Self Confidence

A rich man's son sent a proposal for a beautiful girl of a poor family. The father of the girl inquired about the profession of the son. He was told that the boy does not do any work and lives off the money of his father.

The girl's father said, "A person who does not earn on his own does not deserve my daughter's hand. The future of the boy is not bright". The boy felt very hurt by the statement and decided to turn things around. He toiled hard in his father's business, expanded it and created a name for himself.

This time girl's father came with the proposal and said, "You are developed the quality that I was looking for in the groom for my daughter. Now I will have no worries about my daughter's future as it will be in the right hands."

A person who rises to the top through his own hard work is genuinely respected in society because he is a self-made person who does not depend on his father's fortune or a stroke of luck to achieve recognition.

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Those were the days of Shraddanjali Yogya. There was need for financial resources and Gautam Buddha was taking stock of donations with his disciples. Everybody was excited about knowing whose contributions were largest. Bimbsar had contributed the largest amount. During the discussion Gatam Buddha held a copper vessel in his hand which was given by an old woman and said this was the most precious donation of this year. This woman donated the only possession she had and now she was left with only her clothes and some earthen pots, whereas everybody else had given just a small part of their wealth.

A person who humbly sacrifices all that he has regardless of its monetary value is more precious in the eyes of God than a king or a millionaire who egoistically donates a tiny portion of his wealth.

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A cow and a horse used to graze in a jungle. The horse became jealous of the cow thinking about how he was not able to fearlessly graze at the pasture when the cow was around, because the cow might attack him with its horns and the horse had none to defend himself with. He wanted to control the cow so that he does not have to fear the cow anymore.

A hungry man happened to pass by and looked at both the animals with greed and helplessness. Realizing the situation, the horse approached the man and told him to drink the cow's milk and satisfy his hunger. The man replied, "But she can run faster than me. How can I catch her"? Horse said, "Come sit on my back, I can run faster than the cow"

Be quick to offer thanks and equally prompt to apologize.

The Sun is a Poor Lover

The sun is now often hidden behind clouds. The sun, which is the source of all life, was astrologically also in its house of ascendance, that is in the zodiac sign of Aries recently. All energy in the world can be scientifically traced back to the sun in one way or other. So brilliant is the sun but is brilliance alone life-sustaining? Why then do we look forward to the coolness of the rainy season?

A myth among the followers of Donyi poloism in Arunanchal Pradesh says a frog hiding within a bamboo shoot shot the second sun. The weak sun become the moon and shone at night. This gave respite from the heat and life was able to flourish.

A Panchatantra storyu says a sage, while drinking water from the river in his cupped hands, found he had picked up a little mouse, too. he ended up taking her home, turning her into a girl. When it was time for her to get married, one of the suitors he invited was the sun. But the girl refused him saying he is brilliant, "a bit too brilliant, he will hurt my eyes"

Another myth is about the parijata flower: A young princess fancied the sun because he was so bright and handsome. He would visit the princess every night. On the day when her father reluctantly made arrangements for the two to get married, the sun did not show up. The dejected princess turned into the parijata flower which flowers only after the setting of the sun and closes before the sun is up.

Other myths confirm that the sun is not an easy or comfortable lover. It is important for the one you love to be brilliant and bright, beautiful or handsome, but too much of it does not make for compatible living. Brilliance needs to take rest for a while if its purpose is to be realized. During the day the sun engenders creation; during the night consolidation takes place so that further progress can b e made the following day.

Rest or sleep at night works much the same way for human beings. Whatever activity it is, be it work or play too much of it can be self-defeating. There has to be a period of action followed by complete inaction. We call these two phases as pravritti which means outward movement or progress and nivritti which is inner repose.

The sun had to learn nivritti. According to Acharya Mahaprajana, night is more tolerant; it gives space to all the aspiring ones in form of the million stars and galaxies that also want to shine. And so it comes with the hope that the sun will rise again. But when it is sunshine and sunshine only, not only do the smaller, less brilliant stars find no forum for expression, there is little to look forward to. Life is built on anticipation and excitement that anything "new" brings.

