Once it happened that a man was very ill. The illness was that he continually felt that his eyes were popping out and his ears were ringing – continually. By and by, he became crazy because it went on twenty-four hours a day. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t do his work.
So he consulted doctors. One doctor suggested, ”Remove the appendix,” so the appendix was removed, but nothing happened. Another suggested, ”Remove all the teeth,” so all his teeth were removed. Nothing happened; the man simply became old, that’s all. Then somebody suggested that the tonsils should be removed. There are millions of advisers, and if you start listening to them they will kill you. So his tonsils were removed, but nothing happened. Then he consulted the greatest doctor known.
The doctor diagnosed and he said, ”Nothing can be done because the cause cannot be found. At the most you can live six months more. And I must be frank with you, because all that could be done has been done. Now nothing can be done.”
The man came out of the doctor’s office and thought, ”If I only have six months to live, then why not live well?” He was a miser, and he had never lived, so he ordered the latest and biggest car; he purchased a beautiful bungalow, he ordered thirty suits, he even ordered shirts to be made to order.
He went to the tailor who measured him and said, ”Thirty-six sleeves, sixteen collar.”
The man said, ”No, fifteen, because I always use fifteen.”
The tailor measured again and said, ”Sixteen!”
The man said, ”But I have always used fifteen!”
The tailor said, ”Okay then, have it your own way, but I tell you, you will have popping eyes and ringing in the ears!”
And that was the whole cause of his illness!
You are missing the divine not for very great causes– NO! Just a fifteen collar – and the eyes cannot see, they are popping; and the ears cannot hear, they are ringing. The cause of man’s illness is simple, because he is addicted to small things.
The things of this world are very small. Even if you get a kingdom, what is it? A very small thing. Where are the kingdoms that existed in history? Where is Babylon? Where is Assyria? Where is the kingdom of Pharaoh? They all disappeared, just ruins– and the kingdoms were great. But what was attained by them? What did Genghis Khan attain? What did Alexander attain? All kingdoms are just trivial things.
And you don’t know what you are missing? – you are missing the kingdom of God. Even if you become successful, what will you get through it? Where will you get through it? Look at successful people, diagnose them: where have they reached? Look at people who sit on thrones of success: where have they reached? They are also in search of mental peace– more than you. They are also afraid of death, and trembling, just like you.
If you look at your successful people minutely, you will find that those ’gods’ also have clay feet. Death will take them, and with death all success disappears, all fame disappears. The whole thing seems to be a nightmare: so much effort, so much misery, so much hardship – and nothing is gained. In the end death comes and everything disappears like a bubble. And because of this bubble, that which is eternal is lost.
Empty you have come, but not exactly empty: filled with desires. Empty you will go, but not exactly empty: again filled with desires. But desires are dreams – you remain empty – they have nothing substantial in them. You are born empty, and then you move in the world and accumulate things, just believing that these things will give you a fulfillment. You remain empty. Death snatches everything, you move again into the grave, again empty.
Only the heart can see how empty you are! What have you gained? What maturity, what growth has happened to you? What ecstasy has come to you? – no benediction yet? The whole past has been a rotten thing. And in the future, you are going to repeat the past: what else can you do? This is the affliction of a Jesus, of a Buddha. He feels miserable for you.
You are poor, a beggar, because you are always desiring, always asking to be given more. Desire is begging, and a desiring mind is a beggar’s mind. You may be an emperor, it makes no difference – you just become a big beggar, that’s all, a great beggar, that’s all. But you go on demanding.
It happened that a mystic, Baba Farid, lived near Delhi in a small village. The emperor Akbar was one of Farid’s followers. Akbar used to come to him, and Farid was a poor fakir. Once, when the town came to know that Akbar comes to Farid, the villagers gathered and said to Farid, ”Jahapanah Akbar comes to you, so ask for something for us. At least a school is needed, a hospital is needed. And just by your saying it will be fulfilled, because the emperor himself comes to you.”
