SPEAK THE TRUTH,
GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN,
NEVER BE ANGRY.
THESE THREE STEPS WILL LEAD YOU
INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE GODS.
Speak the truth, whatsoever the cost. It is going to cost you much, because the world lives in lies. People are brought up in such a way that truth never crosses their paths. And they are forced to believe in something which their society, their church, their state wants them to believe in; it is not a question of truth. People love lies, because lies are very consoling. And people love lies because others are also believers in the same lies -- and you feel part of others, you feel a kind of belonging, you don't feel alone.
The man of truth feels alone. A Socrates, a Pythagoras, a Heraclitus find themselves alone, very alone. In this world if you say the truth and you live the truth, you will have to live alone. You will not find many people who would like to be with you. You will not find great company in the world. You will find few people who are lovers of truth. And you will always be in danger, because your truth will be a dangerous thing for those who live in lies. They will not tolerate you. You will become an unbearable phenomenon for them. They will be bent upon destroying you.
But still, even if life is sacrificed, truth is worth it. A moment of truth is more valuable than a hundred years of life, because a moment of truth makes you part of eternity, part of God.
SPEAK THE TRUTH, GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN. It is not a question that you have to give money or you have to give this and that; whatever you can, whatever you have -- if you have a song, sing the song, share it. If you can dance, dance and share it. GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN. And, NEVER BE ANGRY, because people may not accept your gift. Don't get angry about that. People may never thank you, they may not feel grateful to you. On the contrary, they may feel offended by you.
It has always been so; they were offended by Jesus, they were offended by Buddha. Why? -- because those people look so different from the ordinary, that people become aware of their own ordinariness and it hurts. They bring great treasures to share -- but it hurts, because they have that great treasure and we don't have anything. People will not be thankful to you, in fact they will never be able to forgive you. They may crucify you, they may stone you to death.
Hence Buddha reminds you again: remember, don't expect anything, otherwise anger will be natural. If you expect even gratefulness from people and they don't show any gratefulness -- on the contrary, they show great ungratefulness -- you may feel angry. Beware, your joy is in giving. It is not for you to be worried about whether what you give is accepted or is not accepted; is accepted with gratefulness or is accepted indifferently.
You do good to people, they may do bad to you... still, don't be angry. Remember this is how things are, this is how people are. Remembering it will help you not to become enraged.
- Osho, "The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Vol 6, #9"