What is more important?- The goal or the path?
Today's world has a very goal-oriented culture. This is good because it creates focus and direction. However, it also creates problems when people become unduly fixated on the end result, the destination, without giving adequate thought to the path which will take them there.
Perpetual fixation on a goal can create panic at the very thought of failure. This panic becomes the originator of stress which takes the joy out of living and doesn't allow one to concentrate on the present moment.
Wise men do not talk about goal; for them the way is more important. There are no completely charted paths in life; there is always an unknown factor. Life is an unknown wilderness. You create your path by simply walking on it. Because each of us is unique as an individual, no two people walk the same path.
Taoism has emphasized this point so much that their whole vision is called 'The Way'.
Osho elaborates on this concept: "If you know the way, you know the goal because the goal is not at the very end of the way. The goal is all along the way- it is there at every moment at each step. To be on the way is to be at the goal. Hence, Taoist's don't talk about the goal; they don't talk about God and enlightenment. Their message is very simple: You have to find the way. You can't follow somebody and find it. It is not a superhighway; the way is a pathless path. You will have to find it in your own way; nobody else's way will do."
How does one incorporate this in practical life? Osho suggests you live your life authentically and spontaneously. Do not follow anybody, do not lean on anybody, leap into the unknown not knowing whether you will arrive or whether you will be lost.
If you have the courage to go into the darkness on your own, you can find your own way. This will make your life an adventure. You will never have a dull moment. You will always remain alert and aware as if you are walking on razor's edge.
