To be born in the time of Buddha is a rare opportunity. ~OSHO~

Buddha says: You may be a human being, you may be born with all senses perfect, but if you are not born in the time of a Buddha you will miss the contact with the unknown. You may see the trees, you may see the flowers, you may see the stars, but these are nothing compared to a man of enlightenment -- because he represents the unknown in the world of the known. He brings a ray of God into the darkness of the earth. He's the real flowering of consciousness.

"It is rare," Buddha says, "to be born in the time of a Buddha." In fact, it is a great blessing just to occupy the same time, the same space, as a Buddha occupies -- because something of his vital vibrations is bound to touch you. His presence is bound to become a showering of benediction. Even if you never go to him, even if you are against him, even if he passes through your town and you don't have any time to visit him, even then his coolness will bring something to you, something unasked for. He will reach you uninvited.

Just think: if Buddha had not been born, the world would not be the same. And Christians have done well to begin their calendar after Christ. It is good -- Christ makes a tremendous break with the past. Just his existence -- Christ was a Buddha -- his existence created a totally different history. It is good that Christians date their history as after Christ and before Christ. Before Christ it is nothing; it is all ordinary. After Christ a tremendous phenomenon happened, and humanity started moving at a different altitude.

In India we could not do that, because we have encountered so many Buddhas. It was difficult for us to do it that way. Otherwise there would be so many calendars, and it would be confusing. But whenever a Buddha exists humanity takes a turn, an upward turn.

Whenever a Buddha enters into history, history is never again the same -- the total perspective changes. And when Buddha is present it is very easy if you meditate, because his energy is moving. You can simply ride on his wave. When you are doing your meditations alone and a Buddha is not present, you are fighting with such great barriers single-handed; it is almost impossible, improbable, that you will be the conqueror. With Buddha it is almost like this.

Ramakrishna used to say, "When the wind is blowing in the right direction, you simply leave your boat in the stream and the wind will take it. Just wait for the right direction; then you need not make any effort. You simply sit in the boat, the wind will take it." When Buddha is blowing and the whole existence is in an up-rise, then everything is going towards God. You can simply join hands, and you can ride on the wave very easily. You can simply leave your boat in the stream, and the stream is already going.

Hence Buddha is right when he says: To be born in the time of Buddha is a rare opportunity.

OSHO. "The Discipline of Transcendence, VOl 4"