Respond, Dont React!

Monday, May 7, 2012, 11:24

Should one react or respond to a situation? A short story from the life of Buddha reveals the truth.

Buddha was once confronted by an angry village while he was passing through it. They hurled abuses at Him mercilessly. Buddha remained calm as if He enjoyed the abuses. His disciple Ananda bit his anger silently as His master remained cool.

Seeing Buddha's calmness, the crowd showed signs of frustration. Buddha then spoke, “If you have finished, I should now make a move. I will have to go to another village where people are waiting for me. If you have not finished, I will come back this way after a few days. Then you can finish up with all your fury!"

A voice from the crowd said, “We have been hurling insults at you. Will you not react?"

Buddha replied, “That is difficult. If you want me to react, you will should have done this years before, as I am not foolish anymore. I see the anger in you, the fury in you. But I only feel compassion for you. You all seem to love me so much, that you have abandoned the work in your fields and have come running to talk to me"

The enlightened one asked, “If I am wrong its me who is going to suffer. Not you. It is my problem. So why do you unnecessarily get troubled? The other day I was passing through another village where I was gifted with sweets. I did not accept them telling that I do not eat sweets. Now tell me what do you think they would have done with them?"

Somebody from the gathering said, “They would have distributed among themselves!"

Buddha replied, “So what are you going to do with your abuses? I have not accepted them. I normally do not accept useless things from anybody. It is up to you to insult me. But its up to me to not to accept them, as I do not like to get burdened unnecessarily! I only feel compassion for you."

Osho says that when one reacts one is in the past. But on the other hand when one responds, one is in the present. When one is in the present, he looks at the situation with more clarity as there is no interference of the past. One actually empathizes with the other troubled by anger, and compassion overflows.

Osho hence says, reaction arises out of the past and response arises out of the present!