The sun may not realize how many less brilliant stars are waiting for their bit of glory; similarly, the learned do not know what it is to be unlettered or uninformed. The loved do not know how the less fortunate ones yearn for a little bit of it. Worse, the powerful do not know the plight of the exploited. Therefore, the dictionary uses words like 'dominate' for the sun and people who behave like that. They also seem uncaring and so make poor lovers or friends.

The Flower and Its Fragrance

The most beautiful thing on earth is our gratitude to divinity. Children always see more beauty than grownups do; because of their tremendous inner purity they see beauty in everything. Therefore we have to appreciate and admire them because they are still in the world of the soul.

When the mind is “developed” it also goes through conditioning and so begins to find fault. We love to see ugliness and impurity even in things that are really beautiful and good. If an artist has created something, we look for anomalies. The child however regards everything as his very own, so he sees beauty in everyone and in everything. He feels that there is nothing in comparison with other thing is beautiful.

Divine love and divine beauty are inseparable. Love is the flower, beauty is the fragrance. They go together. A flower is an object, God’s creation. But the flower has to offer its quality, that is, its fragrance. Only when you come near a flower will you see and appreciate its beauty. But even when you are far away, its fragrance can permeate the air. If a flower does not have any fragrance, half its divinity is gone. Beauty comes forth from the flower which is love. Flower and fragrance are inseparably one.

When earth’s cry and heaven’s smile meet, beauty’s perfection dawns. Joy is a bird that we all want to catch. It is the same bird that we all love to see flying. What is the difference between pleasure and joy? Pleasure is followed by frustration, whereas joy is always followed by peace and more joy. There are two kinds of joy, outer joy and inner joy – there’s a subtle difference between them. We feel that the possessor of outer joy is somebody else, not ourselves. Very often we want to snatch this joy from others.

Inner joy is not like this. When we meditate or contemplate, at that time we feel that we are the soul of joy. This joy that we possess inside is like a fountain; it comes spontaneously. Inner joy has no fear. It can, if it wants transform our human nature in the twinkling of an eye.

If we can experience true inner joy even for a second we will feel that the world is totally different. Now, we feel that we will have to change our attitude towards certain aspects of the creation if we want to have joy, because the world is constantly fighting and doing all un-divine things. But if we can look at the world with our inner joy, we will see that the world has already changed?

How can we get this inner joy? If we really feel that inner joy is the breath of our life, if we feel that we cannot exist without joy and we will die at this very moment if we do not have it, then God showers his choicest blessing, which is joy, upon us.

Real joy comes from the feeling that we are constantly in the lap of the Supreme. Twenty-four hours a day we cannot meditate. But on the strength of our imagination we can feel that 24 hours a day we are in the lap of the Supreme.

Wave and the Ocean

God or what we perceive as the supreme energy is never an object of isolation but the very core of your being. The difference between self and God is just like the wave and the ocean.

If you think you are just the body – don’t for the body has its limitations. If you think that you are the mind – don’t for the mind, too, has its limitations. It is just another layer of our existence.

Just like your body is made up of proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates, you are made up of love. Every little atom of your body is made up of love and that is what is God and not someone sitting somewhere in heaven. God is here and now; He is love, and space. When you are meditating feel at peace, at home with everyone, you are in touch with the Divine force. In the Upanishads, it is said ‘kham kham brahma’ – space is Brahman, in which everything is and into which everything dissolves. It is universal consciousness.

God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient; therefore wanting to see God as something or someone separate from you is also an illusion. God is not an object of senses but the feeling the presence, the sound of silence the light of life and the essence of the world and the taste of bliss.

God is to be felt in the depth of your heart; He cannot be perceived through your senses or through the mind for He is the Seer. As space He is everywhere, and everything is in space. Nothing can tough space. Nothing can destroy space. And you cannot see space as a separated object.

There are three types of space, bhuta aakash or outer space space in which the universe exists, chitta aakash or the world of impressions, thoughts and dreams that exist in your mind; chida aakash or the sky of consciousness that is all permeating every consciousness – everywhere – consciousness, the basis of all Creation, that is Divine that which knows all.

