Alertness, passive alertness, is also an effort

 

 

Question 5

”You said that one should neither suppress nor indulge in anger, but that One should remain passively alert and meditative. Obviously, it will need a Sort of inner effort to avoid suppression or indulgence, but then is this Not also a sort of suppression?”

 

 

No! It is an effort, but not a sort of suppression.” Every effort is not suppression. There are three types of effort. One is the effort which is expression. When you express your anger, it is an effort.

 

Then the second type of effort is when you suppress it. When you express what you are doing, you are forcing your energy outwards to the person, to the object; you are throwing out your energy, the other is the target. Energy moves to the other; it is an effort. When you suppress, you return the energy back to the original source, to your own heart. You force it back. It is an effort, but the direction is different. In expression it moves away from you; in suppression it again moves near you.

 

The third thing, alertness, passive alertness, is also an effort, but the dimension is different. The energy moves upwards. In the beginning it is an effort. When I say be passively alert, in the beginning even passivity is bound to be an effort. Only by and by, as you become more acquainted with it, will it not be an effort. And when it is not an effort, it becomes more passive – and the more passive, the more magnetic. It pulls the energy upwards.

 

But in the beginning everything is going to be an effort, so don’t become a victim of words. It creates problems. Mystics have always been talking about effortlessness. They say don’t make any effort. But in the beginning even this is going to be an effort. When we say be effortless we only mean don’t force the effort. Allow it to come through awareness. If you force it, you will become tense. If you become tense, anger cannot move upwards. Tension is horizontal; only a non-tense mind can be above, hovering like a cloud.

 

Look at the clouds floating with no effort. Just bring your witnessing in like a floating cloud. In the beginning it is going to be an effort, but remember only that it is going to become effortless. You will be forcing it and allowing it more and more. This is difficult because language creates the difficulty. If I tell you to relax, what will you do? You will make a sort of effort. But then I tell you don’t make any effort, because if you make any effort that will create tension and you will not be able to relax. I tell you to simply relax. Then you are at a loss, and you are bound to ask, ”Then what do you mean? If I am not going to make any effort then what am I supposed to do?”

 

You are not supposed to do anything, but in the beginning that non-doing will look like a doing. So I will say, ”Okay! Make a little effort, but remember that the effort is to be left behind. Use it as a starter just in the beginning. You cannot understand non-doing; you can only understand doing. So use the language of doing and action. Start, but use effort only as a starter. And remember, the sooner you leave it behind, the better.

 

I have heard that when Mulla Nasruddin became very old, he became a victim of insomnia, he couldn’t sleep. Everything was tried – hot baths, pills, tranquilizers, syrups – but nothing was of any help. Everything was of no avail. And the children were disturbed because Mulla would not sleep himself, and he would not allow anyone in the house to sleep. So the whole night had become a nightmare for the whole family.

 

They searched desperately for any method, any medicine that would help Mulla to sleep, because the whole family was going crazy. So finally they brought a hypnotist. The children came very happily, and they told old Mulla, ”Now you need not be worried, papa. This is a miracle man. He creates sleep within minutes. He knows the very magic of it, so don’t be worried. Now there is no fear, and you will sleep.”

 

The hypnotist showed a watch with a chain to Nasruddin and said, ”Only very little faith will do the miracle. You need a little trust towards me. Just trust me, and you will fall like a small babe into deep sleep. Look at this watch.”

 

He started moving that watch left and right. Nasruddin looked at it, and the hypnotist said, ”Left-right, left-right. Your eyes are becoming tired, tired, tired. You are falling asleep, asleep, asleep, asleep.”

 

Everyone was in joy – happy. Mulla’s eyes closed, his head moved down, and he felt like a small babe going into deep sleep. A very rhythmic breathing came. The hypnotist took his fee, and he put his finger on his lips, just to indicate to the children not to be disturbed now. Then he sneaked out. The moment he was out, Mulla opened one eye and said, ”That nut! Has he gone yet?”

 

He was making an effort to relax, so he relaxed ”like a babe.” He had started breathing rhythmically and closed his eyes, but it was all an effort. He was helping the hypnotist. He thought that he was helping the hypnotist. But it was effort on his part, so nothing happened. Nothing could happen. He was awake. If he could have just been passive, if he could have heard what was being said, looked at what was being shown, the sleep would have happened. No effort on his part was necessary; only passive acceptance was necessary. But even for you to bring your mind to that passive acceptance, in the beginning you will need effort.

 

So don’t be afraid of effort. Start with effort, and just remember that effort has to be left behind and you have to move beyond effort. Only when you have moved beyond will you be passive, and that passive awareness brings the miracle. With passive awareness, mind is no more there. For the first time your inner center of being is revealed, and there is a reason. Effort is needed for anything that is to be done in the world. If you want to do something in the world, anything, effort is needed. But if you want to do something in the inner, no effort is needed. Just relaxation is needed. Non-doing is the art there just as doing is the art in the outward, the outside world.

 

This passive alertness is the key. But don’t become disturbed by language. Start with effort. Just keep in mind that you have to leave it, and go on leaving it. Even leaving will be an effort – but a moment comes when everything has gone. Then you are there, simply there not doing anything – just there, being. That ”beingness” is SAMADHI, and all that is worth knowing, worth having, worth being, happens to you in that state.

 

- Osho, "Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, Vol 2, #2, Q5"