One day, just gossiping with his vice-councillors, he said, “Last night I was discussing with my wife. She is very insistent that every husband is henpecked. I tried hard, but she says, `I know many families, but I have never found any husband who is not henpecked.’ What do you think?” he asked the councillors. One of the councillors, Birbal said, “Perhaps she is right, because you could not prove it.

You yourself are a henpecked husband; otherwise, you could have given her a good beating, then and there proving that, `Look, here is a husband!'”

He said, “That I cannot do, because I have to live with her. It is easy to advise somebody else to beat his wife. Can you beat your wife?”

Birbal said, “No, I cannot. I simply accept that I am a henpecked husband, and your wife is right.” But Akbar said, “It has to be found…. In the capital there must be at least one husband who is not henpecked. There is no rule in the world which has no exception, and this is not a rule at all.” So he said to Birbal,

“You take my two beautiful Arabian horses” — one was black, one was white — “and go around the capital. And if you can find a man who is not henpecked, you can give him the choice: whichever horse he wants is a present from me.” They were valuable. In those days horses were very valuable, and those were the most beautiful horses.

Birbal said, “It is useless, but if you say, I will go.” He went, and everybody was found to be henpecked. It was very ordinary: He would just call the person and call his wife, and ask, “Are you henpecked or not?”

The man would look at the wife and say, “You should have asked when I was alone. This is not right. You will create unnecessary trouble. Just for a horse I am not going to destroy my life. You take your horses, I don’t want any.”

But one man was sitting in front of his house and two persons were massaging him. He was a wrestler, a champion wrestler, a very strong man. Birbal thought, “Perhaps this man… he can kill anybody without any weapons. If he can hold your neck, you are finished!”

Birbal said, “Can I ask you a question?”

He said, “Question? What question?” Birbal said, ”

Are you henpecked?”

That man said, “First, let us greet each other, a handshake.” And he crushed Birbal’s hand and said, “Unless you start crying and tears start coming from your eyes, I will not leave your hand.

Your hand is finished. You dared to ask me such a question?” And Birbal was dying — he was almost a man of steel — and tears started coming, and he said,

“Just leave me. You are not henpecked. I have just come to a wrong place. But where is your wife?” He said, “Look, she is there, cooking my breakfast.” A very small woman was cooking his breakfast. The woman was so small and the man was so big that Birbal said, “There is a possibility that perhaps this man is not henpecked. He will kill this woman.”

So he said, “Now there is no need to go further into investigation. You can choose either horse from these two, black and white, a reward from the king for the one who is not henpecked. And at that time that small woman said,

“Don’t choose the black! Otherwise I will make your life a hell!”

The man said, “No, no, I will choose the white. You just keep quiet.”

Birbal said, “You don’t get either, neither white nor black. It is all finished, you lost the game. You are a henpecked husband.”

Osho – “Beyond Enlightenment”

Osho's Explanation of This Story

You will be surprised to know that the English word `love’ comes from a very ugly root in Sanskrit. It comes from lobh. Lobh means greed. And as far as ordinary love is concerned, it is a kind of greed.

That’s why there are people who love money, there are people who love houses, there are people who love this, who love that. Even if they love a woman or a man, it is simply their greed; they want to possess everything beautiful.

It is a power trip. Hence, you will find lovers continuously fighting, fighting about such trivia that they both feel ashamed, “About what things we go on fighting!” In their silent moments when they are alone, they feel, “Do I become possessed by some evil spirit? — such trivia, so meaningless.

But it is not a question of trivia; it is a question of who has power, who is more dominant, whose voice is heard. Love cannot exist in such circumstances.

What Is the Spiritual Moral / Message of Osho's “Henpecked Husband ” Story?

This story reveals the complexity of relationships and the dynamics of power within them. Through Akbar's search for a husband not under the influence of his wife, it subtly touches upon the intricacies of partnerships. It hints at the idea that power doesn't always rest in physical strength or dominance but resides in the delicate balances of communication, respect, and understanding. It invites reflection on the interplay of power and humility within relationships, suggesting that true strength lies in the ability to navigate these dynamics with wisdom and grace.

Moreover, it echoes the theme of societal norms and individual choices. The quest to find a husband who isn't henpecked mirrors the societal expectations and stereotypes imposed on relationships. Yet, as the story unfolds, it unveils the power of personal agency and individual choices. It speaks to the idea that one's commitment to personal integrity and values can override societal norms, illustrating the importance of authentic living despite external pressures. It encourages individuals to follow their convictions, even if it means diverging from societal expectations, fostering a deeper sense of self-empowerment and authenticity in relationships.

