Two Oars Of the Boat

There was a Sufi fakir by the name of Hassan. One day as they were getting in a boat, one of his disciples said, 'That there is joy in the world I can understand, because God is our Father, and it is but natural that He should give joy to his children, but why sorrow, why unhappiness?'

Hassan gave no reply but began to row the boat with one oar.

The boat began to turn in circles. 'What are you doing?' the disciple called out. 'If you row with one oar, we shall never reach the other shore. We shall keep going round and round at one spot. Has the other oar broken or is your arm paining? Let me row the boat.'

Hassan replied, 'You seem to be a much more intelligent fellow than I thought!' Then he said, 'If there is joy alone, the boat will go only in circles and arrive nowhere. For it to work, the opposite is needed. You need night and day, joy and sorrow, birth and death, else, the boat keeps going round and round reaching nowhere.'

When a person begins to perceive correctly, knowing that godliness is in everything, he is filled with thanksgiving, he even accepts sorrow cheerfully. When you begin to look joy and sorrow impartially, your attachment to joy and rejection of suffering are broken. Then you shall be rid of sorrow and carry home joy.

The Law of Magic, courtesy

Osho International Foundation, www.osho.com