Never Born, Never Died: Recent Episodes
Oshō
"Always remember, whatsoever I say to you, you can take it in two ways. You can simply take it on my authority, 'Because Osho says so, it must be true' – then you will suffer, then you will not grow.
“Whatsoever I say, listen to it, try to understand it, implement it in your life, see how it works, and then come to your own conclusions. They may be the same, they may not be. They can never be exactly the same because you have a different personality, a unique being."
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Luke 24
36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them: “Peace be unto you.”
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them: “Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?”
39 “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
40 And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them: “Have ye here any meat?”
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycombe.
43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
46 And said unto them: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”
47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
48 “And ye are witnesses of these things.”
Matthew 27
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Eli, Eli, lamasabachthani?” That is to say: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that said: “This man calleth for Elias.”
48 And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said: “Let be. Let us see whether Elias will come to save him.”
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Matthew 26
47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying: “Whomever I shall kiss, that same is he; hold him fast.”
49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said: “Hail, Master;” and kissed him.
55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes: “Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.”
56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Matthew 27
1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
11 And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: “Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him: “Thou sayest.”
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him: “Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?”
14 And he answered to him never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
Matthew 26
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples: “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter: “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”
41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying: “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
43 And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them: “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
46 “Rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without color,
Paralyzed force, gesture without motion;
Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us – if at all – not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
John 13
2 And supper being ended,
5 He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him: “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said unto him: “What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.”
8 Peter saith unto him: “Thou shalt never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him: “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.”
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them: “Know ye what I have done to you?”
13 “Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well; for so I am.”
14 “If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
15 “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said: “Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”
27 Then said Jesus unto him: “That thou doest, do quickly.”
28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
31 Therefore, when Judas was gone out, Jesus said: “Now is the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”
34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
John 13
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Matthew 26
17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him: “Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?”
18 And he said: “Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him: ‘The master saith, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.”’
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover.
Luke 22
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
15 And he said unto them: “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:”
16 “For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said: “Take this, and divide it among yourselves:”
18 “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God shall come.”
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying: “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying: “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
John 7
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem…
27 “Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is?”
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, “Both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.”
29 “But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.”
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, “When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?”
32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me…”
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
Matthew 22
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 “Master, which is the great commandment in the law”
37 Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
38 “This is the first and great commandment.”
39 “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 21
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves.
13 And said unto them, “It is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?”
34 And Jesus answered and said unto them…
25 “A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’”
29 “He answered and said, ‘I will not’: but afterward he repented, and went.”
30 “And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir’: and went not.”
31 “Whether of them twain did the will of his father?” They say unto him, “The first.” Jesus saith unto them, “Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.”
32 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
33 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
Matthew 16
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am?”
14 And they said, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”
15 He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?”
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven.”
18 “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
19 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”
Matthew 13
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?”
55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?”
56 “And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?”
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.”
Matthew 14
22 …Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side…
23 And…he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”
29 And he said, “Come.” And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, “Lord, save me.”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
LUKE 18
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 And Jesus said unto him, “Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.”
20 “Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother.”
21 And he said, “All these have I kept from my youth up.”
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!”
25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
26 And they that heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27 And he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Matthew 13
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, “Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said unto them, “He that soweth the good seed is the son of man;”
38 “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;”
39 “The enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.”
40 “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.”
41 “The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and which do iniquity.”
42 “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
43 “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Who have ears to hear, let him hear.”
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
Matthew 13
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”
11 He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
12 “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”
18 “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”
19 “When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside.”
20 “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;”
21 “Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
22 “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
23 “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Matthew 12
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.”
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brethren?”
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold my mother and my brethren!”
50 “For whomsoever shall do the will of my father that is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Luke 14
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
26 “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 10
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”
3 “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs amongst the wolves.”
4 “Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.”
5 “And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’”
6 “And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.”
16 “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
18 And he said unto them…
20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
22 “All things are delivered to me of my father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the son will reveal him.”
Matthew 9
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?”
15 Jesus said unto them, “Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”
16 “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.”
17 “Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”
Luke 9
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, “Lord, I will follow thee whitherever thou goest.”
58 And Jesus said unto him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”
59 And he said unto another, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father”.
60 And Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at my house.”
62 And Jesus said unto him, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 9
9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, “Follow me.” And he arose, and followed him.
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 9
23 And he said to them all, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
24 “For whoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
25 “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”
Matthew 4
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
Matthew 3
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbade him, saying, ”I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?“
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
17 And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Yakusan once asked his disciple, Ungan, “I heard that you know how to deal with the lions – is that true?”
Ungan replied, “Yes, it is.”
Yakusan asked, “How many of them do you get and deal with?”
“Six,” Ungan replied.
Yakusan then said, “I also know how to deal with the lion.”
Ungan asked, “How many do you get?”
Yakusan replied, “Only one.”
Ungan then commented, “One is six; six is one.”
Later on, when Ungan visited Isan, Isan said, “I have heard that when you were with Yakusan, you had a conversation about getting and dealing with lions. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is,” replied Ungan.
Isan asked, “Do you continue to deal with them, or do you sometimes stop doing that?”
Ungan replied, “When I want to, I deal with them; and when I want to stop, I stop.”
“When you stop,” asked Isan, “where do the lions go?”
Ungan replied, “Stopping is stopping.”
Ungan remained with Yakusan for some time, then one day decided to leave: he explained to Yakusan that he had made a vow to stay with Hyakujo. Yakusan agreed, and Ungan set off down the mountain, Dogo accompanying him a little way, and then returning to Yakusan, who asked, “Did you see your brother off?”
“Yes, I did,” replied Dogo, and then added, “Is it alright for my brother to leave you?”
“You don’t have to ask such a thing,” said Yakusan. “We have been very intimate for such a long time – we can do or say whatsoever we would like to. So there is nothing for you to ask me.”
“No, Osho,” said Dogo. “Your word can become a reference for the future, so please say something.”
“Okay, I will say one thing,” replied Yakusan. “The eyes are alright, only the discipline is lacking.”
Hearing this, Dogo immediately left the monastery in pursuit of his brother. When he caught up with him the following day, Dogo told Ungan what Yakusan had said. The two brothers turned around and went back to Yakusan, and remained with him till his death.
Once, when Ungan was in Yakusan’s presence, the master said to him, “What does Hyakujo Osho usually teach?”
Ungan replied, “He says, ‘Go beyond three phrases,’ or ‘Go beyond six phrases and get it.’”
Yakusan commented, “With a distance of seven hundred miles between us, fortunately we don’t have anything to do with Hyakujo.” But then he continued, “What else does he teach?”
Ungan said, “Once, after the discourse, when the congregation stood up from their seats, Hyakujo called out to them. When they looked back at the master, Hyakujo said, ‘What is that?’”
Yakusan commented, “You should have said that earlier – Hyakujo is still doing well. Thanks to you, I was able to see Hyakujo.”
On a rainy day, monk Gao visited Yakusan, who commented, “Today it’s quite humid.”
“I will beat this drum,” said Gao.
Ungan said, “There is no leather – what drum do you beat?”
Dogo added, “There is no drum – what leather do you beat?”
And Yakusan commented, “Today, the melody is very good.”
Once, at the mealtime, Yakusan himself beat the drum, and monk Gao entered the hall, dancing. Yakusan dropped the drumstick and asked, “Which piece is that?”
“This is the second piece,” said Gao.
Yakusan asked, “What is the first piece?”
Gao took the seat, helped himself to some rice, took the bowl of rice with him and left.
On another occasion, a monk came to Yakusan for guidance.
“Who are you?” Yakusan asked him.
“Jotan,” replied the monk.
Yakusan shouted, “Last time it was Jotan and this time, too, it is Jotan!”
Once, when Yakusan was reciting a sutra, a monk asked him: “You don’t usually allow us to recite sutras. Why do you yourself recite a sutra?”
“I just want to entertain my eyes,” replied Yakusan.
The monk asked, “Can I also recite sutras like you?”
“If you want to recite sutras like me,” answered Yakusan, “you must pierce even through the hide of a cow.”
On another occasion, Yakusan was asked by governor Ri, “What are the precepts, meditation and wisdom?”
Yakusan answered, “This poor monk hasn’t such useless furniture.”
Ri said, “Don’t be so mysterious!”
Yakusan said, “If you want to have what I have, you must sit on the highest mountain, go down to the bottom of the deepest sea.”
“You don’t throw off your burdens even when you go to bed; you are busy with illusions.”
OUR BELOVED MASTER,
THERE WAS A MONK WHO HAD STAYED WITH YAKUSAN FOR THREE YEARS AND SERVED AS THE HEAD COOK.
ONCE, YAKUSAN ASKED HIM, "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?" "THREE YEARS," THE MONK REPLIED.
"I DON'T KNOW YOUR FACE AT ALL," SAID YAKUSAN.
THE MONK DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YAKUSAN MEANT, AND, OUT OF RESENTMENT, LEFT THE MONASTERY. ANOTHER MONK ONCE SAID TO YAKUSAN, "I HAVE A DOUBT. PLEASE, MASTER, CLEAR IT AWAY."
YAKUSAN SAID, "THEN COME TO ME AT THE REGULAR DISCOURSE." THAT NIGHT, SEATED FOR DISCOURSE, YAKUSAN ADDRESSED THE ASSEMBLY OF MONKS IN FRONT OF HIM, SAYING, "TONIGHT A MONK WILL CLEAR HIS DOUBT AWAY. WHERE ARE YOU? COME UP HERE!"
THE MONK AROSE AND CAME FORWARD. NO SOONER HAD HE REACHED THE MASTER THAN YAKUSAN KNOCKED HIM DOWN AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO HIS ROOM.
Yakusan talked with Meikei Osho and later told Ungan: “Meikei was once a government superintendent in his past life.”
Ungan asked, “Osho, what have you done in your past lives?”
Yakusan replied, “Being afraid and shaky, with hundreds of uglinesses and thousands of clumsinesses, I somehow have managed to live lives.”
Ungan later repeated this to Dogo, who commented: “It is a good story, but one question is missing.”
“What, may I ask?” Inquired Ungan.
Dogo said, in the manner of literary, scholarly Chinese: “How did you become like that?”
Ungan took the question to Yakusan, using the same scholarly Chinese.
Yakusan answered, “I never open any books.”
On another occasion, Yakusan asked Ungan, “A horse has horns; can you see them?”
Ungan replied, “if it has, there is no need to see.”
“That horse is of the best quality,” added Yakusan.
Ungan replied, “If that is so, I’ll take it.”
OUR BELOVED MASTER,
ON ONE OCCASION, YAKUSAN WROTE DOWN THE CHINESE CHARACTER SIGNIFYING BUDDHA, AND ASKED HIS DISCIPLE,
DOGO: "WHAT IS THIS LETTER?" DOGO REPLIED, "IT'S THE LETTER FOR `BUDDHA'."
YAKUSAN COMMENTED, "YOU ARE A MONK SO FULL OF CHATTER!" ONCE, AT THE EVENING DISCOURSE, YAKUSAN DIDN'T LIGHT THE CANDLE AS USUAL. A MONK CAME AND STOOD BY HIS SIDE.
YAKUSAN SAID, "I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PHRASE. IF A BULL GIVES BIRTH, I WILL TELL IT TO YOU."
THE MONK SAID, "THE BULL HAS ALREADY GIVEN BIRTH LONG AGO, AND YOU JUST KEEP NOT REVEALING IT."
YAKUSAN ASKED FOR A LIGHT. WHEN THE CANDLE WAS BROUGHT IN, THE MONK RETREATED AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF MONKS.
LATER UNGAN TOLD TOZAN ABOUT THIS, AND TOZAN SAID, "THE MONK KNEW THE TRUTH -- HE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE OBEISANCE TO THE MASTER."
