Do wise individuals avoid the company of enlightened beings?

Osho, opposites attract. By that law, foolish people gather around enlightened beings. So are all those wise who keep away from their company?

These are the disputes. Whichever of these is true—what has it to do with Mahavira? If he wore clothes, what difference does it make? If he did not, what difference does it make? It has nothing to do with what he said. Strange people! Yet the quarrels go on for thousands of years—and very scholastic quarrels at that. Great scriptures and arguments and nets of logic are woven, and the combatants imagine they are doing something of great importance—protecting a great religion. Now, whether Mahavira was naked or clothed—how does that concern the defense of religion? Even inside clothes one is naked. Cloth is not that precious. Whether Mahavira married or not—what has that to do with anything? What substance is there in such futile matters? But no, it seems substantial to them, because the ego of the foolish gets tied up with such things—their view must be right. The…

If you listen to the wise, there is danger. The danger is that he will upset you. He will break your whole arrangement. All the foundations of your security will shake. And the mansion you have built with great effort for lives upon lives—if you hear even one word of the wise, you will find it is a house of sand—now it falls, now it falls. You have built a house of cards. Within it you feel very happy. If it is found to be a house of cards, how will you remain happy? Then you will have to set out in search of another, a real home. And the journey is arduous. Of thousands who start, perhaps one arrives. So the simplest protection for your ignorance is to declare the wise man a fool, a madman. This is your device to save yourself.

If the traveler can find a virtuous and wise companion, let him go with him joyfully and overcome the dangers of the way.

BUT IF YOU CANNOT FIND FRIEND OR MASTER TO GO WITH YOU, TRAVEL ON ALONE -- LIKE A KING WHO HAS GIVEN AWAY HIS KINGDOM, LIKE AN ELEPHANT IN THE FOREST. TRAVEL ON ALONE, RATHER THAN WITH A FOOL FOR COMPANY. DO NOT CARRY WITH YOU YOUR MISTAKES. DO NOT CARRY YOUR CARES. TRAVEL ON ALONE LIKE AN ELEPHANT IN THE FOREST. A small commission was made to study all of my books to prepare the report. The commission seems to be a little bit confused. It seems a few people of the commission have become interested... because if you have a little bit of intelligence, even just a little bit of intelligence, how can you avoid seeing that there is something? So they say, "There is something, there seems to be something. And it happens to be very much like Jesus' teaching. But beware. Jesus has said, 'False prophets…

Osho, kindly explain—what is the way to recognize enlightened ones?

If you go near an enlightened one, you will recognize. How could it be otherwise! It may be that a blind man cannot see the sun, but when the morning sun spreads its rays, he feels its touch. He experiences its warmth, its heat. He comes to know that night has gone. Birds have begun to sing, the morning hymn has begun. He knows that a moment ago all was silent, asleep, dead; now life has revived, a hum is there. The sun may not be seen, but its warmth is felt. Even the blind senses the sun. He knows when night has passed and day has come. Granted you do not yet have the inner eye—but if you go near an enlightened one, that gust from the Malaya will touch you. You will bathe in it. You will be freshened. That piece of moonlight will shower upon you. You…

How long the night to the watchman, how long the road to the weary traveler, how long the wandering of many lives to the fool who misses the way.

IF THE TRAVELER CANNOT FIND MASTER OR FRIEND TO GO WITH HIM, LET HIM TRAVEL ON ALONE RATHER THAN WITH A FOOL FOR COMPANY. "MY CHILDREN, MY WEALTH!" SO THE FOOL TROUBLES HIMSELF. BUT HOW HAS HE CHILDREN OR WEALTH? HE IS NOT EVEN HIS OWN MASTER. THE FOOL WHO KNOWS HE IS A FOOL IS THAT MUCH WISER. THE FOOL WHO THINKS HE IS WISE IS A FOOL INDEED. DOES THE SPOON TASTE THE SOUP? A FOOL MAY LIVE ALL HIS LIFE IN THE COMPANY OF A MASTER AND STILL MISS THE WAY. THE TONGUE TASTES THE SOUP. IF YOU ARE AWAKE IN THE PRESENCE OF A MASTER ONE MOMENT WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY. THE FOOL IS HIS OWN ENEMY. THE MISCHIEF HE DOES IS HIS UNDOING. HOW BITTERLY HE SUFFERS! WHY DO WHAT YOU WILL REGRET? WHY BRING TEARS UPON YOURSELF? DO ONLY WHAT YOU DO NOT…