I have heard, just before his death, a billionaire became aware that he had never experienced bliss. He must have been fortunate. Some people become aware only after death. He became aware before death that he had not experienced bliss. Death was close-by. Astrologers said, “There are not many days left, be quick.” He said, “I have been hurrying all my life but where is bliss? And now I have the means to buy it. I am ready to buy it at any cost.” Those astrologers said, “That we do not know. We can only say that hurry because death is close-by. And if you come to know, then let us know also because we will also have to hurry, death is close-by. But he said, “But where should I look for it?” They said, “We don’t know. You just go look for it, anywhere, just look for it.
He climbed his fastest horse. He put diamonds, jewels worth crores of rupees on his horse and then going to each and every village started shouting, “If somebody gives me a glimpse of bliss then I am ready to give him all this.”
Then he reached a village, where there was a Sufi fakir. The people of the village said, “You have come to the right place. There is a man in this village who solves this kind of absurd problems.” He said, “Absurd problems!” The people of that village said, “We have also learnt a few absurd things by being in his company. One thing we have learnt, it is quite absurd absurd because nobody can buy even a glimpse of bliss with money, bliss is very far away. But still you have come, you did right. You have come to the right place. There is such a man in this village.
That man was searched for. The villagers took the billionaire to him. That Sufi fakir, Nasruddin was sitting under a tree. The sun was setting. The villagers said, “This is that man.” That billionaire threw down his bag full of gold and diamonds, jewels, and said, “I am ready to give all this. There is wealth worth crores in it. I want a glimpse of bliss.” That fakir looked at him from top to bottom. He said, “You want a true glimpse?” He said, “Yes, a true glimpse.” He was able to utter only that much, when the fakir grabbed the bag and ran away. For a moment that rich man stood there dumb-founded and then started crying, “I am ruined, I am dead.” But till then the fakir had gone far away into the darkness. The villagers knew that fakir, that he would do something absurd. They said, “We told you right in the beginning that this is the man who can answer absurd questions.” The rich man said, “Is this an answer! Catch him!” The people ran. The rich man also ran. The village was known to that fakir. He started eluding them by running through the alleys. The whole village woke up. He eluded everybody just to wake up the whole village. Then the whole village was running. Then running he came to the same place, the tree under which the horse was standing. He threw the bag down from where he had picked it up and stood under the tree. The rich man, huffing, puffing, perspiring, reached there. He saw the bag, picked it up, hugged it and said to god, “A great thanks to you!” That fakir said from behind the tree, “Did you get a glimpse?” The rich man said, “Yes, I definitely did. I experienced great bliss.” That fakir said, “So now get on your horse and go.”
The thing that we own, until we lose that also, we do not know. The whole journey of this world is of losing that which we have to attain. What we already have, we are not aware of it till we lose it once. We have lost it, we will have to search for it. The day we find it then except for drinking tea and laughing, nothing will remain.
Story told by Osho
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