Beloved Bhagwan
Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the dharma. Transcending life and death is leaving home. Not suffering another existence is reaching the way. Not creating delusions is enlightenment. Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom. No affliction is nirvana. And no appearance of the mind is the other shore. …
In the light of the impartial dharma, mortals look no different from sages. The sutras say that the impartial dharma is something that mortals can’t penetrate and sages can’t practice. The impartial dharma is only practiced by great bodhisattvas and buddhas. To look on life as different from death or on motion as different from stillness is to be partial. To be impartial means to look on suffering as no different from nirvana because the nature of both is emptiness. By imagining they’re putting an end to suffering and entering nirvana, arhatas end up trapped by nirvana. But bodhisattvas know that suffering is essentially empty. And by remaining in emptiness, they remain in nirvana. Nirvana means no birth and no death. It’s beyond birth and death and beyond nirvana. When the mind stops moving, it enters nirvana. Nirvana is an empty mind. …
An uninhabited place is one without greed, anger or delusion. …
Whoever knows that the mind is a fiction and devoid of anything real knows that his own mind neither exists nor doesn’t exist. Mortals keep creating the mind, claiming it exists. And arhats keep negating the mind, claiming it doesn’t exist. But bodhisattvas and buddhas neither create nor negate the mind. This is what’s meant by the mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist. The mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist is called the middle way. …
When your mind doesn’t stir inside, the world doesn’t arise outside. When the world and the mind are both transparent, this is true vision. And such understanding is true understanding. …
Beloved Bhagwan, Bodhidharma’s “Wake-up Sermon”.
The essence of the way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances. The sutras say, “Detachment is enlightenment because it negates appearances.” …
The three realms are greed, anger and delusion. To leave the three realms means to go from greed, anger and delusion back to mortality, meditation and wisdom. … The sutras say, “Buddhas have only become buddhas while living with the three poisons and nourishing themselves on the pure dharma.” The three poisons are greed, anger and delusion.
The great vehicle is the greatest of all vehicles. It’s the conveyance of bodhisattvas, who use everything without using anything, and who travel all day without traveling. Such is the vehicle of buddhas. The sutras say, “No vehicle is the vehicle of buddhas.” …
The sutras say, “The cave of five aggregates is the hall of Zen, the opening of the inner eye is the door of the great vehicle.” What could be clearer?
Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting or lying down, everything you do is Zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the buddha. The buddhas of the ten directions have no mind. To see no mind is to see the buddha.
To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation. Mortals keep moving while arhats stay still. But the highest meditation surpasses that of both mortals and arhats. People who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances without effort and cure all illnesses without treatment. Such is the power of great Zen.
Beloved Bhagwan
Among Shakyamuni’s ten greatest disciples, Ananda was foremost in learning. But he didn’t know the buddha. All he did was study and memorize. Arhats don’t know the buddha. All they know are so many practices for realization, and they become trapped by cause and effect. Such is a mortal’s karma: no escape from birth and death. By doing the opposite of what he intended, such people blaspheme the buddha. Killing them would not be wrong. The sutras say, “Since icchantikas are incapable of belief, killing them would be blameless, while people who believe reach the state of buddhahood.” …
People who see that their minds are the buddha don’t need to shave their heads. Laymen are buddhas too. Unless they see their nature, people who shave their heads are simply fanatics.
But since married laymen don’t give up sex, how can they become buddhas?
I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about sex simply because you don’t see your nature. Once you see your nature, sex is basically immaterial. It ends along with your delight in it. Even if some habits remain, they can’t harm you. Because your nature is essentially pure. Despite dwelling in a material body of five aggregates, your nature is basically pure. It can’t be corrupted. …
Once you stop clinging and let things be, you’ll be free, even of birth and death. You’ll transform everything. You’ll possess spiritual powers that can’t be obstructed. And you’ll be at peace wherever you are. If you doubt this, you’ll never see through anything. You’re better off doing nothing. Once you act, you can’t avoid the cycle of birth and death. But once you see your nature, you’re a buddha, even if you work as a butcher.
But butchers create karma by slaughtering animals. How can they be buddhas?
I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about creating karma. Regardless of what we do, our karma has no hold on us. …
In India, the twenty-seven patriarchs only transmitted the imprint of the mind. And the only reason I’ve come to China is to transmit the instantaneous teaching of the Mahayana: this mind is the buddha. I don’t talk about precepts, devotions or ascetic practices. …
Language and behavior, perception and conception are all functions of the moving mind. All motion is the mind’s motion. … The mind neither moves nor functions. Because the essence of its functions is emptiness. And emptiness is essentially motionless.
Hence, the sutras tell us to move without moving, to travel without traveling, to see without seeing, to laugh without laughing, to hear without hearing, to know without knowing, to be happy without being happy, to walk without walking, to stand without standing. And the sutras say, “Go beyond language. Go beyond thought.” … I could go on, but this brief sermon will have to do.
Beloved Bhagwan
Anyone who gives up the transcendent for the mundane, in any of its myriad forms, is a mortal. A buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad. Such is his power, karma can’t hold him. No matter what kind of karma, a buddha transforms it. Heaven and hell are nothing to him. …
If you’re not sure, don’t act. Once you act, you wander through birth and death and regret having no refuge. … To understand this mind, you have to act without acting. Only then will you see things from a tathagata’s perspective.
But when you first embark on the path, your awareness won’t be focused. You’re likely to see all sorts of strange, dreamlike scenes. But you shouldn’t doubt that all such scenes come from your own mind and nowhere else. …
If you see a light brighter than the sun, your remaining attachments will suddenly come to an end, and the nature of reality will be revealed. Such an occurrence serves as the basis for enlightenment. But this is something only you know. You can’t explain it to others. …
Or if, while you’re walking, standing, sitting or lying in the stillness and darkness of night, everything appears as though in daylight, don’t be startled. It’s your own mind about to reveal itself. …
If you see your nature, you don’t need to read sutras or invoke buddhas. Erudition and knowledge are not only useless, they cloud your awareness. Doctrines are only for pointing to the mind. Once you see your mind, why pay attention to doctrines?
To go from mortal to buddha, you have to put an end to karma, nurture your awareness and accept what life brings. …
Once mortals see their nature, all attachments end. Awareness isn’t hidden. But you can only find it right now. It’s only now. If you really want to find the way, don’t hold onto anything. Once you put an end to karma and nurture your awareness, any attachments that remain will come to an end. Understanding comes naturally. You don’t have to make any effort. But fanatics don’t understand what the buddha meant. And the harder they try, the farther they get from the sage’s meaning. All day long they invoke buddhas and read sutras. But they remain blind to their own divine nature, and they don’t escape the wheel.
A buddha is an idle person. He doesn’t run around after fortune and fame. What good are such things in the end? …
Beloved Bhagwan
If you envision a buddha, a dharma or a bodhisattva and conceive respect for them, you relegate yourself to the realm of mortals. If you seek direct understanding, don’t hold onto any appearance whatsoever, and you’ll succeed. I have no other advice. … Don’t cling to appearances, and you’ll be of one mind with the buddha.
But why shouldn’t we worship buddhas and bodhisattvas?
Devils and demons possess the power of manifestation. They can create the appearance of bodhisattvas in all sorts of guises. But they’re false. None of them are buddhas. The buddha is your own mind. Don’t misdirect your worship.
Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, perceiving, arching your brows, blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, it’s all your miraculously aware nature. And this nature is the mind. And the mind is the buddha. And the buddha is the path. And the path is Zen. But the word zen is one that remains a puzzle. Seeing your nature is Zen.
Even if you can explain thousands of sutras and shastras, unless you see your own nature, yours is the teaching of a mortal, not a buddha. The true way is sublime. It can’t be expressed in language. Of what use are scriptures? But someone who sees his own nature finds the way, even if he can’t read a word. … Everything the buddha says is an expression of his mind. But since his body and expressions are basically empty, you can’t find a buddha in words. …
The way is basically perfect. It doesn’t require perfecting. The way has no form or sound. It’s subtle and hard to perceive. It’s like when you drink water. You know how hot or cold it is. But you can’t tell others. Of that which only a tathagata knows, men and gods remain unaware. The awareness of mortals falls short. As long as they’re attached to appearances, they’re unaware that their mind is empty. And by mistakenly clinging to the appearance of things, they lose the way.
If you know that everything comes from the mind, don’t become attached. Once attached, you’re unaware. But once you see your own nature, the entire canon becomes so much prose. Its thousands of sutras and shastras only amount to a clear mind. Understanding comes in mid-sentence. What good are doctrines?
The ultimate truth is beyond words. Doctrines are words. They’re not the way. The way is wordless. Words are illusions. They’re no different from things that appear in your dreams at night, be they palaces or carriages. … Don’t conceive any delight for such things. They’re all cradles of rebirth. Keep this in mind when you approach death. Don’t cling to appearances, and you’ll break through all barriers. A moment’s hesitation and you’ll be under the spell of devils. Your real body is pure and impervious. But because of delusions, you’re unaware of it. And because of this, you suffer karma in vain. Wherever you find delight, you find bondage. But once you awaken to your original body and mind, you’re no longer bound by attachments.
Beloved Bhagwan
The buddha said people are deluded. This is why when they act they fall into the river of endless rebirth. And trying to get out, they only sink deeper. And all because they don’t see their nature. If people weren’t deluded, why else would they ask about something right in front of them? Not one of them understands the movement of his own hands and feet. The buddha wasn’t mistaken. Deluded people don’t know who they are. Something so hard to fathom is known by a buddha and no one else. Only the wise know this mind, this mind called dharma-nature, this mind called liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can. It’s also called the unstoppable tathagata, the incomprehensible, the sacred self, the immortal, the great sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind.
The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or mode, it’s all your mind. At every moment, where languages can’t go, that’s your mind.
The sutras say, “A tathagata’s forms are endless. And so is his awareness.” The endless variety of forms is due to the mind. Its ability to distinguish things, whatever their movement or mode, is the mind’s awareness. But the mind has no form and its awareness no limit. Hence, it’s said, “A tathagata’s forms are endless. And so is his awareness.”
A material body of the four elements is trouble. A material body is subject to birth and death. But the real body exists without existing because a tathagata’s real body never changes. The sutras say, “People should realize that the buddha-nature is something they have always had.” Mahakashyapa only realized his own nature. …
The sutras say, “Everything that has form is an illusion.” They also say, “Wherever you are, there’s a buddha.” Your mind is the buddha. Don’t use a buddha to worship a buddha.
Even if a buddha or bodhisattva should suddenly appear before you, there’s no need for reverence. This mind of ours is empty and contains no such form. Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the path. Why worship illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don’t know. And those who know don’t worship. By worshiping you come under the spell of devils. I point this out because I’m afraid you’re unaware of it. The basic nature of a buddha has no such form. Keep this in mind, even if something unusual should appear. Don’t embrace it, and don’t fear it. And don’t doubt that your mind is basically pure. Where could there be room for any such form? Also, at the appearance of spirits, demons, or divine beings, conceive neither respect nor fear. Your mind is basically empty. All appearances are illusions. Don’t hold onto appearances.
Beloved Bhagwan
But suppose I don’t see my nature, can’t I still attain enlightenment by invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, observing precepts, practicing devotions, or doing good works?
No, you can’t.
And why not?
If you attain anything at all it’s conditional, it’s karmic. It results in retribution. It turns the wheel. And as long as you’re subject to birth and death, you’ll never attain enlightenment. To attain enlightenment, you have to see your nature. Unless you see your nature, all this talk about cause and effect is nonsense. Buddhas don’t practice nonsense. A buddha is free of karma, free of cause and effect. To say he attains anything at all is to slander a buddha. What could he possibly attain? Even focusing on a mind, a power, an understanding or a view is impossible for a buddha. A buddha isn’t one-sided. The nature of his mind is basically empty, neither pure nor impure. He’s free of practice and realization. He’s free of cause and effect.
A buddha doesn’t observe precepts. A buddha doesn’t do good or evil. A buddha isn’t energetic or lazy. A buddha is someone who does nothing, someone who can’t even focus his mind on a buddha. A buddha isn’t a buddha. Don’t think about buddhas. If you don’t see what I’m talking about, you’ll never know your own mind.
People who don’t see their nature and imagine they can practice doing nothing all the time are liars and fools. They fall into endless space. They’re like drunks. They can’t tell good from evil. If you intend to practice doing nothing, you have to see your nature before you can put an end to rational thought. To attain enlightenment without seeing your nature is impossible.
Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn’t exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty, committing evil isn’t wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.
But if our every movement or state, whenever it occurs, is the mind, why don’t we see this mind when a person’s body dies?
The mind is always present. You just don’t see it.
But if the mind is present, why don’t I see it?
Do you ever dream?
Of course.
When you dream, is that you?
Yes, it’s me.
And is what you’re doing and saying different from you?
No, it isn’t.
But if it isn’t, then this body is your real body. And this real body is your mind. And this mind, through endless kalpas without beginning, has never varied. It has never lived or died, appeared or disappeared, increased or decreased. It’s not pure or impure, good or evil, past or future. It’s not true or false. It’s not male or female. It doesn’t appear as a monk or a layman, an elder or a novice, a sage or a fool, a buddha or a mortal. It strives for no realization and suffers no karma. It has no strength or form. It’s like space. You can’t possess it. And you can’t lose it. Its movements can’t be blocked by mountains, rivers or rock walls. Its unstoppable powers penetrate the mountain of five skandhas and cross the river of samsara. No karma can restrain this real body. But this mind is subtle and hard to see. It’s not the same as the sensual mind. Everyone wants to see this mind. And those who move their hands and feet by its light are as many as the grains of sand along the Ganges. But ask them. They can’t explain it. They’re like puppets. It’s theirs to use. Why don’t they see it?
Beloved Bhagwan
If you don’t understand by yourself, you’ll have to find a teacher to get to the bottom of life and death. But unless he sees his nature, such a person isn’t a teacher. Even if he can recite the twelve-fold canon, he can’t escape the wheel of birth and death. He suffers in the three realms without hope of release.
Long ago, the monk Good Star was able to recite the entire canon. But he didn’t escape the wheel because he didn’t see his nature. If this was the case with Good Star, then people nowadays who recite a few sutras or shastras and think it’s the dharma are fools. Unless you see your mind, reciting so much prose is useless.
To find a Buddha, all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the person who’s free, free of plans, free of cares. If you don’t see your nature and run around all day looking somewhere else, you’ll never find a Buddha. The truth is, there’s nothing to find. But to reach such an understanding you need a teacher. And you need to struggle to make yourself understand. Life and death are important. Don’t suffer them in vain. There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Even if you have mountains of jewels and as many servants as there are grains of sand along the Ganges, you see them when your eyes are open. But what about when your eyes are shut? You should realize then that everything you see is like a dream or illusion.
If you don’t find a teacher soon, you’ll live this life in vain. It’s true, you have the Buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher you’ll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help.
If though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn’t need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you’re so blessed, study hard. And by means of instruction, you’ll understand.
People who don’t understand and think they can do so without study are no different from those deluded souls who can’t tell white from black. Falsely proclaiming the buddhadharma, such persons, in fact, blaspheme the Buddha and subvert the dharma. They preach as if they were bringing rain. But theirs is the preaching of devils not of Buddhas. Their teacher is the king of devils. And their disciples are the devil’s minions. Deluded people who follow such instruction unwittingly sink deeper in the sea of birth and death.
Unless they see their nature, how can people call themselves Buddhas? They’re liars who deceive others into entering the realm of devils. Unless they see their nature, their preaching of the twelve-fold canon is nothing but the preaching of devils. Their allegiance is to Mara, not to the Buddha. Unable to distinguish white from black, how can they escape birth and death?
Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. Whoever doesn’t is a mortal. But apart from our mortal nature if you can find a Buddha-nature somewhere else, where is it? Our mortal nature is our Buddha-nature. Beyond this nature there’s no Buddha. The Buddha is our nature. There’s no Buddha besides this nature. And there’s no nature besides the Buddha.
Beloved Bhagwan, Bodhidharma's Bloodstream Sermon
Everything that appears in the three realms leads back to the mind. Hence, Buddhas of the past and future teach mind to mind without bothering about definitions.
But if they don’t define it, what do they mean by mind?
You ask. That’s your mind. I answer. That’s my mind. If I had no mind, how could I answer? If you had no mind, how could you ask? That which asks is your mind. “Through endless kalpas without beginning, whatever you do, wherever you are, that’s your real mind, that’s your real Buddha. This mind is the Buddha, says the same thing. Beyond this mind you’ll never find another Buddha. To search for enlightenment or nirvana beyond this mind is impossible. The reality of your own self-nature, the absence of cause and effect, is what’s meant by mind. Your mind is nirvana. You might think you can find a Buddha or enlightenment somewhere beyond the mind, but such a place doesn’t exist.
Trying to find a Buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space. Space has a name but no form. It’s not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can’t grab it. Beyond this mind, you’ll never see a Buddha. The Buddha is a product of your mind. Why look for a Buddha beyond this mind?
Buddhas of the past and future only talk about this mind. The mind is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the mind. Beyond the mind there’s no Buddha. And beyond the Buddha there’s no mind. If you think there’s a Buddha beyond the mind, where is he? There’s no Buddha beyond the mind, so why envision one? You can’t know your real mind as long as you deceive yourself. As long as you’re enthralled by a lifeless form, you’re not free. If you don’t believe me, deceiving yourself doesn’t help. It’s not the Buddha’s fault. People, though, are deluded. They’re unaware that their own mind is the Buddha. Otherwise, they wouldn’t look for a Buddha outside the mind.
Buddhas don’t save Buddhas. If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha. As long as you look for a Buddha somewhere else, you’ll never see that your own mind is the Buddha. And don’t use a Buddha to worship a Buddha. And don’t use the mind to invoke a Buddha. Buddhas don’t recite sutras. Buddhas don’t keep precepts. And Buddhas don’t break precepts. Buddhas don’t keep or break anything. Buddhas don’t do good or evil.
To find a Buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. If you don’t see your nature, invoking Buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking Buddhas results in good karma. Reciting sutras results in a good memory. Keeping precepts results in a good rebirth. And making offerings results in future blessings. But no Buddha.
Beloved Bhagwan, Bodhidharma's Outline Of Practice
Many roads lead to the path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice. To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn’t apparent because it’s shrouded by sensation and delusion. Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls, the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved, even by scriptures, are in complete and unspoken agreement with reason. Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason.
To enter by practice refers to four all-inclusive practices: suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing and practicing the dharma.
First, suffering injustice. When those who search for the path encounter adversity, they should think to themselves, “In countless ages gone by, I’ve turned from the essential to the trivial and wandered through all manner of existence, often angry without cause and guilty of numberless transgressions. Now, though I do no wrong, I’m punished by my past. Neither gods nor men can foresee when an evil deed will bear its fruit. I accept it with an open heart and without complaint of injustice.” The sutras say, “When you meet with adversity, don’t be upset. Because it makes sense.” With such understanding, you’re in harmony with reason. And by suffering injustice, you enter the path.
Second, adapting to conditions. As mortals, we’re ruled by conditions, not by ourselves. All the suffering and joy we experience depend on conditions. If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it’s the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past. When conditions change, it ends. Why delight in its existence? But while success and failure depend on conditions, the mind neither waxes nor wanes. Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the path.
Third, seeking nothing. People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something, always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the season. All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring. Calamity forever alternates with prosperity. To dwell in the three realms is to dwell in a burning house. To have a body is to suffer. Does anybody with a body know peace?
Fourth, practicing the dharma. The dharma is the truth that all natures are pure. By this truth, all appearances are empty. Defilement and attachment, subject and object don’t exist. The sutras say, “the dharma includes no being because it’s free from the impurity of being. And the dharma includes no self, because it’s free from the impurity of self.” Those wise enough to believe and understand this truth are bound to practice according to the dharma. Since the embodiment of the dharma contains nothing worth begrudging, they give their body, life and property in charity, without regret, without the vanity of giver, gift or recipient, and without bias or attachment. And they take up transforming others to eliminate impurity but without becoming attached to form. Thus, through their own practice, they’re able to help others and glorify the way of enlightenment. And as with charity, they also practice the other virtues. But while practicing the six virtues to eliminate delusion, they practice nothing at all. This is what’s meant by practicing the dharma. Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop imagining or seeking anything. The sutras say, “To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss.” When you seek nothing, you’re on the path.
A MONK ASKED NANSEN: 'IS THERE A TEACHING NO MASTER EVER PREACHED BEFORE?' NANSEN SAID: 'YES THERE IS.' 'WHAT IS IT?' ASKED THE MONK. NANSEN REPLIED: 'IT IS NOT MIND, IT IS NOT BUDDHA, IT IS NOT THINGS.'
A MASTER WAS ASKED BY A CURIOUS MONK: 'WHAT IS THE WAY?' 'IT IS RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES,' SAID THE MASTER.'WHY DO I NOT SEE IT FOR MYSELF?' ASKED THE MONK.'BECAUSE YOU ARE THINKING OF YOURSELF,' SAID THE MASTER.'WHAT ABOUT YOU,' SAID THE MONK, 'DO YOU SEE IT?' THE MASTER SAID: 'SO LONG AS YOU SEE DOUBLE, SAYING I DON'T, AND YOU DO, AND SO ON, YOUR EYES ARE CLOUDED.' 'WHEN THERE IS NEITHER I NOR YOU, CAN ONE SEE IT?' SAID THE MONK.'WHEN THERE IS NEITHER I NOR YOU, WHO IS THE ONE WHO WANTS TO SEE IT?' REPLIED THE MASTER.
GENSHA COMPLAINED TO HIS FOLLOWERS ONE DAY: 'OTHER MASTERS ARE ALWAYS CARRYING ON ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF SAVING EVERYONE -- BUT SUPPOSE YOU MEET UP WITH SOMEONE WHO IS DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND: HE COULDN'T SEE YOUR GESTURES, HEAR YOUR PREACHING, OR, FOR THAT MATTER, ASK QUESTIONS. UNABLE TO SAVE HIM, YOU'D PROVE YOURSELF A WORTHLESS BUDDHIST.' TROUBLED BY THESE WORDS, ONE OF GENSHA'S DISCIPLES WENT TO CONSULT THE MASTER UMMON WHO, LIKE GENSHA, WAS A DISCIPLE OF SEPPO.'BOW PLEASE,' SAID UMMON. THE MONK, THOUGH TAKEN BY SURPRISE, OBEYED THE MASTER'S COMMAND -- THEN STRAIGHTENED UP IN EXPECTATION OF HAVING HIS QUERY ANSWERED. BUT INSTEAD OF AN ANSWER, HE GOT A STAFF THRUST AT HIM. HE LEAPT BACK.'WELL,' SAID UMMON, 'YOU'RE NOT BLIND. NOW APPROACH.' THE MONK DID AS HE WAS BIDDEN. 'GOOD,' SAID UMMON, 'YOU'RE NOT DEAF EITHER. WELL, UNDERSTAND?' 'UNDERSTAND WHAT SIR?' SAID THE MONK.'AH, YOU'RE NOT DUMB EITHER,' SAID UMMON. ON HEARING THESE WORDS THE MONK AWOKE AS FROM A DEEP SLEEP.
THE MASTER TOZAN WAS WEIGHING SOME FLAX IN THE STOREROOM. A MONK CAME UP TO HIM AND ASKED: 'WHAT IS BUDDHA?' TOZAN SAID: 'THIS FLAX WEIGHS FIVE POUNDS.'
WHILE TOKAI WAS A VISITOR AT A CERTAIN TEMPLE, A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE KITCHEN FLOOR. A MONK RUSHED INTO TOKAI'S BEDROOM, SHOUTING: 'A FIRE, MASTER, A FIRE!' 'OH?' SAID TOKAI, SITTING UP. 'WHERE?' 'WHERE?' EXCLAIMED THE MONK. 'WHY, UNDER THE KITCHEN FLOOR -- GET UP AT ONCE.' 'THE KITCHEN, EH?' SAID THE MASTER DROWSILY. 'WELL, TELL YOU WHAT, WHEN IT REACHES THE PASSAGEWAY, COME BACK AND LET ME KNOW.' TOKAI WAS SNORING AGAIN IN NO TIME.