Additionally, the tale touches upon the essence of ego and its role in human interactions. The interactions between Birbal and the wrestler depict the ego's vulnerability in the face of perceived challenges. It reveals how ego, whether in defending oneself or establishing dominance, can obscure rational judgment and lead to conflict. It prompts reflection on the destructive potential of unchecked ego, advocating for humility and understanding as essential elements in fostering harmonious relationships. It underscores the significance of humility in interpersonal dynamics, reminding us of the potential harm of unchecked pride in human interactions.

Furthermore, the story subtly highlights the aspects of gender roles and societal expectations within relationships. The portrayal of henpecked husbands and the notion of a wife controlling her partner reflect traditional gender stereotypes prevalent in historical narratives. It indirectly challenges these stereotypes by showcasing the diversity and complexity of relationships. It nudges us to transcend traditional gender roles and expectations, emphasizing the need for equality, mutual respect, and understanding in relationships. It calls for a reevaluation of stereotypical notions that confine individuals to specific roles based on societal norms.

Moreover, it subtly addresses the theme of power struggles within relationships. The wrestler's physical strength juxtaposed with the seemingly meek stature of his wife illustrates the multifaceted nature of power dynamics. It highlights that power isn't solely determined by physical dominance but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social dimensions. The story prompts reflection on the complexities of power dynamics within relationships, inviting individuals to recognize and navigate these complexities with compassion and understanding.

This story illuminates the intricate layers within relationships, including power dynamics, societal expectations, ego, and gender roles. It encourages contemplation on the complexities of human interactions, inviting individuals to navigate relationships with humility, understanding, and authenticity. Ultimately, it hints at the importance of mutual respect, equality, and individual agency in fostering harmonious and fulfilling relationships.

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I don’t care much about facts. My emphasis is on the significance and the truth, which is a totally different thing.

Marpa heard about a master. He was searching and he went to the master, he surrendered to the master, he trusted totally. And he asked the master, “What am I supposed to do now?”

The master said, “Once you have surrendered to me, you are not supposed to do anything. Just believe in me. My name is the only secret mantra for you. Whenever you are in difficulty, just remember my name and everything will be all right.”

Marpa touched his feet. And he tried it immediately — he was such a simple man. He walked on the river. Other disciples who had been with the master for years could not believe it — he was walking on the water!

They reported to the master that, “That man, you have not understood him. He is no ordinary man, he is walking on water!”

The master said, “What?”

They all ran towards the river and Marpa was walking on the water, singing songs, dancing. When he came to the shore, the master asked, “What is the secret?”

He said, “What is the secret? It is the same secret that you have given to me — your name. I remembered you. I said, `Master, allow me to walk on water’ and it happened.”

The master could not believe that his name…. He himself could not walk on water. But perhaps… he had never tried.

But it would be better to check a few more things before he tries. So he said to Marpa, “Can you jump from that hill?”

Marpa said, “Whatever you say.” He went up on the hill and jumped, and they were all standing in the valley waiting — just pieces of Marpa will be there! Even if they can find pieces of him, that will be enough — the hill was very high.

But Marpa came down smiling, sitting in a lotus posture. He came just under a tree in the valley, and sat down. They all surrounded him. They looked at him — not even a scratch.

The master said, “This is something. You used my name?”

He said, “It was your name.”

The master said, “This is enough, now I am going to try,” and the first step in the water, he sank.

Marpa could not believe it when he sank. His disciples jumped in and somehow pulled him out. He was half dead. The water was taken out of his lungs… somehow he survived.

And Marpa said, “What is the matter?”

The master said, “You just forgive me. I am no master, I am just a pretender.”

But Marpa said, “If you are a pretender, then how did your name work?”

The pretender said, “My name has not worked. It is your trust. It does not matter who you trust — it is the trust, the love, the totality of it. I don’t trust myself. I don’t trust anybody. I cheat everybody — how can I trust? And I am always afraid to be cheated by others, because I am cheating others. Trust is impossible for me. You are an innocent man, you trusted me. It is because of your trust that the miracles have happened.”

Whether the story is true or not does not matter.

One thing is certain, that your misery is caused by your mistakes and your bliss is caused by your trust, by your love.

As told by Osho in “Beyond Enlightenment”

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He asked his master, an old wise man living in the forest: “I am getting old, and somebody has to succeed me and take care of the kingdom. And I am in great difficulty: can you give me some idea how to choose the right person?” And the wise man gave him some advice.

