Chapter 16

Anand means bliss and megha means path...

Man has to become a path of bliss. Bliss comes from the unknown, from the blue. Just as the sun- rays come from far away, so does bliss; from the centre of the universe, bliss radiates. But we are closed to it; we don't allow the way, we don't open the door. We are afraid and hiding somewhere behind it. We go on crying and weeping in our hiding, we go on thinking how to be happy and how to be joyous; and it is always knocking on the door!

So drop all fear. Fear is the only hindrance. Open the doors, let the wind come and let the sun come in. The only thing that you have to do is to become a little open.

We all live surrounded by China Walls; out of fear we have created prisons and we live behind the walls. It feels secure but it is like living in a grave. Maybe it is secure but it is not life. And man need not go in search of bliss; bliss is always coming, twenty-four hours, day in, day out. We just have to open our hearts to receive it, we just have to become a host.

Prem means love, saddha means trust. And that has to become your work. Say yes to life, drop as many nos as possible. Even if you have to say no and it is difficult to avoid it, say it but don't enjoy saying it. And if it is possible, say it also in the form of yes. Don't miss a single opportunity of saying yes to life. When you say yes, say it with great celebration and joy. Nourish it, don't say it reluctantly. Say it lovingly, say it with enthusiasm, with zest; pour yourself totally into it. When you say yes, become yes!

You will be surprised to know that ninety-nine nos can be dropped very easily. We say them only as part of our ego; they were not needed, they were not inevitable. The one no that remains will be very significant, that need not be dropped. But even saying that essential no, one has to be very

reluctant, hesitant, because no is death and yes is life. People are dead because they go on saying no. Watch yourself and watch others and you will be surprised: people are saying no for no reason at all. But they are enjoying saying it: it gives a kind of power. When you can say no to somebody you feel powerful.

In dropping the no, the ego disappears, and in getting more and more in tune with yes you become available to god: that is the meaning of saddha. It does not mean belief, it means trust - not a belief in a certain concept of god but a simple trust in life that all is good, that all is going to be good, that even if sometimes something goes wrong, finally it will be settled and finally everything will turn out well; that life is not tragic, that in the end everything comes out right. Truth wins, love wins, violence is defeated, the lie is defeated. The lie can win a few battles but finally it is defeated.

This trust will transform you.

[The sannyasin in charge of the ashram canteens, with a reputation as a fiery zen mistress, has been called to see Osho.]

A few things.... I am happy with your work but a few things are to be fixed. And before we move to the new [commune] you have to fix them, because then things will be too big and it will become more and more difficult. Here it is manageable, so you manage. And your responsibility is great.

The first thing is that you change your behaviour with people. Become more loving. You are loving (chuckling) but your language is not! Your language is still Italian! (laughter) Others are not Italian so they don't understand. So drop all foul words. It will be difficult, but one has to do these things.

Learn a few loving words, mm? And in these two, three months that we are here you have to change completely.

The second thing: take more care of the (ashramites') canteen. You are more in Vrindavan; the canteen is a little bit neglected. So you have to take care. Otherwise what will you do? Sooner or later there will be five thousand people and if you cannot manage a small family then that big family will be difficult. So pay a little more attention to the canteen.

Look after peoples' needs, even the small things, because this is their home; they should not feel that they cannot have small things. Mm? if they want a little more sugar, allow them. They should feel at home, otherwise it feels that they are constantly afraid. Don't make them afraid. You are there to serve these people, you are not to dominate them. You have to mother them; completely forget the idea of dominating.

The idea of dominating arises out of an inferiority complex; people dominate because they are afraid, they are not certain about themselves. But there is no need to be uncertain here; you can be absolutely certain. There is no need to be afraid, so there is no need to be defensive and powerful - one can be humble. Always remember: the person who is not humble is not yet certain about himself.

There is a very famous Eastern story.... A blind man is sitting under a tree. A king comes, he touches the feet of the blind man and says, 'Sir, where is the way to the capital?' Then the prime

minister of the king comes, and without touching his feet he says, 'Mister, where is the way to the capital?' Then comes an orderly. He hits the head of the old blind man and says, 'You fool, where is the way to the capital?' The king's party had lost its way. When they had all gone the blind man started laughing. Somebody else was sitting by the side and he asked, 'Why are you laughing?'

The blind man said, 'Look, the first man must have been a king, the second man must have been the prime minister and the third was a poor constable.'

The man was puzzled; he said, 'How could you know? You are blind.' The blind man said, 'Just by their behaviour.... The king was so certain of his superiority that he could touch my feet. The orderly was feeling so inferior that he had to hit me. He must be in a poor situation.'

And this always happens. Your power is absolute: you can be humble. You can even touch the feet of the people who take food in the canteen and in Vrindavan. There is no need to dominate, there is no need at all!

So the first thing: change your language. The second thing: take more care of people, be more loving, because we are going to create a really loving family.

You are my people through whom I have to work. I cannot come and take care of their food, so you represent me there. Remember that you represent me, so don't do anything that will not fit with me.

Remember in Vrindavan also, that the only responsibility on you is to take care so that you can feed the canteen; more income is not needed, there should be no profit motive in it. Just this much is enough, that you can look after the ashram people; the inmates Gan be fed perfectly well, that's enough, more is not needed. And whatsoever you need in the new place the ashram will supply; don't be worried about it. You are too worried about it. It will be supplied, you will get everything that you need. So you need not be too concerned with profit, because Vrindavan is also run for sannyasins. Service should be the motive, not profit, nobody should feel that there is any profit motive anywhere. I know that you don't have that motive for yourself, but you plan that these things should be there and that should be there.... Au will be coming!

Just go on trusting - everything happens! Whenever the need arises, it is fulfilled. When we started there were only five, ten people here. As the number of people grow, their needs will be fulfilled; don't be worried about that. Nobody has to worry around me. Live very relaxedly.

And you have to listen: if [the people in the office] something to say, you start listening to them; don't argue. Explain, but there is no need to argue.

These few things.... Right?