The whole of existence has a mind of its own. This mind is what you call Atma or God and that is what you are. As Generator; Operator and Destroyer; as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. God has generated the present moment; the present moment is operating and the present moment destroyed the past. So you are in God and Divinity is in you. There is a place for everybody in the heart of the Divine.

Divinity is the very core of your being. Like an onion, if you start peeling the layers one by one, when you reach the centre there is nothingness and everything is made up of that space. Universal consciousness is present everywhere. That being, that space, that very consciousness is what people look up to because it is present everywhere at all times.

In the body there are many cells and each of them has its own life. New cells are coming up and old cells are dying but they have no knowledge of you. Yet they are affected by you and you are affected by a single cell. In the same way, know that the big life and the big mind which encompasses all our minds and all our lives, is what we call as God.

Gita and Business Ethics

The word ‘ethics’ comes from the Greek word ‘ethikos’. It refers to one’s moral character and the way in which society expects people to behave in accordance with accepted principles.

Business ethics is the code of good conduct that a business adheres to in its daily dealings both with other businesses and with customers.

Most philosophers conclude that ethical failure occurs because of lack of character. Virtuous people will live ethically. Therefore, we need to think about the desired virtues and how one can develop those virtues.

In the month of Magha (December) 5,000 years ago, on the battlefield at Kurukshetra just before the start of Mahabharata war, Krishna outlined to Arjun a system of ethics that has withstood the test of time. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna not only how to build character but lso the rood cause of ethical failure and how to avoid it.

Krishna outlines 26 qualities of a gentleman to be merciful, obedient, truthful, equitable, saintly, magnanimous, mild-mannered, clean, simple, charitable and peaceful. He should have surrendered to God and not be greedy or possessive but remain steady and determined, free of the six bad qualities not gluttonous, sober, respectful, humble, grave, compassionate, friendly, eloquent, expert and concise.

It is easy to give a list of positive qualities that we can all agree upon. Yet, even though hundreds of trainers work day and night to teach people good character, when it really matters people’s character still fails why?

Krishna answers in chapter three, verses 37 and 38, “O Arjuna, it is lust… later transformed into wrath, which is the all devouring sinful enemy of this world. As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust”

To maintain good character, we must overcome kama, that is lust or selfish desire. Most people think kama means just sexual craving, but it simply refers to an overwhelming desire for anything, such as lust for power. Greed, dishonesty and corruption are all by product of lust. To be happy, successful and well situated, the Gita says one must control lust.

Gita’s solution to the ethical failure and downfall of corporations and society and family is controlling the senses with spiritual strength. Ethics is linked to spirituality. For the last century or more western business separated work and spirituality. Kurukshetra was also about mind control. Every one of us, whether s manager or employee, is fighting his own battle, his own Kurukshetra. The Gita can help us to learn to regulate our senses, control our minds and gain spiritual strength.

The Gita is as fresh in insight and as relevant today as it was 5000 years ago. If only every manager, administrator politician employee, worker and others pick a copy of the Gita and spend a few minutes daily reflecting on its message, one can experience the positive transformation. Who dosn’t wish to be disciplined, to achieve home work balance and bring peace and harmony in a secular environment?

Feeling Sad? Accept it

Q. I am so tired of people telling me that I look sad. When I feel happy they still tell me that there is sadness there too. I just don’t know what to do about it?

Osho: Do not think whenever anybody says it, accept it with deep gratitude and tell them that they are right, that you are sad. You are avoiding the fact. That’s why you are feeling just; otherwise you would not be. If somebody says that you are beautiful, you are not hurt. You feel grateful it is a compliment.

Why do you feel hurt when somebody says you look sad? Because you don’t want to be sad, and you are and you want that nobody should know that you are sad, even if you are.

Nobody is hurting you; nobody wants to hurt anybody. People are beautiful. If they say that you are sad, they are simply saying that they would like you not to be sad… They would like you to be happy because your sadness will make them sad also.

Whosoever comes near you – a friend, a neighbor, a lover… if you are sad you make him sad also. You create a sad situation. And if someone enters your arena he is bound to become sad. If he goes on laughing in spite of your sadness, it will be offensive. Even if he wants to laugh, even if he had come to laugh with you, he cannot just to be polite, as part of etiquette. And if you are really sad and the person feels for you he will feel for you. When he says you look sad, he is simply saying that it is not good that you feel like this.

