Lao Tzu once told his friends that he could not be defeated by anyone in his life. Naturally his friends kept quiet. Then they asked him to tell the secret to them also why no one could defeat him because they also did not want to be defeated by anyone. But Lao Tzu started laughing loudly and he said, ”I will not tell the sutra to wrong people.”

 

They asked, ”How are we wrong? You must tell us how we too may not be defeated.” Lao Tzu said, ”You are bound to be defeated because one who does not want to be defeated, has already invited defeat. This is my sutra that no one could ever defeat me, because I never wanted to win. One who wants to win, he will be defeated.”

 

Lao Tzu was passing through a forest, along with his disciples. The whole forest was being cut. Thousands of carpenters were cutting the trees but there was one tree that was standing. No one touched it. Lao Tzu said, ”Go and ask that tree what is the secret of its being safe.

 

Does it somehow know the sutra of Yoga? Does it know Tao? When the whole forest is being cut, then why is only this tree not cut?” Since Lao Tzu had told them to, the disciples went, but they were in a fix as to what to ask of a tree? They walked around the tree but how to ask the tree? It was true, not a single leaf was picked, not a single branch was cut. Its branches were spread to such a distance that one thousand bullock carts could halt beneath it.

 

The shadow was too thick. Then they thought, why not ask these carpenters who are cutting so many trees. They asked the carpenters, ”What is the secret of this tree’s being safe? Why are you not cutting it?” The carpenters told them that that tree was strange. Its wood was so cross-wise that it could not be made into furniture.

 

The disciples of Lao Tzu said – ”At least this tree can be used as fire-wood?” The carpenters said, ”This tree is so strange, it emits so much smoke that it cannot be made into fire-wood.” They said, ”This tree is useless. To cut it is a waste of energy.”

 

The disciples returned and told Lao Tzu, ”The secret is that the tree is useless. The wood is not straight and also it emits much smoke. Even the leaves are not useful as any medicine. Even animals do not eat these leaves. This tree is absolutely useless.”

 

Lao Tzu told them, ”Blessed is this tree. Its branches did not try to become straight and hence they are saved from being cut. The trees that are making efforts to become straight… can you see? They are being cut. The leaves of this tree have not tried to become something, did not try to become tasteful, and hence they are, and are in total bliss.

 

Lao Tzu said, ”This is my method too. No one could ever defeat me because I did not want to win. For ever and ever I am defeated and hence it is difficult to defeat me.

 

Once Lao Tzu said, ”One man, hearing that Lao Tzu could not be defeated by anyone, challenged me in a village.” Lao Tzu was staying in the village. He must have said to someone that he could never be defeated by anyone. The news spread in the village. Some wrestler considered it to be a challenge! He came in front of Lao Tzu’s door and challenged him saying, ”I will defeat you.”

 

Lao Tzu said, ”You cannot defeat me”. The wrestler said, ”I will defeat you now.” A crowd gathered there. The wrestler put on his wrestling gear, remembered his deity and he came to fight. But Lao Tzu fell flat in front of him and said to him, ”Come, sit on me.” The wrestler said, ”What kind of man are you?

 

The interest in defeating you is gone.” Lao Tzu said, ”I had already said that no one could defeat me up till now because I have already accepted the defeat. I don’t want to win. Come and sit on my chest and make it public by beating a drum that you have defeated me.

 

The wrestler said, ”It is useless to sit on such a man.” The wrestler touched the feet of Lao Tzu and left for his home. He said fighting was useless.

 

Yoga says, it is futile to choose between the dualities. Yoga says do not make a choice between what is always seen as two in life. They are one and the same. It is only a deception. Face value is one thing, at the back something else. Existence and nonexistence, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and bad, moral and immoral, monk and thief, religion and irreligion, are all the expansion of only one thing. Understand them but do not choose.

 

- Osho, "Sun of Consciousness, #2"