Bravery
Cowardice and bravery are two aspects of the same coin: fear is in both, they are two faces of fear. One is simple and direct, another is cunning and hidden – a brave man is a cunning coward.
I have heard, once it happened that a soldier fighting on the front got very scared, so he started to run towards the rear. An officer stopped him and asked: What are you doing? Where are you going? The fight is on! Are you a coward? But the man was so scared, he didn’t bother to answer, he continued running. The officer followed him, got hold of him and said: Where are you running? Why are you not answering? Do you know who I am? I am your general! The soldier said: My God, am I that far back?
Your generals, your leaders, they are always at the back. They never get killed, they are never in trouble, they are perfect cowards posing that they are the mostbrave. Others die for them and they remain at the back. Your Napoleons, your Hitlers, your Alexanders are all cowards projecting, creating a phenomenon that is just the opposite of their inner feeling. This has to be remembered, only then can you remember a third possibility, that is, fearlessness. A man who is fearless is neither a coward nor brave, he is neither – he cannot be because he is simply fearless. A Mahavir, a Buddha, a Chuang Tzu, a Jesus, they are not brave men, not at all, because they are not cowards. You can be brave only if you are a coward!
A fearless man is one who has come to know the deathless within himself, one who has come to understand the inner, the immortal, the innermost eternal. Then there is no fear, and then there is no bravery either, because bravery is just a cover-up.
This man is neither a fool nor is he wise, because wisdom is simply nothing but a cover-up. And this man is not divided into opposites, this man is a unity, he is one, he is a unique phenomenon, that is why you cannot define him. It is impossible to define a Buddha. How will you define him? Will you call him a coward? You cannot! Will you call him brave? You cannot! Will you call him a fool? You cannot! Will you call him wise? No! Because wisdom is the opposite of foolishness and bravery is the opposite of cowardice.
-Osho, "When the Shoe Fits, #4“