The village was poor, uneducated, and there was no hospital, so Farid said,” Okay, but I am not very efficient at asking for anything because I have not asked for so long. But if you say so, I will go.” So, he went.
In the morning, he reached the palace. Everybody knew that Akbar was his follower, so Farid was allowed to enter immediately. Akbar was in his shrine – he had made a small shrine where he used to pray – and he was praying, he was in prayer, so Farid stood just at the back. When the prayer was finished, he would ask.
Akbar was not aware that Farid was standing behind him. He said the prayer, and at the end he said, ”God almighty, make my empire still greater, give me more wealth.”
Farid listened and he turned away. When Akbar had finished his prayer, he looked behind – Farid was going down the stairs. He called,” How did you come? And why are you leaving?”
Farid said, ”I had come to meet an emperor, but I find here also a beggar. So it’s useless! And if you are asking God, why shouldn’t I ask Him directly? Why an in-between? And Akbar, I thought you were an emperor, but I was wrong.”
Akbar has related the story in his autobiography, and he says, ”At that moment I understood: whatsoever one gets makes no difference, because the mind goes on asking for more and more.”
Jesus says this is the marvel of all marvels: … HOW THIS GREAT WEALTH – of divine beingness, of divinity of God – HAS MADE ITS HOME IN SUCH POVERTY. Drunken people, asleep, poor, begging continuously all their lives; asking for ugly things, fighting for ugly things, obsessed with disease and illness – and God has made it His temple, and God has made it his abode, His abode in you! Jesus says this is the best – impossible, incomprehensible – mystery. Marvel of all marvels! Nothing can transcend this.
This is the affliction of a Buddha, of a Jesus: looking at you – emperors, who have the kingdom of God, begging; asking for worthless things, wasting your time, your life, energy, opportunity.
Repent! Look at what you have been doing. It will look so foolish; you will not even be able to believe that you have been doing this. The whole thing will look nonsense!
Look at what you have been doing with your life, look at what you have done to yourself. You are just a ruin, and the ruin is growing every day. In the end you will be just a ruin, totally ruined. And in your begging heart, in your begging mind, there lives the king, the supreme. This is a marvel!
And a Jesus feels very much, hence he is so sad, he cannot laugh. Not that laughter is difficult for him – he cannot laugh because of you. He is so sad, he feels so much for you that he goes on devising methods, devising keys to unlock you, to make you that which you already are, to make you realize who you are.
Go through these words and remember one key word: Repent. And if you can come to realize that repentance is the key, it will cleanse all your past. You will suddenly be fresh and virgin again.
And when you are fresh, God is there, because God is nothing but your freshness, your virginity.
Osho: The Mustard Seed: My Most Loved Gospel on Jesus: CHAPTER 3. THE MARVEL OF MARVELS (excerpts)
“अचरज का अचरज है, ये सृष्टि का हर रंग,
नयन भरे ना देख के, अद्भुत है ये संग।”
acharaj ka acharaj hai, ye shrushti ka har rang,
nayan bhare na dekh ke, adbhut hai ye sang.
A marvel of marvels is each hue of creation,
Eyes never tire of witnessing, such wondrous fascination.
Kuch to bataa zindagi….” from the film Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), sung by Jubin Nautiyal and composed by Pritam. The lyrics were written by Neelesh Mishra.
This song expresses a deep yearning for answers and understanding about life, reflecting themes of introspection, self-discovery, and the quest for meaning. The lines evoke a sense of searching for purpose and clarity, making it resonate with the thoughts of examining one’s life and existence.
Amazing. Think of this to livereasonable life and life with purpose
Nice teaching, makes one think.
Nice.
Excellent message
Rarely such moments comes in life where we are lost in happiness.
Thanks for sach memorable moments given to me
So well-written. Really makes you ponder.
Heartfelt congratulations on crafting such a profound and thought-provoking story! Your words beautifully capture the divine mystery within and inspire deep introspection and transformation. Thank you for sharing this marvel of wisdom and awakening our hearts to the supreme essence of life. Wishing you continued success in spreading such meaningful insights!