You feel hurt because you were trying to avoid the fact and now he comes and brings the fact before you. Thank him! Feel grateful that he brought it to your notice. And don’t try to hide it. What can you do? If you are sad, you are sad. Don’t smile and hide behind it, don’t create any screen, camouflage, no façade

Once you accept it you will find that by and by there are moments when you forget that you have to remain sad, and you have become happy, just a moment before you had forgotten. When I told you to hang a sign around your neck, you had forgotten completely; you were not sad at that moment.

Sadness is not anybody’s nature; just a mood, a habit, a pattern. It can be broken. It is because you have chosen it. But the way is not to fight it. The way is to transcend. So accept it. Be really sad for three days. If you find yourself becoming happy, immediately become sad, because you have to follow the sigh. Otherwise people will ask what you are doing. If you catch what you are doing. If you catch yourself getting a little smile or something feel guilty!

It is just an old habit that you slip into again and again. Habit needs unconsciousness, a habit lives in unconsciousness. If you become conscious of it, it disappears. So for three days you be consciously sad, consistently sad, and persistently sad. Don’t go here and there; immediately catch hold and come back and be sad. You will fail!

Take form OSHO's Literature

Experience Life’s Rhythm

A Hoysala king on a hunting expedition captured a gorgeous white baby elephant that got separated from its mother. The elephants of noble breed belonged to the king of the neighboring region. The calf had imbibed the noble traits of its mother. But gradually the baby elephant was turning out to be naughty and ill mannered. The king who was concerned about its impudence with the mahout, irregular food habits and rudeness handed his minister the responsibility of tracing the cause of this sudden change in behavior. The minister hoisted himself on a tree close to the baby elephant to keep a watch on him through the night. As night approached, he saw some men of ill repute sitting near the baby elephant. They were badmouthing people, exuding anger and vengeance. This went on for several days. The minister duly reported this to the king who had the men barred from that place. He now sent a group of wise people to keep the baby elephant company. Very soon the baby returned to its natural state of goodness and virtuosity.

Can we hope to always be surrounded by good people or be in a good environment? Life is unstable and unpredictable. We are all the time being impacted by what is happening around us. How can we insulate ourselves from the bad effects?

The solution is to have a “living mind” a mind that is watchful and observant. When the mind is dominated by suspicion, anger, fear, hurt or anxiety it becomes dead and fossilized. It loses its ability to enquire into anything, be it an event or an emotion. It becomes compulsive, mechanical and repetitive. Such a mind devoid of awareness and alertness is prone to fall a victim to the vagaries of the world. It is weak and helpless. A mind that is awake and watchful nurtures goodness, virtue, joy and love within a human being in all aspects of life. A dead mind can only brag about its ideals of goodness and integrity but in reality its actions are prompted by fear, confusion and rigidity. It is fossilized thinking. Awareness is what can give you an extraordinary quantity of life.

There are different views about life. Some say it is predestined. Others say it is an accident and that it has no destiny. But there is a destiny and it is crafted by our thoughts. This is how we create our destiny.

Thoughts- emotion- moods- temperaments- actions-destiny.

When we do not throw the light of awareness onto our thoughts regarding a particular situation, it precipitates emotions like anger, hurt and fear. When these emotions are not attended to, we get used to them and they cause mood swings. Thereafter, it becomes our second nature, our temperament. Just as layer upon layer of sedimentation solidifies into rock, continuous unawareness and ignorance go to make our personality. We become defined, limited and controlled by them. Our actions would then be directed by our moods. Such unintelligent action would lead to a poor destiny, devoid of love, joy, abundance or success.

Hence, “a living mind” which is vigilant about what it thinks and feels is of utmost importance to create a great destiny. Destiny is also not created in one moment; it takes shape with each situation life throws up and with each response you give to it.

So come alive, live consciously, be aware of every movement, and be awake to every rhythm of life. In living life every moment that you see is each time a new beginning.