A child is helpless, powerless. You have power, the family has power, you can crush him…OSHO

Sannyas has to be a real break away. A loving surrender to the new....

A child is helpless, powerless. You have power, the family has power, you can crush him...

Children who have been taught too many rules are more neurotic; they carry more neurosis within them; that's why neurosis happens only in a very civilized society.

In a primitive society people don't go neurotic; rules were never forced too much on them, in fact they have been allowed to keep their chaos in themselves, a little.

Few rules — then few possibilities of neurosis; more rules — more possibilities of neurosis.

Then the child starts learning how to play games. He has to play games because he is not allowed to be authentic and real. There are times when he feels that he hates his mother, because his mother goes on forcing things on him, but he cannot say this to the mother, that he hates her. He has to say: I love you. Now the games are starting. He will be playing roles.

Small children become politicians. The father comes home and the child smiles, because he knows if you don't smile then you cannot get ice cream today. If you smile, the father becomes very generous, his hand goes into his pocket. If you don't smile, he is very harsh. Now the child has become a politician. You see pictures of politicians — always smiling.

He is not accepted as he is. He has to show that he is just as you would like him. He becomes divided: now he has a private world of his own. If he wants to smoke a cigarette he has to hide somewhere — in the garage, or go outside into some street to hide himself.

You may have seen a child smoking, but ask him and he simply denies it — and so innocently; he says: What are you saying? Me? Smoking? Never! And look at his innocent beautiful face; he has become perfect, a politician, a role player.

And then he learns that his games pay. If you are true, you suffer. If you become expert in lies, it is paying. Now he is learning the ways of the mad world.

Somebody is coming, and he hates the person, but the family says: He is a guest and you have to welcome him; not only welcome him but you have to give a kiss to him — and he hates the very idea; disgusting! But what to do?

A child is helpless, powerless. You have power, the family has power, you can crush him. So he smiles, and kisses, and says good morning, without meaning anything.

OSHO