Total Effort And Total Relaxation

Anecdotes

oi-Priya Devi

By Priya Devi

Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 16:51

Total effort and total relaxation are both required for spiritual enlightenment. The story of Buddha's enlightenment explains the truth.

Buddha tried all possible ways to attain enlightenment. He approached every other Guru and practiced steadfastly their spiritual instructions, but could not attain the divine. Finally he tried his own practices which he thought could bring about enlightenment that he hankered for desperately. The severity of the practises showed its impact on his body.

One day while Buddha was having a dip in the river, he felt so weak, that he almost lost his balance. He caught hold of the root of a tree on the bank in order to steady himself. At that time a thought came across his mind, “I have become so weak that I am unable to cross even this small river, how will I be able to cross the wide ocean of the world.? I have tried all possible ways, but still have not attained the divine"

Buddha felt that he was almost at the verge of death. At that time he felt that he tried everything and there was nothing for him to do. In an instant he relaxed. All that lay suppressed for the six long years of his spiritual struggle began to bloom. He emerged out of the water totally relaxed and light and rested under a Bodhi tree.

A girl named Sujata approached him with some sweets and Buddha partook of it which he normally did not and went to sleep peacefully. At dawn when he woke up he watched the last star disappear without a mind. The mind had totally disappeared! The future and the past had dropped and all that was, was the moment.

Osho says that when the mind is totally exhausted by doing, it just drops. Osho says that Buddha told people who enquired of his enlightenment that by constant efforts he did not attain anything but the ego, the 'I' was annihilated.

Osho hence says total efforts is needed and total relaxation also which helps the blooming of the being.