Osho – Identification is Misery
Osho : I am reminded of a Sufi story.
A great emperor asks his wise men to give him a mantra of such a type that it can be used in any dangerous, fatal situation – Any Advice is always particular, and he wants a mantra, an advice, the essence of all wisdom, so that it can be used in any situation whatsoever, whenever there is danger. The wise men are very confused, very disturbed, and in a deep anguish. They cannot find such an essence of all wisdom.
Then they go to a Sufi mystic and he gives a piece of paper and says, ”This should not be opened unless there is Really danger! And then the advice will be there.” So the king put the piece of paper under the diamond of his ring. There are many moments when the danger approaches, but the Sufi has emphatically said, ”Unless you feel this is really the last hope – that nothing can be more dangerous – only then open it!” Many dangers come and go, and the king always feels this is not the last; something more can still happen.
Even death approaches, and the king is just on his deathbed, but still he cannot open it, because he remembers still more is possible. But his wise men say, ”Now please open it. We want to see what is there.” But the king says, ”The promise must be fulfilled. Really, now it is irrelevant what is there; the mantra has worked upon me. Since having this mantra with me, I have not felt any danger at all. Whatsoever the danger was, I have felt still more was possible, and I have remained the host. I was never identified.”
Danger can never become the ultimate unless you are identified with it, and then anything can become the ultimate – just anything! Just anything ordinary can become the ultimate, and you are disturbed.
And the king said, ”Now I am not worried at all, whatsoever. The man is wise; the Sufi knows – I am not concerned about what he has written.”
Then, the king died without opening the ring. The moment he died, the first thing his wise men did was to open the ring. There was nothing; it was just a piece of paper… just a piece of paper – not a word, not a single word of advice. But the advice worked; the mantra worked.
So be centered in your host, and remember nothing is happening to you. All that is happening is just the guests, visitors; they will come and go. And it is good that they come and go; it enriches you, you become more mature.
But don’t follow them, don’t be involved with them. Don’t become one with them. Don’t fall in love and hate; don’t fall into identification. Remain the host, and then the ultimate happening happens. Then the ultimate explosion becomes possible. Once the witnessing soul is known, you will never be the same again. The whole world disappears and you are transmuted into a new dimension of bliss.
Identification is misery; Non-identification is bliss. To fall in love and hate with the guest is misery. To transcend them, and to be centered in oneself, is bliss.
Source: from book “That Art Thou” by Osho