The Law of Reverse Effect - OSHO

Every religion degenerates into a moralistic institution. You commend Lao Tzu because no religion could grow from his way. How can those who love you avoid such an institutional degeneration of your inspiration? 

If you start avoiding, you have already started creating it. Don't bother about it. If it is going to happen it is going to happen; if it is not going to happen it is not going to happen. You don't bother about it, because if you start wondering how to avoid it you have already taken for granted that it is going to be there. You have already become self-conscious about it - and that will help to create it.

Buddha tried hard to see that his religion would remain an alive phenomenon and not a dead institution. He tried hard - but he failed. The harder he tried, the more people tried to create an institution around him.

Krishnamurti is trying hard - and he will fail, because this is the law. Why are you trying so hard? You must be afraid deep down that it is going to happen. And if even Krishnamurti thinks that it is going to happen, it is going to happen. I have talked to you many times about the law of reverse effect. It is a very deep psychological law: do something and just the reverse happens. That's the whole teaching of Lao Tzu. He said: Talk about order and there will be disorder. Try to make people moral and there will be immorality. Try to make people be good and they will be bad.

And you all know that this happens. Try to make your child be saintly and you will create the first revolt in him against you. He will go against you; he will do exactly what you wanted him not to do.

It never happened with Lao Tzu because he was never worried about it. If it happens it is okay - what can you do?

When I am gone, I am gone. Whatsoever happens is none of my business. So don't be worried about it. If it happens it had to happen. If it doesn't happen, good; if it happens, that too is good. Who are we to take the responsibility for the future? Who are we to decide for the future? No, it cannot be done. Simply drop the whole idea. Don't be worried. Drop the idea completely and don't be worried; don't try to create it and don't try to avoid it. While I am here be with me, celebrate with me, delight in me. Let me help you, allow me - that's all. When I am gone and you are gone, whatever happens... how can we decide it and why should we worry about it? While we are here we should use the opportunity, the door that has opened, the path that has become visible for you - tread on it, walk on it; whether people create an institution out of it or not is for them to decide. And nothing can be done about it right now.

For the future, never create any worry, because your very worry will create the reverse effect. Have you watched? - if you travel in a train, just have a look around. You can judge who is traveling without a ticket because he is constantly worried about the ticket checker - the law of reverse effect. He looks afraid, he looks worried. Whenever somebody enters the compartment he looks startled. You can simply see who has come without a ticket - he is creating his own difficulty around him.

And sometimes it happens that you have purchased a ticket, and it has fallen out of your pocket but you are not aware of it. You don't know that you don't have the ticket. Then you walk and you sit as if you have the ticket. Nobody can judge, nobody can catch you; even the ticket checker will not come to you. He knows that you must have the ticket. People are always surprised that when they have tickets nobody comes to check, and when they don't have the ticket suddenly the ticket checker comes, because he has become aware of this small law - that you can judge who is the culprit. There is no difficulty about it. He cannot be natural, he creates his own unnatural vibrations around him. Immediately the ticket checker goes to him.

Don't bother. You are here; the phenomenon is alive right now, vibrating, talking to you, penetrating you, helping you. You just delight in it. And if you delight in it and if you yourself become a lighted phenomenon inside, others will delight in you.

An alive religion is alive because people are still enlightened in it, people are still aware in it. If you become aware with me you can help others to be aware with you - it is a chain reaction. Once awareness disappears, the chain disappears; a gap comes, an interval where nobody is alert, nobody is awakened - then religion is dead. Then it becomes a sect - Hindu, Mohammedan, Jain. Then it becomes a church - then rituals, then just dead gestures.

But nothing can be done about it. Rather, only one thing can be done about it and that is - you don't bother, because you can waste your time thinking about it. You just live within me and allow me to live within you. Soon you will be able... through your lighted candle other candles can be lighted. Create chains and they will move on their own.

And never think of the morrow. Future is not a concern at all. Only the present is.

(Osho - Tao: The Three Treasures, vol.1 #6)