There is a story in the life of Buddha: When Buddha reached heaven and the guard opened the door, Buddha turned his back to heaven. He said, “I will not enter until each and every person is liberated. When the last person enters I will follow behind him.”

This is a beautiful story. In this world there are two types of self-realized persons, and all religions have known these two kinds. One attains self-realization and becomes one with the void; the other type attains self-realization but still remains in existence to help others. The first type of enlightened person is called kaivalya, he who has known the ultimate aloneness, by the Jainas. There have been so many kaivalyas who have attained enlightenment and have disappeared into the void. They have reached their destination. They enter and don’t wait at the door.

The Jainas have named twenty-four of these enlightened souls, ‘tirthankaras’. These twenty-four waited at the door. They are the ones who guided others, who paved the way for them. The Buddhists have also recognized these two types. One is the arhat, who attains self-realization and merges into the void; the other is the bodhisattva, the one who waits for others.

So there are two kinds of self-realized souls. When you also reach this ultimate state, if a desire to help others — for the urge to help others is also a desire — remains within you, you will wait. If it does not, you will merge with the void. This is why the true master tries to develop those of his disciples who have the greatest capacity for compassion into bodhisattvas.

Osho – The Great Path

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