LIEH-TZU EXHIBITED HIS SKILL IN ARCHERY TO PO-HUN WU-JEN. WHEN THE BOW WAS DRAWN TO ITS FULL LENGTH, A CUP OF WATER WAS PLACED ON HIS ELBOW AND HE BEGAN TO SHOOT. AS SOON AS THE FIRST ARROW WAS LET FLY, A SECOND WAS ALREADY ON THE STRING, AND THEN A THIRD ONE FOLLOWED. IN THE MEANTIME HE STOOD UNMOVED LIKE A STATUE. PO-HUN WU-JEN SAID: 'THE TECHNIQUE OF SHOOTING IS FINE, BUT IT IS NOT THE TECHNIQUE OF NON-SHOOTING. LET US GO UP TO A HIGH MOUNTAIN AND STAND ON A PROJECTING ROCK, AND THEN YOU TRY AND SHOOT.' THEY CLIMBED UP A MOUNTAIN. STANDING ON A ROCK THAT PROJECTED OVER A PRECIPICE TEN THOUSAND FEET HIGH, PO-HUN WU-JEN MOVED BACKWARDS UNTIL ONE THIRD OF HIS FEET WERE OVERHANGING THE EDGE. HE THEN MOTIONED LIEH-TZU TO COME FORWARD. LIEH-TZU FELL DOWN ON THE GROUND WITH PERSPIRATION FLOWING DOWN TO HIS HEELS. SAID PO-HUN WU-JEN: 'THE PERFECT MAN SOARS UP ABOVE THE BLUE SKY, OR DIVES DOWN TO THE YELLOW SPRINGS, OR WANDERS ALL OVER THE EIGHT LIMITS OF THE WORLD, YET SHOWS NO SIGN OF CHANGE IN HIS SPIRIT. BUT YOU BETRAY A SIGN OF TREPIDATION, AND YOUR EYES ARE DAZED. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO HIT THE TARGET?'
AT THE DEATH OF A PARISHIONER, MASTER DOGO, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DISCIPLE ZENGEN, VISITED THE BEREAVED FAMILY. WITHOUT TAKING TIME TO EXPRESS A WORD OF SYMPATHY, ZENGEN WENT UP TO THE COFFIN, RAPPED ON IT, AND ASKED DOGO:'IS HE REALLY DEAD?' 'I WON'T SAY,' SAID DOGO.'WELL?' INSISTED ZENGEN.'I'M NOT SAYING, AND THAT'S FINAL,' SAID DOGO. ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THE TEMPLE THE FURIOUS ZENGEN TURNED ON DOGO AND THREATENED: 'BY GOD, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER MY QUESTION, WHY I'LL BEAT YOU.' 'ALL RIGHT,' SAID DOGO, 'BEAT AWAY.' A MAN OF HIS WORD, ZENGEN SLAPPED HIS MASTER A GOOD ONE. SOME TIME LATER DOGO DIED, AND ZENGEN, STILL ANXIOUS TO HAVE HIS QUESTION ANSWERED, WENT TO THE MASTER SEKISO, AND, AFTER RELATING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, ASKED THE SAME QUESTION OF HIM. SEKISO, AS IF CONSPIRING WITH THE DEAD DOGO, WOULD NOT ANSWER.'BY GOD!' CRIED ZENGEN. 'YOU TOO?' 'I'M NOT SAYING,' SAID SEKISO, 'AND THAT'S FINAL.' AT THAT VERY INSTANT ZENGEN EXPERIENCED AN AWAKENING.
A MASTER WHO LIVED AS A HERMIT ON A MOUNTAIN WAS ASKED BY A MONK: 'WHAT IS THE WAY?' 'WHAT A FINE MOUNTAIN THIS IS,' THE MASTER SAID IN REPLY.'I AM NOT ASKING YOU ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN,' SAID THE MONK, 'BUT THE WAY.' THE MASTER REPLIED: 'SO LONG AS YOU CANNOT GO BEYOND THE MOUNTAIN, MY SON, YOU CANNOT REACH THE WAY.'
A ZEN STUDENT CAME TO BANKEI AND SAID: 'MASTER, I HAVE AN UNGOVERNABLE TEMPER -- HOW CAN I CURE IT?' 'SHOW ME THIS TEMPER,' SAID BANKEI, 'IT SOUNDS FASCINATING.' 'I HAVEN'T GOT IT RIGHT NOW,' SAID THE STUDENT, 'SO I CAN'T SHOW IT TO YOU.' 'WELL THEN,' SAID BANKEI, 'BRING IT TO ME WHEN YOU HAVE IT.' 'BUT I CAN'T BRING IT JUST WHEN I HAPPEN TO HAVE IT,' PROTESTED THE STUDENT. 'IT ARISES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND I WOULD SURELY LOSE IT BEFORE I GOT IT TO YOU.' 'IN THAT CASE,' SAID BANKEI, 'IT CANNOT BE PART OF YOUR TRUE NATURE. IF IT WERE, YOU COULD SHOW IT TO ME AT ANY TIME. WHEN YOU WERE BORN YOU DID NOT HAVE IT, AND YOUR PARENTS DID NOT GIVE IT TO YOU -- SO IT MUST COME INTO YOU FROM THE OUTSIDE. I SUGGEST THAT WHENEVER IT GETS INTO YOU, YOU BEAT YOURSELF WITH A STICK UNTIL THE TEMPER CAN'T STAND IT, AND RUNS AWAY.'
WHEN YAMAOKA WAS A BRASH STUDENT HE VISITED THE MASTER DOKUON. WANTING TO IMPRESS THE MASTER HE SAID: 'THERE IS NO MIND, THERE IS NO BODY, THERE IS NO BUDDHA. THERE IS NO BETTER, THERE IS NO WORSE. THERE IS NO MASTER, THERE IS NO STUDENT. THERE IS NO GIVING, THERE IS NO RECEIVING. WHAT WE THINK WE SEE AND FEEL IS NOT REAL. NONE OF THESE SEEMING THINGS REALLY EXISTS.' DOKUON HAD BEEN SITTING QUIETLY SMOKING HIS PIPE, AND SAYING NOTHING. SUDDENLY HE PICKED UP HIS STAFF AND GAVE YAMAOKA A TERRIBLE WHACK. YAMAOKA JUMPED UP IN ANGER. DOKUON SAID: 'SINCE NONE OF THESE THINGS REALLY EXISTS, AND ALL IS EMPTINESS, WHERE DOES YOUR ANGER COME FROM? THINK ABOUT IT.'
SUBHUTI WAS ONE OF BUDDHA'S DISCIPLES. HE WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE POTENCY OF EMPTINESS -- THE VIEWPOINT THAT NOTHING EXISTS EXCEPT IN ITS RELATIONSHIP OF SUBJECTIVITY AND OBJECTIVITY. ONE DAY, WHEN SUBHUTI WAS SITTING UNDER A TREE IN A MOOD OF SUBLIME EMPTINESS, FLOWERS BEGAN TO FALL AROUND HIM. 'WE ARE PRAISING YOU FOR YOUR DISCOURSE ON EMPTINESS,' THE GODS WHISPERED TO HIM. 'BUT I HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF EMPTINESS,' SAID SUBHUTI. 'YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF EMPTINESS, WE HAVE NOT HEARD EMPTINESS,' RESPONDED THE GODS. 'THIS IS TRUE EMPTINESS.' AND BLOSSOMS SHOWERED UPON SUBHUTI LIKE RAIN.
AFTER NINE YEARS, BODHIDHARMA, THE FIRST ZEN PATRIARCH, WHO TOOK ZEN TO CHINA FROM INDIA IN THE SIXTH CENTURY, DECIDED THAT HE WISHED TO RETURN HOME. HE GATHERED HIS DISCIPLES AROUND HIM TO TEST THEIR PERCEPTION. DOFUKU SAID: 'IN MY OPINION TRUTH IS BEYOND AFFIRMATION OR NEGATION, FOR THIS IS THE WAY IT MOVES.' BODHIDHARMA REPLIED: 'YOU HAVE MY SKIN.' THE NUN SOJI SAID: 'IN MY VIEW, IT IS LIKE ANANDA'S INSIGHT OF THE BUDDHA-LAND -- SEEN ONCE AND FOREVER.' BODHIDHARMA ANSWERED: 'YOU HAVE MY FLESH.' DOIKU SAID: 'THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF LIGHT, AIRINESS, FLUIDITY, AND SOLIDITY, ARE EMPTY, AND THE FIVE SKANDHAS ARE NO-THINGS. IN MY OPINION NO-THING IS REALITY.' BODHIDHARMA COMMENTED: 'YOU HAVE MY BONES.' FINALLY, EKA BOWED BEFORE THE MASTER AND REMAINED SILENT. BODHIDHARMA SAID: 'YOU HAVE MY MARROW.'
WHEN WOLVES WERE DISCOVERED IN THE VILLAGE NEAR MASTER SHOJU'S TEMPLE, SHOJU ENTERED THE GRAVEYARD NIGHTLY FOR ONE WEEK AND SAT IN ZAZEN. THIS PUT A STOP TO THE WOLVES' PROWLING. OVERJOYED, THE VILLAGERS ASKED HIM TO DESCRIBE THE SECRET RITES HE HAD PERFORMED. 'I DIDN'T HAVE TO RESORT TO SUCH THINGS,' HE SAID, 'NOR COULD I HAVE DONE SO. WHILE I WAS IN ZAZEN A NUMBER OF WOLVES GATHERED ROUND ME, LICKING THE TIP OF MY NOSE, AND SNIFFING MY WINDPIPE, BUT BECAUSE I REMAINED IN THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND, I WASN'T BITTEN. AS I KEEP PREACHING TO YOU, THE PROPER STATE OF MIND WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE FREE IN LIFE AND DEATH, INVULNERABLE TO FIRE AND WATER. EVEN WOLVES ARE POWERLESS AGAINST IT. I SIMPLY PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH.'
YAGYU YAJIMA NO KAMI MUNENORI WAS A TEACHER OF SWORDSMANSHIP TO THE SHOGUN. ONE OF THE PERSONAL GUARDS OF THE SHOGUN CAME TO TAJIMA NO KAMI ONE DAY ASKING TO BE TRAINED IN SWORDPLAY. 'AS I OBSERVE, YOU SEEM TO BE A MASTER OF THE ART YOURSELF,' SAID THE TEACHER. 'PLEASE TELL ME TO WHAT SCHOOL YOU BELONG BEFORE WE ENTER INTO THE RELATIONSHIP OF TEACHER AND PUPIL.' THE GUARDSMAN SAID: 'L DO NOT BELONG TO ANY SCHOOL, I HAVE NEVER STUDIED THE ART.' 'IT IS NO USE TRYING TO FOOL ME,' SAID THE TEACHER. 'MY JUDGING EYE NEVER FAILS.' 'I AM SORRY TO DEFY, YOUR HONOUR,' SAID THE GUARD, 'BUT I REALLY KNOW NOTHING.' 'IF YOU SAY SO THEN IT MUST BE TRUE, BUT I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE THE MASTER OF SOMETHING, SO TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.' 'THERE IS ONE THING,' SAID THE GUARD. 'WHEN I WAS A CHILD I THOUGHT THAT A SAMURAI SHOULD NEVER BE AFRAID OF DEATH, SO I GRAPPLED WITH THE PROBLEM, AND NOW THE THOUGHT OF DEATH HAS CEASED TO WORRY ME.' 'THAT'S IT!' EXCLAIMED THE TEACHER. 'THE ULTIMATE SECRETS OF SWORDSMANSHIP LIE IN BEING RELEASED FROM THE THOUGHT OF DEATH. YOU NEED NO TECHNICAL TRAINING, YOU ARE ALREADY A MASTER.'
