Show respect for the master by being gentle and mindful with everything—even a banana peel.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, what is the relationship between meditation and patience?
If you sit to meditate to remove mental restlessness, you will keep looking back again and again: “Has it gone yet?” And the irony is that when you begin to meditate, restlessness will increase. Because what has been repressed will start surfacing; catharsis will begin. The rubbish you have kept hidden within and never allowed to express—meditation will break open those doors too. It will clean the house. Dust piled up for years, for births, will rise again; there will be gusts and storms. For a while even the little peace you had will be lost. Then you will panic: “I came for peace, and even what I had is gone.” Without patience, you could even become unhinged, because meditation brings such a great storm. The disease is not from a day or two; it’s from lifetimes. Meditation will break through all the layers to reach your innermost core. In…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE AND COMPASSION SHOWERING ON ME. MY GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS CANNOT BE EXPRESSED IN ANY WORD OR ANY LANGUAGE. PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY SHORTCOMINGS. ALSO, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, MY DEAREST LORD OSHO, THAT YOU HAD TO BEND DOWN TO TAKE MY HEAD INTO YOUR HANDS. I KNOW HOW PAINFUL YOUR BACK IS. IT WAS SO PAINFUL FOR ME THAT BECAUSE OF ME YOU HAD TO BEND DOWN. ON THE DAY OF MY SANNYAS, YOU HAD TAKEN MY HAND IN YOUR HANDS. YESTERDAY YOU HAD TAKEN MY HEAD IN YOUR HANDS. I HOPE, PRAY, AND BEG EVERYONE'S BLESSINGS THAT I CAN BECOME WORTHY OF IT. MY BELOVED MASTER, PLEASE TELL AND EXPLAIN TO ALL THAT THE JOURNEY HAS ONLY BEGUN. I AM NOT YET WORTHY OF THEIR RESPECT.
The master bankei's talks were attended not only by zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.
HIS LARGE AUDIENCES ANGERED A PRIEST OF THE NICHIREN SECT BECAUSE THE ADHERENTS HAD LEFT TO HEAR ABOUT ZEN. THE SELF-CENTERED NICHIREN PRIEST CAME TO THE TEMPLE, DETERMINED TO DEBATE WITH BANKEI. "HEY, ZEN TEACHER!" HE CALLED OUT. "WAIT A MINUTE. WHOEVER RESPECTS YOU WILL OBEY WHAT YOU SAY, BUT A MAN LIKE MYSELF DOES NOT RESPECT YOU. CAN YOU MAKE ME OBEY YOU?" "COME UP BESIDE ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU, " SAID BANKEI. PROUDLY THE PRIEST PUSHED HIS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD TO THE TEACHER. BANKEI SMILED. "COME OVER TO MY LEFT SIDE." THE PRIEST OBEYED. "NO," SAID BANKEI, "WE MAY TALK BETTER IF YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. STEP OVER HERE." THE PRIEST STEPPED PROUDLY OVER TO THE RIGHT. "YOU SEE," OBSERVED BANKEI, "YOU ARE OBEYING ME AND I THINK YOU ARE A VERY GENTLE PERSON. NOW SIT DOWN AND LISTEN." The Master laughed and…
Beloved Osho, for ten years I have thought that when you said there is no time-space separation between the master and the disciple, and when you said the disciple has to melt into the master so that their hearts beat together, I thought that you were simply being poetic. The other evening when you were talking about this relationship, I suddenly got that you mean what you say so poetically. I would like to take you home with me in my heart, my beloved master, and I am a slow learner with a frightened heart and only six weeks. Will you come with me this time?
Prem Dheera, the first time you were right, when you thought I was simply being poetic. The second time you were wrong, when you started thinking that I mean what I say so poetically -- I don't mean. If I start going into everybody's hearts it will be impossible to put me together again! You can love me wherever you are. You can feel me wherever you are. But poetry is poetry; don't make it something pragmatic and practical. When I talk about melting and about merging and about having a heart-to-heart communion, don't take it that that's actually what I mean. Those are only indications towards a very subtle phenomenon in which I remain I, you remain you. In fact, you become more yourself than you have ever been before. If love cannot give you individuality, uniqueness, that love is impotent. The power of love consists of giving you…
Osho, I have worn the mala for less than a month, but I understand how feeling you is important. But these feelings are mixed up. I respect and love you, but I don't look at you as his holiness. Strange, but I look at you as a buddha. Only that, without anything added or taken away from your being. And what a buddha is I don't know. How come I love you, respect you because you are my master. But...love? Also I see that I can play with you with joy and you are so far away. Or so close? Respect, love, joy -- are they the same?
IT IS GOOD THAT YOU CANNOT THINK OF ME AS HIS Holiness, because I am neither His Holiness nor His Unholiness. It is good and beautiful that you think of me as a Buddha, because that's exactly what I am -- simply a Buddha. A Buddha means one who is awake. It has nothing to do with holiness, nothing to do with unholiness. Holiness, unholiness, both are dreams; for dreams you have to be asleep. A Buddha is awake; all dreams have disappeared. A Buddha is not a saint, is not a sinner either. A Buddha is not God and is not a devil either. All dualities are irrelevant as far as Buddha is concerned. Buddha is simply a witness of all the mystery that surrounds you within and without. Mario, it is absolutely right, you are moving in the right direction. If you start looking at me as a…