAIN
that you are not concerned, you should simply take the advice and become changed. But you are
concerned.
What is the use of thinking about the bottles? Just take the content. What is the use of asking
about the container? Just taste the contents, and if the contents are good, forget the container. This
Prince was in the same position as the monkey, even worse, but he uttered one of the secrets of
Taoist teachings. He may have read about it, he may have been taught it, and suddenly the situation
provoked his knowledge. So he said to the companion: Don’t display! Don’t become an exhibitionist,
otherwise you will be in trouble. And don’t rely on distinction and talent when you deal with men.
Why? Because every man is an egoist. If you depend on your talent you will be in trouble because
you will create enemies. If you depend on distinction you will be in trouble because all around you
there will be enemies. Nobody wants you to be superior to them.
Once Mulla Nasrudin came to me, very excited. He said: Now you have to help me I asked him:
What is the matter? He said: I feel terrible, it is awful. Recently I have been developing an inferiority
complex. Help me! Do something! So I said: Tell me something more about it. Why are you
developing an inferiority complex? He said: Recently I have been feeling that everybody is as good
as I am.
Whenever you show your talent you are showing that the other is not as good – and the other will
be offended. Remember, the Prince is offended just by a monkey swaying in the trees....
If you show your distinction, if you say that you are something, if you try to prove your talent in subtle
ways, everybody will be offended. And they cannot forgive you, they will take their revenge. With
every man of distinction the masses take revenge. It may be that Jesus was crucified because the
masses could not tolerate his superiority – and he was superior. They could not tolerate this man of
quality. He was extraordinary, they had to kill him. Athens could not tolerate Socrates. He was rare
– one of the most unique minds ever born, so penetrating that there is no comparison. Athens could
not tolerate him, everybody felt offended.
Chuang Tzu says: Don’t rely on talent when you deal with men. Remain hidden! It has to be
remembered that a Taoist master has never been crucified or poisoned. Never! Because they never
rely on talent. They never say that they are distinct from you. They never say that they are higher
than you, more divine than you, holier than you, no. They never say anything. They behave in such
a way that everybody around them will feel that they are superior to them.
Chuang Tzu himself lived such an ordinary life and such a beautiful life, that nobody even suspected
that here was a man of very extraordinary dimensions. He would pass through villages, and the
villages would not even become aware that Chuang Tzu had passed.
Once it happened that the emperor heard about Chuang Tzu from some source, and the rumour
was that he was a very wise man. So he sent his prime minister in search of him. But where to
find him? He had no home, no address, he was a wanderer. Chuang Tzu used to say that if you
stay in one place it is difficult to hide, people will start suspecting. Because you have something,
they will suspect, and by and by they will become aware. So before they become aware leave them
otherwise you will be in trouble. So he was a constant wanderer – no address, no home. Where to
find him?
When the Shoe Fits 72 Osho