ONE WINTER DAY, A MASTERLESS SAMURAI CAME TO EISAI'S TEMPLE AND MADE AN APPEAL: 'I'M POOR AND SICK,' HE SAID, 'AND MY FAMILY IS DYING OF HUNGER. PLEASE HELP US, MASTER.' DEPENDENT AS HE WAS ON WIDOWS' MITES, EISAI'S LIFE WAS VERY AUSTERE, AND HE HAD NOTHING TO GIVE. HE WAS ABOUT TO SEND THE SAMURAI OFF WHEN HE REMEMBERED THE IMAGE OF YAKUSHI-BUDDHA IN THE HALL. GOING UP TO IT HE TORE OFF ITS HALO AND GAVE IT TO THE SAMURAI. 'SELL THIS,' SAID EISAI, 'IT SHOULD TIDE YOU OVER.' THE BEWILDERED BUT DESPERATE SAMURAI TOOK THE HALO AND LEFT. 'MASTER!' CRIED ONE OF EISAI'S DISCIPLES, 'THAT'S SACRILEGE! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?' 'SACRILEGE? BAH! I HAVE MERELY PUT THE BUDDHA'S MIND, WHICH IS FULL OF LOVE AND MERCY, TO USE, SO TO SPEAK. INDEED, IF HE HIMSELF HAD HEARD THAT POOR SAMURAI HE'D HAVE CUT OFF A LIMB FOR HIM.'
GOSA HOYEN USED TO SAY: 'WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT ZEN IS LIKE I TELL THEM THIS STORY:' NOTICING THAT HIS FATHER WAS GROWING OLD, THE SON OF A BURGLAR ASKED HIS FATHER TO TEACH HIM THE TRADE SO THAT HE COULD CARRY ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS AFTER HIS FATHER HAD RETIRED. THE FATHER AGREED, AND THAT NIGHT THEY BROKE INTO A HOUSE TOGETHER. OPENING A LARGE CHEST THE FATHER TOLD HIS SON TO GO IN _ AND PICK OUT THE CLOTHING. AS SOON AS THE BOY WAS INSIDE, THE FATHER LOCKED THE CHEST AND THEN MADE A LOT OF NOISE SO THAT THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS AROUSED. THEN HE SLIPPED QUIETLY AWAY. LOCKED INSIDE THE CHEST THE BOY WAS ANGRY, TERRIFIED, AND PUZZLED AS TO HOW HE WAS GOING TO GET OUT. THEN AN IDEA FLASHED TO HIM -- HE MADE A NOISE LIKE A CAT. THE FAMILY TOLD A MAID TO TAKE A CANDLE AND EXAMINE THE CHEST. WHEN THE LID WAS UNLOCKED THE BOY JUMPED OUT, BLEW OUT THE CANDLE, PUSHED HIS WAY PAST THE ASTONISHED MAID, AND RAN OUT. THE PEOPLE RAN AFTER HIM. NOTICING A WELL BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE BOY THREW IN A LARGE STONE, THEN HID IN THE DARKNESS. THE PURSUERS GATHERED AROUND THE WELL TRYING TO SEE THE BURGLAR DROWNING HIMSELF. WHEN THE BOY GOT HOME HE WAS VERY ANGRY AT HIS FATHER AND HE TRIED TO TELL HIM THE STORY; BUT THE FATHER SAID: 'DON'T BOTHER TO TELL ME THE DETAILS, YOU ARE HERE -- YOU HAVE LEARNED THE ART.'
THE ANCIENTS SAID: "(SELF-)CULTIVATION TAKES AN UNIMAGINABLE TIME (WHILE) ENLIGHTENMENT IN AN INSTANT IS ATTAINED." IF THE TRAINING IS EFFICIENT, ENLIGHTENMENT WILL BE ATTAINED IN ONE FINGERSNAP. IN DAYS GONE BY CH'AN MASTER HUI CHUEH OF LANG YEH MOUNTAIN, HAD A DISCIPLE WHO CALLED ON HIM FOR INSTRUCTION. THE MASTER TAUGHT HER TO EXAMINE INTO THE SENTENCE: "TAKE NO NOTICE." SHE FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTION STRICTLY WITHOUT BACKSLIDING. ONE DAY HER HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE, BUT SHE SAID: "TAKE NO NOTICE." ANOTHER DAY, HER SON FELL INTO THE WATER AND WHEN A BYSTANDER CALLED HER, SHE SAID: "TAKE NO NOTICE." SHE OBSERVED EXACTLY HER MASTER'S INSTRUCTION BY LAYING DOWN ALL CASUAL THOUGHTS. ONE DAY, AS HER HUSBAND LIT THE FIRE TO MAKE FRITTERS OF TWISTED DOUGH, SHE THREW INTO THE PAN FULL OF BOILING (VEGETABLE) OIL A BATTER WHICH MADE A NOISE. UPON HEARING THE NOISE, SHE WAS INSTANTLY ENLIGHTENED. THEN SHE THREW THE PAN OF OIL ON THE GROUND, CLAPPED HER HANDS AND LAUGHED. THINKING SHE WAS INSANE, HER HUSBAND SCOLDED HER AND SAID: "WHY DO YOU DO THIS? ARE YOU MAD?" SHE REPLIED: "TAKE NO NOTICE." THEN SHE WENT TO THE MASTER HUI CHUEH AND ASKED HIM TO VERIFY HER ACHIEVEMENT. THE MASTER CONFIRMED THAT SHE HAD OBTAINED THE HOLY FRUIT.
DOGO HAD A DISCIPLE CALLED SOSHIN. WHEN SOSHIN WAS TAKEN IN AS A NOVICE, IT WAS PERHAPS NATURAL OF HIM TO EXPECT LESSONS IN ZEN FROM HIS TEACHER THE WAY A SCHOOLBOY IS TAUGHT AT SCHOOL. BUT DOGO GAVE HIM NO SPECIAL LESSONS ON THE SUBJECT, AND THIS BEWILDERED AND DISAPPOINTED SOSHIN. ONE DAY HE SAID TO THE MASTER, "IT IS SOME TIME SINCE I CAME HERE, BUT NOT A WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN ME REGARDING THE ESSENCE OF THE ZEN TEACHING." DOGO REPLIED, "SINCE YOUR ARRIVAL I HAVE EVER BEEN GIVING YOU LESSONS ON THE MATTER OF ZEN DISCIPLINE." "WHAT KIND OF LESSON COULD IT HAVE BEEN?" "WHEN YOU BRING ME A CUP OF TEA IN THE MORNING, I TAKE IT; WHEN YOU SERVE ME A MEAL, I ACCEPT IT; WHEN YOU BOW TO ME, I RETURN IT WITH A NOD. HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE TAUGHT IN THE DISCIPLINE OF ZEN?" SOSHIN HUNG HIS HEAD FOR A WHILE, PONDERING THE PUZZLING WORDS OF THE MASTER. THE MASTER SAID, "IF YOU WANT TO SEE, SEE RIGHT AT ONCE. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK, YOU MISS THE POINT."
ONE DAY THE KING OF YEN VISITED THE MASTER CHAO CHOU, WHO DID NOT EVEN GET UP WHEN HE SAW HIM COMING. THE KING ASKED, "WHICH IS HIGHER, A WORLDLY KING, OR THE 'KING OF DHARMA'?" CHAO CHOU REPLIED, "AMONG HUMAN KINGS I AM HIGHER; AMONG THE KINGS OF DHARMA I AM ALSO HIGHER." HEARING THIS SURPRISING ANSWER, THE KING WAS VERY PLEASED. THE NEXT DAY A GENERAL CAME TO VISIT CHAO CHOU, WHO NOT ONLY GOT UP FROM HIS SEAT WHEN HE SAW THE GENERAL COMING, BUT ALSO SHOWED HIM MORE HOSPITALITY IN EVERY WAY THAN HE HAD SHOWN TO THE KING. AFTER THE GENERAL HAD LEFT, CHAO CHOU'S ATTENDANT MONKS ASKED HIM, "WHY DID YOU GET UP FROM YOUR SEAT WHEN A PERSON OF LOWER RANK CAME TO SEE YOU, YET DID NOT DO SO FOR ONE OF THE HIGHEST RANK?" CHAO CHOU REPLIED, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHEN PEOPLE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY COME TO SEE ME, I DO NOT GET UP FROM MY SEAT; WHEN THEY ARE OF MIDDLE QUALITY, I DO; BUT WHEN THEY ARE OF THE LOWEST QUALITY, I GO OUTSIDE OF THE GATE TO RECEIVE THEM."
ASCENDING TO THE HIGH SEAT, DOGEN ZENJI SAID: "ZEN MASTER HOGEN STUDIED WITH KEISHIN ZENJI. ONCE KEISHIN ZENJI ASKED HIM, JOZA, WHERE DO YOU GO?' HOGEN SAID. 'I AM MAKING PILGRIMAGE AIMLESSLY.' KEISHIN SAID, 'WHAT IS THE MATTER OF YOUR PILGRIMAGE?' HOGEN SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW.' KEISHIN SAID, 'NOT KNOWING IS THE MOST INTIMATE.' HOGEN SUDDENLY ATTAINED GREAT ENLIGHTENMENT."
IN THE TANG DYNASTY THERE WAS A STOUT FELLOW WHO WAS CALLED THE HAPPY CHINAMAN, OR THE LAUGHING BUDDHA. THIS HOTEI HAD NO DESIRE TO CALL HIMSELF A ZEN MASTER, OR TO GATHER DISCIPLES AROUND HIM. INSTEAD HE WALKED THE STREETS WITH A SACK ON HIS BACK FULL OF CANDY, FRUIT AND DOUGHNUTS -- WHICH HE GAVE OUT TO THE CHILDREN WHO GATHERED AND PLAYED AROUND HIM. WHENEVER HE MET A ZEN DEVOTEE HE WOULD EXTEND HIS HAND AND SAY: "GIVE ME ONE PENNY." AND IF ANYONE ASKED HIM TO RETURN TO THE TEMPLE TO TEACH OTHERS, AGAIN HE WOULD REPLY: "GIVE ME ONE PENNY." ONCE WHEN HE WAS AT HIS PLAY-WORK ANOTHER ZEN MASTER HAPPENED TO ALONG AND INQUIRED: "WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ZEN?" HOTEI IMMEDIATELY PLOPPED HIS SACK DOWN ON THE GROUND IN SILENT ANSWER. "THEN," ASKED THE OTHER, "WHAT IS THE ACTUALIZATION OF ZEN?" AT ONCE THE HAPPY CHINAMAN SWUNG THE SACK OVER HIS SHOULDER AND CONTINUED ON HIS WAY.
ONCE THERE WAS A MAN OF CH'I WHO WANTED GOLD. AT DAWN HE PUT ON HIS COAT AND CAP AND SET OUT FOR THE MARKET. HE WENT TO THE STALL OF A DEALER IN GOLD, SNATCHED HIS GOLD, AND MADE OFF THE POLICE CAUGHT HIM AND QUESTIONED HIM. "WHY DID YOU SNATCH SOMEBODY ELSE'S GOLD, AND IN FRONT OF SO MANY PEOPLE?" THE MAN REPLIED: "AT THE TIME WHEN I TOOK IT I DID NOT SEE THE PEOPLE -- I ONLY SAW THE GOLD."
A WRESTLER NAMED O-NAMI GREAT WAVES, WAS IMMENSELY STRONG AND HIGHLY SKILLED IN THE ART OF WRESTLING. IN PRIVATE BE DEFEATED EVEN HIS VERY TEACHER, BUT IN PUBLIC HIS OWN YOUNG PUPILS COULD THROW HIM. IN HIS TROUBLE HE WENT TO A ZEN MASTER WHO WAS STOPPING AT A NEARBY TEMPLE BY THE SEA, AND ASKED FOR COUNSEL. "GREAT WAVES IS YOUR NAME, " SAID THE MASTER, "SO STAY IN THIS TEMPLE TONIGHT AND LISTEN TO THE WAVES OF THE SEA. IMAGINE YOU ARE THOSE WAVES. FORGET YOU ARE A WRESTLER, AND BECOME THOSE HUGE WAVES SWEEPING EVERYTHING BEFORE THEM." O-NAMI REMAINED. HE TRIED TO THINK ONLY OF THE WAVES, BUT BE THOUGHT OF MANY THINGS. THEN GRADUALLY HE DID THINK ONLY OF THE WAVES. THEY ROLLED LARGER AND LARGER AS THE NIGHT WORE ON. THEY SWEPT AWAY THE FLOWERS IN THE VASES BEFORE THE BUDDHA; THEY SWEPT AWAY THE VASES. EVEN THE BRONZE BUDDHA WAS SWEPT AWAY. BY DAWN THE TEMPLE WAS ONLY SURGING WATER, AND O-NAMI SAT THERE WITH A FAINT SMILE ON HIS FACE. THAT DAY HE ENTERED THE PUBLIC WRESTLING AND WON EVERY BOUT, AND FROM THAT DAY NO ONE IN JAPAN COULD EVER THROW HIM.