The king came back, and he gave an equal amount of money to all three sons and told them — because they all had their own palaces — that, “With this money, you have to manage to fill your palaces completely. And after seven days I will come to see: whoever succeeds in filling the house totally, better than the other two, is going to succeed me as the king of the kingdom.”

They were puzzled, because the money was not that great. They thought of many things, but the palaces were big — how to fill them completely?

The first prince went to the municipal corporation and asked, “From today, all the trucks that throw the garbage of the town outside the city should throw it into my palace — because with that money only this much is possible, to fill the palace completely.”

He filled the palace completely. The whole neighborhood was angry; even the traffic on the road stopped — because it was stinking. But they could not do anything — he was the prince, and it was a question of a certain test. The king himself has asked.

The second prince was very much worried… asked many people. But they said, “With such a small amount of money it is very difficult. What your brother has done… he has filled the house; you can do something similar. Just purchase cheap grass, fill the house.” He purchased cheapest quality of grass, which even animals were not ready to eat, but still the house was not full; it was only half full.

They were both worried about what the third brother was doing, because he looked absolutely unconcerned. Six days had passed and he had not done anything. And the seventh day came, and by the evening, as the sun set the king came with the wise old man.

It was impossible to come close to the first son’s house. The king said, “This idiot, he has really filled the house — but with garbage! It is disgusting, I am feeling sick.”

But the old man said, “You had asked… and we have to go and see. Just have a little patience. You need not stay long; just have a look to see whether he has filled the house or not.”

They saw it.

They went to the second son’s house…. It was not better, but it was not worse either. It was rotten grass, but the house was half full.

The king was very much disappointed — so much so that he thought that it would be better not to go to house of the third prince. Because these idiots… what they have done is not worth seeing.

But the wise man said, “You have to go, because the decision has to be taken.”

They went to the house of the third young man. They entered the house, and they were puzzled — because it was absolutely empty. He had even removed the furniture, the paintings, the statues, other things of the house… everything was removed. The house was utterly empty.

They asked the son, “What have you done?”

He said to the father, “You just see, it is full.”

He looked around. He said, “It is absolutely empty, you are befooling us.”

The wise old man said, “Don’t be angry with him; it is full, but it is full with something that you are not acquainted with. What he has done is that he has just purchased candles and put the candles all over the house — it is full of light.” Light is not material, it is not objective.

The word `objective’ is beautiful; it means that which objects to you. You want to go through the wall. The wall will object, will prevent you; the wall is objective.

Light is immaterial. It is a strange phenomenon on the earth. In a sense it is outside you, can be called objective, but in another sense it is not creating any objection — you can pass through it, it is immaterial.

It was thought for centuries that light had no weight; just recently they have discovered that it has weight, but it is almost neglible. When the sky is without clouds and the sun is burning hot, all the rays that fall on five square miles will have some weight that can be detected. If we could collect all those rays, they would give you a little sense of weight.

So in a way, light is part of the objective world, and in a way it is part of the non-objective world.

The old man said, “You don’t understand the boy.”

And the boy returned most of the money. He said, “This was too much. I could have filled the house in many other dimensions also. I could have brought music into the house, which has no weight. I could have brought incense into the house — the fragrance has no weight, and it would fill the house. But I thought that would be doing too much. This is enough — and why waste your money? You take your money back; a small part of your money was enough.”

Osho – “Beyond Enlightenment”

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After millions of years of harassment, she finally got tired and went to God and said, “It is ungrateful to complain, but there is a limit to everything. I have been harassed for millions of years, and I cannot conceive of any fault on my part. The sun goes on expelling me from everywhere. It is even difficult to take a rest without anxiety — the sun may be coming, the sunrise may be close. I have not slept for millions of years — the anguish would not allow it. The sun has been almost a continuous torture, and without any reason. I simply want to know: what have I done wrong?”

God said, “You should have come earlier. There was no need to wait so long. This is very ungentlemanly on the part of the sun. The sun should be called immediately.”

The sun was called. He asked the messenger, “What is the problem? — because I have never done anything wrong. I simply go on doing the same routine every day.

Since God made me, I have not done anything else.”

But the messenger said, “God is very angry. You have been hurting, harassing a poor woman — darkness.”

He said, “My God, I have never heard of her. I have never met her. I am not interested in women at all — I am a born celibate. I am coming, I want to see who this woman is.”

