Without bringing down your ego, no learning is possible

RELIGION HAPPENS ONLY BETWEEN TWO PERSONS: one who knows, and one who does not know but is ready to know. Suddenly religion is born.

    IT IS SAID OF THE GREAT EMPEROR, AKBAR, that he had nine wise men in his court. He could afford them, but he never learned anything from them. The reason is that learning needs a different relationship: TO LEARN FROM ANOTHER, ONE MUST BE HUMBLE.

    It is said that Akbar called his nine wise men and he was very angry, and he said, "You are here, AND PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE THE GREATEST WISE MEN IN THE WORLD TODAY, but I have not been able to learn anything from you. WHAT IS THE MATTER? You are here, and I remain the same. Then what you are doing here?"

    A CHILD HAD COME WITH ONE OF THE WISE MEN -- he wanted to see the court. He laughed. The wise men were silent and the child laughed. Akbar said, "Why you are laughing? It is insulting to the court! Has not your father told you about manners?"
    And the child said, "I am laughing because these nine wise men are silent, and I know why they are silent. AND I KNOW WHY YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE BENEFITTED BY THEM."

    Akbar looked at the child's face -- very innocent, but very ancient also. Whenever a child is very innocent, you can see the deep ancientness in his eyes... Because no child is a child -- he has lived, experienced much; he carries all the knowledge from all his experiences in the past. Akbar said, "THEN YOU CAN TEACH ME SOMETHING?"

    The child said, "Yes!"

    Akbar said, "Then teach!"

    The child said, "THEN YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW ME. You come down here where I am sitting, and I will sit on the throne. And then you ask like a disciple, not like a Master."

    And it is said that Akbar understood. Those nine wise men had been absolutely useless. He could not learn, not because they couldn't teach -- they could teach -- but HE WAS NOT READY, and he was not receptive, and he was not humble enough.

    AKBAR SAT DOWN AT THE CHILD'S FEET, and the child sat on the throne and he said, "Now you ask like a disciple, not like an emperor."

    But Akbar never asked anything. HE SIMPLY THANKED THE CHILD, TOUCHED HIS FEET and said, "There is no need to ask. Just by sitting in a humble attitude near your feet, I have learned much."

    HUMBLENESS IS THE BASIC THING. Even without a wise man, if you are humble, you will learn much. You can learn from the trees and the springs and the clouds and the winds.  IF YOU ARE HUMBLE, THE WHOLE EXISTENCE BECOMES A TEACHER TO YOU. But if you are not humble, even if a Buddha is there, no intimacy happens and you learn nothing.

    A BUDDHA IS AROUND YOU, but no intimacy happens -- you are not humble. You would like to learn, but without bending -- WITHOUT BRINGING DOWN YOUR EGO -- NO LEARNING IS POSSIBLE.
 
OSHO
Until You Die
Ch #8: This too will pass
am in Buddha Hall