THERE WAS A MAN OF WEI, TUNG-MEN WU, WHO DID NOT GRIEVE WHEN HIS SON DIED. HIS WIFE SAID TO HIM: "NO ONE IN THE WORLD LOVED HIS SON AS MUCH AS YOU DID, WHY DO YOU NOT GRIEVE NOW HE IS DEAD?" HE ANSWERED: "I HAD NO SON, AND WHEN I HAD NO SON I DID NOT GRIEVE. NOW THAT HE IS DEAD IT IS THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE, WHEN I HAD NO SON. WHY SHOULD I GRIEVE OVER HIM?"
BUTEI, THE EMPEROR OF RYO, SENT FOR FU-DAISHI TO EXPLAIN THE DIAMOND SUTRA. ON THE APPOINTED DAY FU-DAISHI CAME TO THE PALACE, MOUNTED THE PLATFORM, RAPPED ON THE TABLE BEFORE HIM, THEN DESCENDED AND, STILL NOT SPEAKING, LEFT. BUTEI SAT MOTIONLESS FOR SOME MINUTES, WHEREUPON SHIKO, WHO HAD SEEN ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED, WENT UP TO HIM AND SAID, "MAY I BE SO BOLD, SIR, AS TO ASK WHETHER YOU UNDERSTOOD?" THE EMPEROR SHOOK HIS HEAD SADLY. "WHAT A PITY," SAID SHIKO. "FUDAISHI HAS NEVER BEEN MORE ELOQUENT."
THE MONK ZUIGAN USED TO START EVERY DAY BY SAYING OUT LOUD TO HIMSELF, "MASTER, ARE YOU THERE?"
AND HE WOULD ANSWER, "YES SIR, I AM."
THEN HE WOULD SAY, "BETTER SOBER UP." AND HE WOULD REPLY, "YES SIR, I'LL DO THAT."
THEN HE WOULD SAY, "LOOK OUT NOW, DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU."
AND HE WOULD ANSWER, "OH NO SIR, I WON'T, I WON'T."
BUDDHA WAS TO GIVE A SPECIAL TALK ONE DAY,AND THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS HAD COME FROM MILES AROUND.
WHEN BUDDHA APPEARED HE WAS HOLDING A FLOWER. TIME PASSED, BUT BUDDHA SAID NOTHING.
HE JUST LOOKED AT THE FLOWER. THE CROWD GREW RESTLESS, BUT MAHAKASHYAP, WHO COULD RESTRAIN HIMSELF NO LONGER, LAUGHED.
BUDDHA BECKONED HIM OVER, HANDED HIM THE FLOWER, AND SAID TO THE CROWD, "I HAVE THE EYE OF THE TRUE TEACHING. ALL THAT CAN BE GIVEN WITH WORDS I HAVE GIVEN TO YOU; BUT WITH THIS FLOWER, I GIVE TO MAHAKASHYAP THE KEY TO THIS TEACHING."
NANSEN FOUND TWO GROUPS OF MONKS SQUABBLING OVER THE OWNERSHIP OF A CAT.
NANSEN WENT TO THE KITCHEN AND BROUGHT BACK A CHOPPER.
HE PICKED UP THE CAT AND SAID TO THE MONKS, "IF ANY OF YOU CAN SAY A GOOD WORD, YOU CAN SAVE THE CAT."
NOT A WORD WAS SAID, SO NANSEN CUT THE CAT IN TWO AND GAVE HALF TO EACH GROUP. WHEN JOSHU RETURNED THAT EVENING, NANSEN TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
JOSHU SAID NOTHING. HE JUST PUT HIS SANDALS ON HIS HEAD AND WALKED OUT.
NANSEN SAID, "IF YOU HAD BEEN THERE, YOU COULD HAVE SAVED THE CAT."
THE ZEN MASTER MU-NAN HAD ONLY ONE SUCCESSOR.
HIS NAME WAS SHOJU.
AFTER SHOJU HAD COMPLETED HIS STUDY OF ZEN, MU-NAN CALLED HIM INTO HIS ROOM AND SAID, "I AM GETTING OLD, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL CARRY ON THIS TEACHING. HERE IS A BOOK. IT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM MASTER TO MASTER FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS, AND I HAVE ALSO ADDED MANY POINTS ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING. THIS BOOK IS VERY PRECIOUS, AND I AM GIVING IT TO YOU TO REPRESENT YOUR SUCCESSORSHIP."
SHOJU REPLIED, "PLEASE KEEP THE BOOK. I RECEIVED YOUR ZEN WITHOUT WRITING, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT, THANK YOU."
MU-NAN REPLIED, "I KNOW THAT, BUT THIS GREAT WORK HAS BEEN CARRIED FROM MASTER TO MASTER FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS, AND IT WILL BE A SYMBOL OF YOUR LEARNING. HERE, TAKE THE BOOK."
THE TWO WERE TALKING IN FRONT OF A FIRE, AND THE INSTANT SHOJU FELT THE BOOK IN HIS HANDS HE THRUST IT INTO THE FLAMES.
MU-NAN, WHO HAD NEVER IN HIS LIFE BEEN ANGRY BEFORE, SHOUTED, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" AND SHOJU SHOUTED BACK, "AND WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"
THE JAPANESE MASTER EKIDO WAS A SEVERE TEACHER AND HIS PUPILS FEARED HIM.
ONE DAY, AS ONE OF HIS PUPILS WAS STRIKING THE TIME OF DAY ON THE TEMPLE GONG, HE MISSED A BEAT BECAUSE HE WAS WATCHING A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO WAS PASSING THE GATES. UNKNOWN TO THE PUPIL, EKIDO WAS STANDING BEHIND HIM.
EKIDO STRUCK THE PUPIL WITH HIS STAFF, AND THE SHOCK STOPPED THE HEART OF THE PUPIL, AND HE DIED. BECAUSE THE OLD CUSTOM OF THE PUPIL SIGNING HIS LIFE OVER TO THE MASTER HAD SUNK TO A MERE FORMALITY, EKIDO WAS DISCREDITED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT, EKIDO PRODUCED TEN ENLIGHTENED SUCCESSORS, AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER.
BANKEI WAS PREACHING QUIETLY TO HIS FOLLOWERS ONE DAY WHEN HIS TALKING WAS INTERRUPTED BY A PRIEST FROM ANOTHER SECT. THIS SECT BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF MIRACLES, AND THOUGHT THAT SALVATION CAME FROM REPEATING HOLY WORDS.
BANKEI STOPPED TALKING, AND ASKED THE PRIEST WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY.
THE PRIEST BOASTED THAT THE FOUNDER OF HIS RELIGION COULD STAND ON ONE BANK OF THE RIVER WITH A BRUSH IN HIS HAND AND WRITE A HOLY NAME ON A PIECE OF PAPER HELD BY AN ASSISTANT ON THE OPPOSITE BANK OF THE RIVER. THE PRIEST ASKED, "WHAT MIRACLES CAN YOU DO?"
BANKEI REPLIED,"ONLY ONE. WHEN I AM HUNGRY I EAT, AND WHEN I AM THIRSTY I DRINK."
HYAKUJO CALLED HIS MONKS TOGETHER AS HE WISHED TO SEND ONE OF THEM TO OPEN A NEW MONASTERY. PLACING A FILLED WATER JAR ON THE GROUND, HE SAID,
"WHO CAN SAY WHAT THIS IS WITHOUT USING ITS NAME?"
THE CHIEF MONK, WHO EXPECTED TO GET THE POSITION, SAID, "NO ONE CAN CALL IT A WOODEN SHOE."
ANOTHER MONK SAID, "IT'S NOT A POND BECAUSE IT CAN BE CARRIED."
THE COOKING MONK, WHO WAS STANDING NEARBY, WALKED OUT, KICKED THE JAR OVER, AND THEN WALKED AWAY.
HYAKUJO SMILED AND SAID, "THE COOKING MONK BECOMES THE MASTER OF THE NEW MONASTERY."
JOSHU, THE ZEN MASTER, ASKED A NEW MONK IN THE MONASTERY, "HAVE I SEEN YOU BEFORE?"
THE NEW MONK REPLIED, "NO SIR."
JOSHU SAID, "THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA."
JOSHU THEN TURNED TO ANOTHER MONK, "HAVE I SEEN YOU HERE BEFORE?
THE SECOND MONK SAID, "YES SIR, OF COURSE YOU HAVE."
JOSHU SAID, "THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA."
LATER THE MANAGING MONK OF THE MONASTERY ASKED JOSHU, "HOW IS IT YOU MAKE THE SAME OFFER OF TEA TO ANY REPLY?"
AT THIS JOSHU SHOUTED, "MANAGER, ARE YOU STILL HERE?"
THE MANAGER REPLIED, "OF COURSE, MASTER."
JOSHU SAID, "THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA.
A WARRIOR CAME TO THE ZEN MASTER HAKUIN AND ASKED "IS THERE SUCH A THING AS HEAVEN AND HELL?"
HAKUIN SAID "WHO ARE YOU?"
THE WARRIOR REPLIED "I AM CHIEF SAMURAI TO THE EMPEROR."
HAKUIN SAID "YOU, A SAMURAI? WITH A FACE LIKE THAT, YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A BEGGAR."
AT THIS THE WARRIOR BECAME SO ANGRY HE DREW HIS SWORD.
STANDING CALMLY IN FRONT OF HIM, HAKUIN SAID "HERE OPEN THE GATES OF HELL."
PERCEIVING THE MASTER'S COMPOSURE, THE SOLDIER SHEATHED HIS SWORD AND BOWED.
HAKUIN THEN SAID "AND HERE OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN."
THE STUDENT DOKO CAME TO THE MASTER AND SAID, "IN WHAT STATE OF MIND SHOULD I SEEK THE TRUTH?",
THE MASTER REPLIED, " THERE IS NO MIND, SO YOU CANNOT PUT IT IN ANY STATE, AND THERE IS NO TRUTH, SO YOU CANNOT SEEK IT."
DOKO SAID, "IF THERE IS NO MIND AND NO TRUTH, WHY DO ALL THESE STUDENTS GATHER BEFORE YOU EVERY DAY TO STUDY?"
THE MASTER LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, "I DON'T SEE ANYONE."
THE INQUIRER ASKED, "THEN WHO ARE YOU TEACHING?"
"I HAVE NO TONGUE, SO HOW CAN I TEACH?", REPLIED THE MASTER.
THEN DOKO SAID SADLY, "I CANNOT FOLLOW YOU; I CANNOT UNDERSTAND."
THE MASTER SAID, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND MYSELF."
BELOVED MASTER,
THE JAPANESE MASTER NAN-IN GAVE AUDIENCE
TO A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY.
SERVING TEA, NAN-IN FILLED HIS VISITOR'S CUP,
AND KEPT POURING.
THE PROFESSOR WATCHED THE OVERFLOW
UNTIL HE COULD RESTRAIN HIMSELF NO LONGER:
STOP!
THE CUP IS OVERFULL, NO MORE WILL GO IN.
NAN-IN SAID:
LIKE THIS CUP,
YOU ARE FULL OF YOUR OWN OPINIONS AND SPECULATIONS.
HOW CAN I SHOW YOU ZEN
UNLESS YOU FIRST EMPTY YOUR CUP?
Through enigmatic Zen anecdotes and questions from his disciples, Osho exposes the narrow-mindedness of organized religions and sheds new light on the ecological and social crises of today.