And as the sun came to the house of God, darkness disappeared.

God said, “Where has that woman gone?” They searched everywhere; darkness was not found.

Millions of years passed again, and one day the woman appeared and she said, “You have not done anything; it is still continuing, the same torture.”

God said, “You are strange. When the sun was here, where did you go?”

She said, “You are behaving like a simpleton. If the sun is here, I cannot be here; if I am here, the sun cannot be here. We cannot stand each other. You will have to hear our story separately and then decide.”

God said, “That is not my way. You both have to be present here so I can be certain that nobody is lying.”

The woman said, “Then it is better I take my complaint back.”

Since then, the woman has not appeared again. Once in a while the sun comes to inquire, “What happened to the woman — because I want to clear it up, it has become a worry on my head that somebody is being hurt by me, perhaps unknowingly.”

God said, “You need not be worried. The problem is such that it cannot be solved. I cannot give any decision unless you are both present in my court together and I have listened to both sides in the presence of each other. But by the very nature of things, you cannot both be present. That woman is your absence. So of course you cannot be present and absent simultaneously. Drop your worry. You are doing perfectly fine, and that woman is not going to report against you again. The file in your case is closed.”

Exactly the same is the case with zorba and buddha.

The moment buddha arrives with all his light and beauty, with all his awareness, with all his joy, zorba disappears, dissolves. Conflict is impossible.

Osho – Beyond Enlightenment

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The doorkeeper opened a small window in the door and asked, “What do you want?” He said, “I am a great journalist. I have just died, and I want to enter.” The doorkeeper said, “I am sorry but I have to refuse you — because we have a quota; we can have only twelve journalists in heaven. That quota has been filled for centuries — for centuries, no new journalist has entered. And anyway, even those twelve are utterly useless because nothing happens in heaven. They tried to publish a newspaper, but only one issue appeared — because there are only saints here — no murder, no suicide, no crime, no politics, no struggle for power… no change ever happens; everything is eternally the same. From where can you get news?”

“And,” the doorkeeper said, “you must have heard the definition of news: when a dog bites a man it is not news, but when a man bites a dog it is news. So nothing sensational happens here, no love affair… When people get bored, they read the first issue that was published centuries ago. “You should go to hell. Every moment tremendous things happen there. All the active people of the world, all the creative people of the world are there — painters, musicians, poets, actors, dancers, thieves, murderers, rapists, psychoanalysts, philosophers — you will find every variety.

“Heaven is monotonous. Only dull, dead saints — skeletons. Their only quality is that they don’t do anything. So just go to hell and enjoy. You will find everything that you may have missed on earth — because for centuries upon centuries, all the juicy people have collected there. In fact, I myself want to go… but once you get into heaven, you cannot escape. So I am stuck here. My suggestion is that you just go.”

But journalists are stubborn people. He said, “I have a suggestion, and I think you must be compassionate enough to do it for me. Just give me twenty-four hours’ entry. If I can convince one of the journalists inside to go to hell then you can put me in the quota; twelve journalists will remain twelve.” The gatekeeper said, “It is unheard of, there is no precedent. But I cannot say no to you. Go in, have a try. But remember, after twenty-four hours…. I am taking a risk. After twenty-four hours, come back.”

After twenty-four hours he came back. In those twenty-four hours he had created a rumor among all the journalists: “A big newspaper is going to be started in hell and there is great need for editors, sub-editors, story writers, all kinds of journalists. The salaries are great. So what are you doing HERE?”

After twenty-four hours when the journalist came to the gate, the gatekeeper said, “Go back. You cannot go out now.” The journalist said, “Why not?” The gatekeeper said, “I have kept my word, and you have to keep your word.

You were very convincing. All twelve journalists have gone. I tried hard to explain that `This is just a rumor; don’t spoil your heaven.’ But they wouldn’t listen.”

The man himself had created the rumor, but he had started thinking perhaps there was something in it; otherwise twelve persons wouldn’t go to hell for no reason. He said, “Just open the door!” He was convinced by others being convinced.

And this happens to millions of people. When you see that seven hundred million people are convinced that Catholic Christianity is the only religion, it is difficult to say that those seven hundred million people can be wrong. The sheer number has such weight. That’s why all the religions go on trying to increase their numbers. They have their methods to increase their numbers because the more you increase the numbers the more you convince those who are not in your fold that they are wrong and you are right. Your sheer majority is an argument; it validates anything you say.

Osho – “Beyond Enlightenment”

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