Effort And Effortlessness

With effort, reach to effortlessness.
With seeking, reach to a state of no-seeking.
With mind, arrive to no-mind.

There are two types of people.
To one type if I say: Make effort --
They make effort,
but then they don't allow effortlessness.
To the other type if I say:
It will happen only in effortlessness --
they leave all effort.
Both have gone wrong.
Both have gone off the way.

This is the rhythm of life:
make effort so you can be effortless also.
Strain to the very end
so that you can achieve moments
of non-strained consciousness.
Run as fast as you can
so that when you sit, you really sit.
Be exhausted in effort
so when you rest, it is a real rest.

You can rest with restlessness inside you.
You can lie down on the ground,
but the restlessness goes on inside.
So you are simply lying down, but it is not a rest.
You may sit like the Buddha
and inside the child is running --
the mind is working and functioning.
Inside you are going mad:
outside you are sitting in a Buddha posture.
You can totally be static outside,
not moving, no activity,
and inside, the turmoil goes on.
This won't help.
Finish the turmoil in effort.
Run as fast as you can.
Be exhausted!

-- Osho