A story told and commented by Osho:
“There were two beggars who lived outside a village. One was blind and the other had no legs. One day the forest near the village where the beggars lived caught fire. These beggars were, of course, competitors — of the same profession, begging from the same people — and they were constantly angry with each other. They were enemies, not friends.
When the forest caught fire, those two beggars thought for a moment. They were enemies, they didn’t even speak, but this was an emergency. The blind man said to the one who had no legs: — ‘Now the only way to escape is for you to sit on my shoulders; use my legs and I will use your eyes. That is the only way to save ourselves.’
The other understood immediately. There was no problem. The legless man could not get away; it was impossible for him to cross the burning forest. He could move a little, but that wouldn’t help. They had to get out, and get out very fast. The blind man was also certain that he couldn’t get away. He didn’t know where the fire was, where the path was, where the trees were burning and where they weren’t. A blind man… he would get lost. But they were both intelligent people. They stopped their enmity, became friends, and saved their lives.
This is an Eastern parable. It is about the intellect and the heart. It has nothing to do with beggars; it relates to you. It has nothing to do with a forest on fire; it relates to you — because you are on fire. In every moment you are burning, suffering, caught in misery and grief. Alone, your intellect is blind. It has legs, it can run, it can move fast, but because it is blind, it cannot choose the right direction. It will constantly stumble, fall, get hurt, and feel that life is meaningless. Intellectuals all over the world say: ‘Life is meaningless.’
The reason life seems meaningless to them is that the blind intellect is trying to see the light. That is impossible.
In you, there is a heart that sees, that feels, but which has no legs; it cannot run. It stays where it is, beating, waiting… that one day the intellect will understand and be able to use the eyes of the heart.
When I say the word ‘trust’, I mean the eyes of the heart. And when I say ‘doubt’, I mean the legs of your intellect. Together, they can escape the fire; there is no problem at all.
But remember, the intellect must accept the heart onto its shoulders. It cannot be otherwise. The heart has no legs, only eyes, and the intellect must listen to the heart and follow its directions.
Under the dominion of the heart, the intellect becomes intelligent. This is a transformation, a total transformation of energy. Then the person does not become an intellectual, but simply becomes wise.
Wisdom comes through the meeting of the heart and the intellect. And once you learn how to create synchronicity between the beat of your heart and the work of your intellect, you have the whole secret in your hands—the key that unlocks all mysteries.
“If the intellect is the legs and the heart is the eyes, then wisdom is the journey they take together. In our modern world, we have been taught to walk fast (intellect) but we have forgotten how to see where we are going (heart). True synchronicity happens when we stop the internal war and allow our feelings to guide our actions.”
— Osho
