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 A great king was very much afraid of death, afraid of being assassinated by his own prime minister, by his own sons, by his own army. He made a beautiful palace with no windows, no doors, just one door to enter by. And at that door he had put seven guards -- one guard to guard the house, a second guard to guard the first guard, a third guard to guard the second guard... that way. He lived in paranoia. He could not trust anyone, could not love anyone, and naturally could not receive love, could not receive trust. And a life which is without love, without trust, is a life which has no juice; it is dry bones. The man is just a skeleton.
The palace was made, and he was very happy that now no enemy agent, no assassin, no murderer, no kidnapper, could enter into the house. The guarding was so guardedly done that even a guard could not do anything; the other guard would shoot him immediately.
The neighboring king heard about the palace. He was also in the same difficulty -- insecurity, fear, death. And the more you have, the more you make people jealous, the more insecurity you create around yourself.
He came to visit the king just to see his palace, and it was marvelous. He said, "I have no words to appreciate your wisdom. You have done something nobody has done before -- such a security measure!"
The owner of the palace was very happy. He went out to give him a send-off. Just before sitting on his golden chariot, the neighboring king again said, "I appreciate your palace and the architect and I would like you to send your architect to me. I want to make a similar palace in my kingdom. I am in the same difficulties -- we are in the same boat."
The king said, "No problem. I will send the architect, and whatever help you need I am always available."
Just at that moment, when the neighboring king was appreciating the palace, a beggar sitting on the street started laughing. His laughter was very derisive.
The owner of the palace asked the beggar, "What is the matter? Why are you laughing?"
He said, "I am laughing because the palace is perfect but only almost perfect, not absolutely perfect. I have been sitting here begging every day, and I was wondering: Are you aware or not that one door is still there and that death will enter from that door? -- and your guards will not be able to prevent it. And you don't have any other door in your house to escape from, either.
"My suggestion is that you go inside, and rather than putting guards, tell the architect to close up this door too and make a wall -- then you will be absolutely protected; even death cannot enter."
The king said, "You must be mad! -- because what kind of life will that be? I will be suffocated! And whether I live or not, it makes no difference; that will not be a palace, that will be my grave."
The beggar said, "You are a little intelligent. Now look at the whole mathematics of what you have done: you have closed all the windows, all the doors, and as you went on closing the windows and the doors you were cutting off your life. Your life is now only this small door. You could have been as free as I am. The whole sky is mine."
OSHO
The Path of the Mystic
# 42
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