A Story Shared and Explained by Osho:
“Once, a prince went to the forest of monkeys. Upon seeing him, the monkeys scattered in a panic, except for one that remained, seemingly indifferent to his presence. It swung from branch to branch with an air of defiance, as if putting on a show. The prince shot an arrow at it, but the monkey caught it mid-flight. In response, the prince ordered all his attendants to fire at once. A rain of arrows flew, and the monkey fell dead. The prince then turned to his friend, Yen-Bui: — Did you see what happened? That animal was advertising its cleverness and skill. It believed itself untouchable, trusting in its own prowess. Remember this! Never flaunt your finest qualities before others.
When they returned to the palace, Yen-Bui became the prince’s disciple. Day and night, he worked on himself to shed everything that made him stand out. Soon, no one in the kingdom knew how to treat him or how to manipulate him anymore.
This story contains one of the most secret keys of Tao. Tao says that everything beautiful within a person should be guarded and kept deep inside.
What is true in you must be preserved in the heart, for when truth is hidden in the heart, it grows like a seed fallen into fertile soil. If you drag it out for everyone to see, it simply dies—wasted. In such a way, flowers will never bloom within you. Treat everything true and beautiful as a seed. Carefully provide it with the soil of your heart, and do not put it on display for everyone, everywhere.
Yet, everyone does the opposite. What is wrong, you hide, wanting no one to see; but what is beautiful—even if it isn’t truly so—you constantly pull out for show. You demonstrate it, try to advertise it, to glorify it. This is why the human spirit fades—because the ugly grows while the true is lost and withered. The false expands, becomes a seed, and bears fruit, while the true is cast out and dies.
Treat everything that is true and beautiful within you as a seed…” — Osho
Note: The quotations are translated from Bulgarian and are not presented as verbatim citations.