The "Diamond Thunderbolt" is that experience in which it is as if one is shocked out of one's spiritual sleep and catapulted into the mystery of existence. Through anecdotes and joke-telling, Osho creates a milieu in which that can happen.
In the world's first line-by-line commentary on Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Osho unravels the mystery of man's three metamorphoses - from camel to lion to child. He sets the record straight about the meaning of Nietzsche's concept of superman and shows how we ourselves can become that man.
In the world's first line-by-line commentary on Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Osho unravels the mystery of man's three metamorphoses - from camel to lion to child. He sets the record straight about the meaning of Nietzsche's concept of superman and shows how we ourselves can become that man.
Osho dissects the causes of misery - our clinging to life and fear of death, egoism, attraction and repulsion...our lack of awareness. At the outset he puts the situation straight, that the austerity Patanjali is talking about has nothing to do with torturing the body: "Life is more if you are sensitive; life is less if you are less sensitive." Osho as always has the vision and understanding to bring everything, even the seemingly most complex to its simplest essence: "To me life in its totality is good. And when you understand life in its totality, only then can you celebrate... Celebration is my attitude, unconditional to what life brings." (Vol. 4)
Osho presents the eight steps of Yoga: self-restraint, fixed observation, posture, breath regulation, abstraction, concentration, contemplation and trance. With his rare understanding and compassion, he speaks on what meditative techniques are best for different types of people. There is no right or wrong, he says, but only the individual and his choice of what works best. (Vol. 5)
Osho discusses modern scientific research on four states of consciousness as reflected in brain wave activity (alpha, beta, theta and delta) and continues to expand on the significance of the "eight steps" of Yoga. "Patanjali's whole art is of how to attain to the state where you can die willingly, with no resistance," he says. And these precious sutras are a preparation - a preparation to die and a preparation to a greater life, and you can use this book and Patanjali's methodology to touch these very depths. (Vol. 6)
A collection of five discourses given just a year before Osho left his body, this discourse begins with a challenge to Rajiv Gandhi to either act on his idealistic political speeches or spare us the torture of them. It contains much for those trying to "be in the world and not of it."
At his iconoclastic best and in the presence of journalists from the German magazine, Bunte, Osho overturns the apple-cart of decorum, making fun of the Nazi regime under Hitler and recounting some of his most outrageous jokes. Osho also creates one of his most powerful meditations, the Mystic Rose Meditation. This question-and-answer series is an existential illustration of a contemporary Zen master at work.
Lighthearted talks on the Zen master, Yoka, which explain why meditation is not just a daily discipline but a lifetime love affair. Along the way there are discussions on chaos, sex, spiritual awakening, compassion, the mind, philosophy, being British, and witnessing.
In this powerful meeting between Osho and his disciples and other seekers, Osho speaks on parents and children, trust and surrender, love and jealousy, sex and pornography; play and creativity, desirelessness, enlightenment and belief in God.
These seven steps to enlightenment are keys of wisdom, step-by-step instructions handed down from the unnamed ancient seers. In this series discourses Osho discusses these timeless sutras from the Akshya Upanishad, transforming their archaic language into the language and context of the 20th century.
Osho revitalizes the well-known Sufi stories of Idries Shah in an enjoyable introduction to both Sufism and Osho's vision. In this new journey, towards the heart, Osho speaks of the need to "die to the ego" - the only the barrier to being oneself and to eternal life.
Osho says that if he were to select only two books from the whole world, The Hadiqa: The Walled Garden of Truth, on the 12th-century Persian Hakim Sanai, would be one of them. Hadiqa is the essence of the path of love. Hakim Sanai was the prime minister of a powerful king who dropped everything to walk the path of love. And in Osho's understanding, Hakim Sanai catches the very soul of Sufism.
In these talks, each of which is based on the sayings of a different enlightened Zen master, Osho gives detailed explanations of the Zen method of meditation, "turning in." He outlines the development of man's mind, and emphasizes that meditation is essential not only for the growth of the individual, but ultimately for the survival of the planet.
Through his commentaries on anecdotes about Zen masters Osho reiterates that Zen is not for the mass-mind but only for the individual who is unconcerned with the dictates of the status quo. Further, Zen is for those intelligent enough to understand the limitations of the intellect and ready to recognize the significance of intuition in the world of mysticism. Throughout, Osho keeps bringing the reader back to the moment, to "This" as the only reality.
Of the "song" of the 17th-century mystic, Hakuin, Osho comments,
"It is a very small song, but a great gift. This is a song of meditation. If meditation is without a song, it is dull and dead. You will find this song and its meaning only when you are singing and dancing, when the music of life has overtaken you."
The first words:
"MY BELOVED ONES: I love you. Love is my message -- let it be your message too. Love is my color and my climate. To me, love is the only religion. All else is just rubbish, all else is nothing but mind-churning dreams. Love is the only substantial thing in life, all else is illusion. Let love grow in you and God will be growing on its own accord. If you miss love you will miss God and all.
There is no way to God without love. God can be forgotten -- if love is remembered, God will happen as a consequence. It happens as a consequence. It is the fragrance of love and nothing else. In fact there is no God but only godliness. There is no person like God anywhere. Drop all childish attitudes, don't go on searching for a father. Divineness is, God is not. When I say divineness is, I mean whatsoever is, is full of God. The green of the trees, and the red and the golden -- all is divine. This crow crying, and a bird on the wing. and a child giggling, and a dog barking -- all is divine. Nothing else exists."
Osho says of these letters by Dionysius, first bishop of Athens, to his disciple Timothy: "His whole book is written with a disguise, as if it is a treatise on theology; mysticism is just somewhere by the side, secondary, not primary. Hence the name Theologica Mystica - as if mysticism is only a consequence of getting deep into the world of theology. Just the reverse is the case."
"Zen has nothing to do with the mind... It is the lion's roar. And the greatest thing that Zen has brought into the world is freedom from oneself." The Zen Manifesto is a collection of the last discourses of Osho with his last publicly spoken words. In this culmination of his insights into Zen he makes it clear that the West's comprehension of Zen is still confined to intellectual appreciation. To prove it, Osho takes on such respected members of the Western Zen establishment as D.T. Suzuki, Thomas Merton, Paul Reps, Alan Watts and Nancy Wilson-Ross.
What is the wisdom of the sands? "Allow yourself to be absorbed in the wind," says Osho. He clarifies the Sufi approach to religiousness, which is to become part of the mystery of existence by living meditatively, being total, and transcending experience itself. These commentaries do not carry a philosophical message, but are a gesture towards a world beyond philosophy. Osho describes one of the stories within this collection as belonging to the "very foundation of religious consciousness." Deceptively simple, these Sufi tales have a deeper, underlying significance, and Osho makes it manifest for all to see. These stories are not for those who want entertainment, he shows us, but for those who seek illumination.
Osho describes the pillars of his vision of sannyas, or disciplehood: life-affirmation, meditation, love and "the fourth," that which cannot be expressed through words. In his characteristically up-front way, he slots so-called saints into three special categories - Idiots, Average IQs, and Intellectuals. In addition, he allocates places to such well-known personalities as Satya Sai Baba, Mother Teresa, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Krishnamurti, and also speaks on Kahlil Gibran, Gurdjieff, Lama Trungpa and the Antichrist.
Bodhidharma, a disciple of Buddha, was the first patriarch of Zen. The notes collected by his disciples from Bodhidharma's discourses, contain the essential core of Buddha's message. Buddha and Bodhidharma are vastly different in their expression of truth. Osho sees Buddha as the silence of a breeze, Bodhidharma he likens to a storm. This discourse series alternates the eminently readable interchanges between Bodhidharma and his disciples, and Osho's response to questions from his own disciples and other seekers. In the words of one journalist: "Just by reading these discourses there is a risk you may be pulverized by their inspiration."
Osho observes that this Upanishad is one of the most beautiful and also one of the most neglected. He also points out that commentators usually are either on the path of love or the path of knowledge. But the commentator on this particular Upanishad is unique in being neither. Osho is perhaps the first person to discuss these sutras in such a way that the reader can feel a sense of oneness beyond the apparent contradictions. He talks on philosophy as a bridge between science and religion, different dimensions of listening, the role of doubt, the way to know whether one has transcended sex, the difference between projections and authentic feelings, and much more. He also explains how his words are a response to, not a commentary on these sutras. Contained in this discourses are many alchemical secrets - secrets of "the ultimate alchemy," the alchemy of purifying man's gross nature into the pure gold of cosmic consciousness. Many meditation techniques are shown along the way, many efforts to make us aware of our unconscious condition, the source of all our dis-ease.
Discourses on Hasidism, in which Osho responds to stories from Tales of the Hasidim (Die Erzählungen der Chassidim) by Martin Buber, and to questions submitted by disciples and seekers. This book is a mixture of light-hearted storytelling and the penetrating understanding of a true sage. Like the Hassids, Osho's own emphasis is on playfulness and celebration: "Judaism has produced one of the most essential lines of mystics, the Hassids. It is one of the most beautiful ways to find oneself and to find the reality of existence."
This volume captures the fast pace of Osho's six-week stay in Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha. He answers questions from his sannyasins in his hotel suite in the mornings, from representatives of the press every evening in the hotel conference room: What is your message to the modern Nepalese Buddhists? What is your message for the Pope who is in India now? What do you think about the New Age movement? You teach us to be thankful to existence, but how can I be thankful to those who speak against you and try to destroy your work? With no white lies, no beating around the bush, no platitudes and no mincing of words, Osho's truth cuts clean with the skill of a master swordsman, and with the compassion symbolized in the lotus.
To his first Western disciples Osho speaks on the ancient Indian Vedic scriptures. He answers seekers' questions related to using the intellect, transcending the duality of sex, the role of the master on the disciple's spiritual journey, the contribution and limitations of psychoanalysis, the significance of chaotic meditations for the modern man, and much more. Osho says of this book, "I have chosen to talk about the Upanishads because to me they represent one of the purest expressions of the ultimate that is possible, if it is possible at all."
"I HAVE SEEN THE SUN RISING IN THE EVENING, and since then I have been drunk with that which is. You can call it God, you can call it nirvana, you can call it any name—it does not matter. Whether you give it a name or you don’t give it, it remains the same. A rose is a rose is a rose. But one thing is certain about it: that the sun rises in the evening..." - Osho.
Osho talks about the Shodoka sutras, the Song of Enlightenment, by Zen master Yoka Daishi.
In this beautiful volume, Osho speaks on the sutras of Master Lu-tsu and answers related questions from an international audience of seekers, covering subjects as diverse as the difference between male and female energies, sex, fear, aloneness; the differences and similarities between Tao, Yoga and Tantra.
In this beautiful volume, Osho speaks on the sutras of Master Lu-tsu and answers related questions from an international audience of seekers, covering subjects as diverse as the difference between male and female energies, sex, fear, aloneness; the differences and similarities between Tao, Yoga and Tantra.
Osho uses a delightful selection of Sufi tales to impart the essence of the path of love. And "the secret"? The goal itself is the source, the seeker is the sought.
The ten paintings that tell the famous Zen story of a farmer in search of his lost bull provide an allegorical expression of the search for enlightenment. Originally Taoist, The Ten Bulls were repainted by the 12th-century Chinese Zen master, Kakuan, and first appeared in the West in American author Paul Reps' book, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. These discourses are Osho's commentaries on the paintings, and on the poetry and prose which accompany them in Paul Reps' book. In The Search Osho dismantles probably every "why" the mind can contrive, and you may well find that you learn more about yourself in one chapter than in dozens of other books!
"Up to man there has been evolution," Osho says. "From fish to man there has been evolution. But from man to a Buddha, from man to a Christ, from man to a Kabir, it is not evolution, it is revolution - the revolution I call it, the only revolution."Osho rekindles these ten fiery songs of Kabir, verses which shocked 15th-century seekers. In Osho's hands, Kabir's vision is equally if not more mind-shattering.
Central to Osho's vision of the new man is what he calls "the rebellious spirit." These discourses offer a glimpse into what he means by this way of life, and how he is working with his disciples to bring it about. This book is the very expression of the rebellious spirit - vibrant, urgent and courageous.
