Do People Hate You? Fantastic!

A wonderful story told by Osho.

A Sufi Master wrote a small book which was outrageous in many ways to the traditional, orthodox mind. And then he told one of his disciples, ”Go to the IMAM, the greatest priest, and give this book to him as a present from me. And watch, watch carefully what happens. And come and report to me EXACTLY what happens, without any interpretation of your own.”

This was a device, a double-edged sword. It was a device for the disciple to see whether he could report exactly what happened without changing it, coloring it, interpreting it. His commentary was not needed; he had to just be absolutely factual, a pure, detached observer, as if he was not concerned at all.

He went there very alert, he knew that this was a kind of test. He presented the imam the book; he was sitting in the garden. It was a winter morning and he was enjoying the sun. His wife was sitting there.

When he presented the book, the imam asked, ”Who has written this?” 

He told his Master’s name. The imam suddenly became so enraged that he threw the book outside the gate and said, ”This type of nonsense, this type of outrageous, irreligious, sacrilegious thing cannot enter into my house! Get out immediately and never come here again! Your Master is a danger to the society. He is creating chaos, he is destroying our religion!” 

For a moment the disciple was losing his detachment, because great anger was arising in him, but he remembered that the Master had said that he had to be just a reporter; he had not to bring his emotions in, his sentiments in. 

Just when he was leaving, the wife of the imam said, ”You could have thrown it out a little later on when the man had gone. There was no need to be so enraged – it doesn't fit you, your status. Or, you have such a big library in which there are all kinds of books – you could have put that book there also. If you don’t want to read it there is no need to read it. And I have seen all kinds of books – religious, irreligious, belonging to our religion, belonging to other religions – in your library, so why can’t this book also be a part of the library?”

Again the disciple felt an emotion arising, that the woman was more compassionate, more loving, more human. But suddenly he became aware that he had not to bring his attitude into it at all; he had just to report. He came back and he just reported, but when he was reporting, at the last moment he forgot and he said, ”One thing I must say, that the imam’s wife is a very nice, beautiful woman, and she even seems to understand you. Maybe one day she can be converted to your path.”

The Master said, ”Wait! Who has asked about your commentary, about your interpretation? You should simply report. And as far as your commentary is concerned, it is absolutely wrong. If you ask me, then I will say this imam is sooner or later going to be trapped by me, but his wife will never be a part of our commune, NEVER, because his wife is indifferent. She says, ’YOU can put it in the library.’ The imam HATES me – hate can be transformed into love – but the wife is just indifferent: she does not love me, she does not hate me. She is not interested in me at all. She says, ’There is no need to throw it out.’ But the way the imam became enraged shows his emotion; soon he will feel that it was not right. And I tell you: go again and see what has happened to the book – the imam must have taken it back into his home, he must be reading it now. A man who becomes so enraged is already interested. He cannot avoid reading it – he HAS to read it.”

And the disciple went again. And wonder of wonders! The Master was right: the imam was reading the book....

Enjoy other interesting Stories told by Osho HERE!