A learned man instructs his disciples that they respond to any humiliation only the next day. Disciples start following this instruction religiously. After this, there are multiple instances where the disciples are humiliated and abused but there is no single instance where a disciple responded in anger. In fact, it was found by disciples that it is not even necessary to respond.

Why did this happen ? In anger, we are so intoxicated that we lose consciousness. There is an urge to respond and respond in a manner or words that inflict maximum damage on the other party. Waiting 24 hrs gave time to think rationally and in these 24 hrs disciples found that there was not even a reason to respond.

Osho Rajneesh says that forget 24 hours, even if we wait for 24 seconds before opening our mouths and reacting, we can avoid being nasty.

Nasruddin came back from shopping. Along with other condiments, he purchased coffee mugs. As he entered his home, his mother asked “Did this come free?”. Nasruddin blurted out “Who gives them free?”. His mother said “Earlier they gave coffee mugs free with some purchases like tea powder”

The answer was pretty straight forward “No, I paid X amount for the coffee mugs”. There was no reason to take offense or get angry. Probably 24 seconds wait would have given birth to a different Nasruddin.

We are literally sleepwalking through our lives. Someone appreciates us, we become happy. Someone humiliates us, we express anger. There is always someone or something that is controlling us. We are not even in control of our thoughts.

Isn’t that true? Just thinking through the activities that I performed during the day, I was able to realise that I did those like a machine. Automated and repetitive. No awareness, no thinking needed. As I type this out, I am trying to be aware of my fingers and the thoughts running in my mind.