Osho on Gurdjieff

As I continue my reading of Osho's "The Book of Wisdom", I've found some interesting anecdotes and commentaries about various spiritual figures. One figure mentioned is George Gurdjieff and the story Osho tells about him is this. When he was about ten years old, his father lay dying and he gestured to young George, who was standing at a respectful distance, to come closer. His father whispered that he some very important advice to give him and that he should never forget it. The advice was this: if ever anybody insults you, wait 24 hours before you respond to the insult. His father then passed away.

George really didn't understand what to make of this but he dutifully remembered his father's advice and faithfully practised it for the rest of his life, rating it in adulthood as the best advice that he'd ever been given. The reason was that it forced him to reflect on the insults that were directed at him during his life and he was denied the ego's usual response which is to react instantly and defensively. Normally the ego steps in to defend itself and people are drawn into an argument with insults and counter-insults being hurled about. The situation rapidly escalates and all because the ego has been slighted and wants to defend itself.

This approach of course is what all spiritual teachers advise. Create a space between what happens in your life and your reaction to it. In that space, you can decide on the most appropriate course of action rather than being overwhelmed by emotion. At times this is very difficult to do and it has to be practised continously. It is important not to be too discouraged by the setbacks that inevitably occur. I assume Osho's little story is true but I haven't corroborated it in any way. He also has some hilarious things to say about The Theosophical Society and Krishnamurti but I'll save these for a later post.