Bitterness

 

 

We are bitter because we are not what we should be. Everybody is feeling sour because everybody is feeling this is not what life should be; if this is all then this is nothing. There must be something more to it, and unless that something more is found one cannot drop one's bitterness. Out of this bitterness comes anger, jealousy, violence, hatred -- all kinds of negativities. One is continuously complaining but the real complaint is somewhere else deep down. It is a complaint against existence, that "What am I doing here? Why am I here? -- nothing is happening. Why am I forced to be alive, because nothing is happening." Time goes on passing and life remains without any bliss. It creates bitterness.

 

It is not accidental that old people become very bitter. It is very difficult to live with old people, even if they are your own parents. It is very difficult for the simple reason that their whole life has gone down the drain, they are feeling bitter. They jump upon everything to throw their negativity; they start catharting and freaking out over anything. They cannot tolerate children being happy, dancing, singing, shouting out of joy -- they cannot tolerate it. It is a nuisance for them, because they have missed their life. And in fact when they are saying, "Don't be a nuisance to us," they are simply saying, "How dare you be so joyous!" They are against young people, and whatsoever the young people are doing, the old always think they are wrong.

 

In fact, they are simply feeling bitter about the whole thing called life. And they go on finding excuses.... It is very rare to find an old person who is not bitter, that means he has lived really beautifully, he is really grown-up. Then old people have tremendous beauty which no young man can ever have. He has a certain ripeness, maturity, he is seasoned. He has seen so much and lived so much that he is tremendously grateful to god.

 

But it is very hard to find that type of old man, because it means that man is a Buddha, a Christ, a Krishna. Only an awakened person can be non-bitter in old age -- because death is coming, life is gone, what is there for one to be happy about? One is simply angry.

 

You have heard about angry people, angry young men, but really no young man can ever be as angry as old people. Nobody talks about angry old men, but my own experience -- I have watched young people, old people -- is that nobody can be as angry as the old.

 

Bitterness is a state of ignorance. You have to go beyond it, you have to learn the awareness which becomes a bridge to take you beyond. And that very going is revolution. The moment you have really gone beyond all complaints, all no's, there arises a tremendous yes -- just yes, yes, yes -- there is great fragrance. The same energy that was bitter becomes fragrance.

 

-Osho, ”Just the Tip of the Iceberg, #6“