Osho comments on Sufi anecdotes and responds to questions from seekers: How to recognize "the perfect master"? Osho suggests that rather than being concerned about who the "perfect master" is, become the perfect disciple and the right master will appear! And how to become the perfect disciple? The answer to this and a diverse range of questions on topics from prayer and past lives to anxiety and what is meant by a mystical experience.
Osho unlocks the gate to the path of love through these discourses on the songs of Kabir's enlightenment and his life- affirmative approach to religion. An immensely readable book of profound significance.
This book opens with the question: Could you please explain the work of a mystery school? And Osho answers: `My beloved ones...' and goes on to describe the workings of the timeless mystery schools the world over and the support they give to the seekers of truth. What is mysticism? What is fear? What is freedom? These questions and more are answered with the clarity of an enlightened mystic. From Buddha to Rinzai, from Krishnamurti to Marx, from Gandhi to Bodhidharma, Nietzsche, Jesus, Gurdjieff and Zarathustra... all become grist to Osho's mill, bringing the listener to the point of awareness where all questions begin to disappear.
What's so original about the original man? Only that on finding him within yourself, according to Osho you find everything worth discovering. But he exhorts his audience not to take his word for it but experience it for themselves. Osho traces Zen from its beginnings with Bodhidarma in China through a succession of masters and poets. Seemingly absurd Zen statements and devices are all shown as techniques used in specific situations with different types of seekers to jolt them out of spiritual sleep. These discourses based on anecdotes about masters and their disciples aren't about Zen, they are it.
Osho speaking on the theosophist, Mabel Collins. He speaks of the intensity and totality needed by meditators, the relationship between sex and death, the role of the master, and pain caused by active meditations. He also answers basic questions such as, Why meditate? Why seek? What is the difference between mind and consciousness... between surrender and blind faith? How can I be wholehearted in meditation? He answers many specific questions about his different techniques. The appendix, Catharsis and Meditation: Steps on the Path, presents Osho's reasons for cathartic techniques.
The real Jesus behind the myths and distortions of Christian dogma in these commentaries on the sayings of Jesus as they are recorded in the Gospel according to Thomas, discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
In these talks, each of which is based on the sayings of a different enlightened Zen master, Osho gives detailed explanations of the Zen method of meditation, "turning in." He outlines the development of man's mind, and emphasizes that meditation is essential not only for the growth of the individual, but ultimately for the survival of the planet.
In this unique world of Zen, masters with strange sounding names and even stranger behavior ask disciples odd questions and then hit them - whether their answers are right or wrong! Osho deciphers the great game Zen masters play with their disciples and elucidates the central message of Zen - "nothingness." He also talks on the difference between students and disciples, the role of a spiritual master, and how the energy field of an enlightened being can affect the whole world.
Based on anecdotes of famous and little-known Zen masters. Many of these stories were previously only available in Japanese and were translated specially for these discourses. In his discussion of these stories Osho gives meditation techniques to help understand and go beyond death, as well as techniques to be used in everyday life. This discourses also contains radical insights into the problem of drugs and Osho presents a revolutionary solution.
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Osho says that if Heraclitus had been born in India rather than Greece, he would have been recognized not simply as a philosopher but as a mystic. The fragments of his words which remain were for a long time rejected as obscure and riddling in favor of the one-dimensional logic of Aristotle. Osho brings the wisdom of Heraclitus to the eternal riddles of life and death, man's spiritual sleepiness, self-knowing, and avoiding extremes.
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Discourses on the Heart Sutra, the Prajnaparamita Hridayam Sutra of Gautam the Buddha reveal his essential teachings: the merging of negative and positive, the insubstantiality of the ego, and the buddha-nature of all of existence. In his inimitable way Osho brings these archaic yet invaluable insights right to the doorstep of the contemporary inquirer. He also speaks on the seven chakras and the corresponding facets in man - the physical, psychosomatic, psychological, psycho-spiritual, spiritual, spiritual-transcendental and transcendental.
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Aflame in the medium of Kabir's exquisite and timeless love poems, Osho speaks on the inner lover, and the art of becoming a host, receptive and available, to the Guest who resides within. He also talks on a wide range of subjects - from greed, unworthiness, jealousy, sex in old age, children and intelligence, children and the facts of life, the fear of exposing oneself, God, and being a loner.
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Osho discusses how Zen came into being and describes the remarkable people who spread it across the vastness of the Asian continent. This discourse contains great stories about Lao Tzu, Bodhidharma, Confucius, Bokuju and others. Osho's humor and insight give the reader a feeling of timelessness, as though the reader has come to Lao to ask about "the way," is being shocked by Bodhidharma's spontaneous totality or is being awakened by Seddyo's koan. And of course, Osho himself...a mystic's mystic!
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The Zen koan, "The goose is out!" captures the whole absurdity of the human condition - how, throughout our lives, we remain voluntarily ignorant of our true nature. In this discourse, his last responses to disciples' questions before going into silence for three and a half years, Osho penetrates the prejudices and beliefs we have gathered as our protection against the truth.
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Commenting on the haunting songs of Kabir, Osho takes the reader to the very core of the human dilemma, to the simple cause of misery and unhappiness - man's illusion that he is separate from existence, his inability to comprehend why the fish in the sea is not thirsty. He also talks on emotions and being detached from them, aloneness and love, imitation, children and religion, rebellion, living in a balanced way, sex, the generation gap.
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Osho introduces these discourses on Zen stories by explaining what the first principle is: that which cannot be said. But it can be shown and experienced as Osho demonstrates in talking on the often bizarre, always maddeningly simple anecdotes about interchanges between Zen masters and their disciples. He also talks on intellect and reason in the seeker's life, spiritual greed and the real meaning of the Zen dictum to "kill" one's master. Somehow Osho takes the enigmatic quality of Zen and shows us its pragmatic truth, without robbing it of its inherent magic, charm or humor.
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Osho revitalizes the 3000-year-old Taoist message of self-realization through the stories of the Chinese mystic, Chuang Tzu. He speaks about the state of egolessness, "the empty boat"; spontaneity, dreams, and living life choicelessly.
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In this series of ten discourses Osho discusses some of the most beautiful songs of Kabir. In one particularly fascinating discourse Osho speaks on the seven chakras, the seven stages through which each individual must pass, and a categorization according to which chakra we function from. Another discourse examines love as "the only miracle there is," and relationships. In addition, Osho answers questions on subjects as diverse as homosexuality, prayer, being oneself, the distinction between ego and individuality, trust, the male and female within each individual, and humanity's addiction to misery.
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The Sanskrit title of The Diamond Sutra translates as "the perfection of wisdom which cuts like a thunderbolt." It is a record of the sayings of Gautam the Buddha as recalled by his chief disciple, Ananda. Osho credits Buddha with having contributed a non-repressive and non-ideological religiousness, rather than a religion. And in these discourses he gently prises the essence of Buddha's message from the confines of the formal words.
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In this particularly potent dose of Zen, Osho challenges the reader to know the "empty heart," the door to eternity that exists within everyone. Using stories and haikus from past Zen masters, Osho reveals the relevance of Zen for the contemporary world. He separates Zen from all the other religions in the world, stating that they are obsolete whereas the Zen he is presenting is an alive phenomenon.
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Osho introduces the wild, dancing world of the Bauls, the mystics of Bengal. And in the first verse of their song, "Only a connoisseur of the flavors of love can comprehend the language of a lover's heart" is revealed the essence of their religion. Osho explains the Bauls' view of sex, their concept of the body as a temple and their secret of surrender to God, to the Beloved, to "the essential man" who lives within us all.
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In this volume Osho comments on stories compiled by the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. Osho helps the listener to face the reality of his own death without fear, and thereby be able to live life to the optimum. Originating in Poland around 1750, Hasidism (aka Hassidism) sought a direct, spontaneous experience of religious life, and created a great tradition of laughing saints and wonderful stories.
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These discourses were given during the first meditation camps in which Osho spoke in English. Covers a different theme based on the sutra being discussed, and translates its ancient wisdom into the language of today. Instructions as he leads Dynamic Meditation, one of the most profound techniques available to seekers today.
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These discourses were given during the first meditation camps in which Osho spoke in English. Covers a different theme based on the sutra being discussed, and translates its ancient wisdom into the language of today. Instructions as he leads Dynamic Meditation, one of the most profound techniques available to seekers today.
🌐 - https://linktr.ee/oshozero
These discourses were given during the first meditation camps in which Osho spoke in English. Covers a different theme based on the sutra being discussed, and translates its ancient wisdom into the language of today. Instructions as he leads Dynamic Meditation, one of the most profound techniques available to seekers today.
🌐 - https://linktr.ee/oshozero
Osho refers to these ancient discourses as the most profound insights into nature - not tenets of a doctrine or philosophical treatises but existential insights. Of their originator, the famous 6th-century scholar Ko Hsuan, nothing is known except that he is an enlightened master of the caliber of Lao Tzu. Osho explains why Tao is called "the golden gate" - to indicate that God is not a person but an entrance, an opening that happens internally when the seeker is ready.
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This discourse takes flight from the obscure song of the Tibetan master, Tilopa, to explain in simple language the mystical insights hidden in Tantra. A classic that explains Tantra as a method to expand man's consciousness.
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Osho introduces the mystery, the wonder, and the emptiness that is Zen. He uses the poetry of one of the most outrageous Zen masters, Ikkyu, to show the ways and methods a Zen master uses to permanently transform, rather than simply inform. Osho and Ikkyu’s whole message is about how to experience the essence of emptiness: that blissful state of no-mind where all old conditionings are gone and man is free just to be himself. As Osho speaks of Ikkyu, and answers people’s questions, he is also speaking of himself. As he speaks of who Ikkyu is, he is revealing more about himself.
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Rinzai, who brought Zen from China to Japan, is truly a master of the irrational - a Zen master who sticks his tongue out at one disciple and who created the shout as a device to shock the mind. Osho continually reminds us that it is only a question of time, that everyone is going to become a buddha. He encourages the reader not to believe, but to experience - to have the trust that "if so many people can become enlightened, there is no reason why I cannot." In this small volume he also comments on the timeless paintings-in-words of the famous haiku writer, Ikkyu.
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Zen is an experience, not a dogma, and an experience which transcends the confines of the rational mind, moving into the super-rational arena of our consciousness. Through words, Osho creates a sense of existential silence from which all words manifest. At the same time, he shines the light of understanding on many inner barriers to growth and self-realization.
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These discourses contain what to Osho is the most significant statement made anywhere on the earth at any time, the whole secret of the mystic approach towards life. And the sutra that begins this series of discourses contains the very essence of the entire Upanishadic vision - that the universe is an indivisible totality, an organic whole. Osho manages to illumine these ancient texts with such clarity that their significance seems stunningly obvious. A wealth of jokes and amusing anecdotes are magically interwoven through his commentaries.
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Osho declares that if the Greek mathematician and mystic Pythagoras had been listened to and understood, humanity's history would have been totally different. Pythagoras is a man close to Osho's heart, with his understanding that materialism and spiritualism - East and West, body and soul - exist together, are not opposing forces but complementary facets of a harmonious whole.
Osho explains that Pythagoras, "a seeker of truth par excellence," lived in Alexandria and was initiated into the mystery schools of Egypt in his search. He then traveled to India, Tibet and China - at that time the whole known world - in his search until he became self-realized. He found the "perennial philosophy" but was persecuted by his own society. Attempts were made on his life, and he was unable to work out his system in detail. The fragments of his teachings were collected after his death and written down by a disciple in The Golden Verses of Pythagoras. In his commentary, Osho expounds on the idea of the East and West as representative of the brain's two hemispheres, and on the two Pythagorean laws - of necessity and power. His enthusiasm and love for Pythagoras are evident in these talks on his verses.
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In Osho's understanding Zen is the only true religion, the only approach to religion which has not put fetters on mankind. He sees in Zen a seed, pregnant with infinite potential. Interspersed with his comments on anecdotes about the Zen masters Rinzai and Fuketsu, Osho addresses current issues in the world news. With characteristic forthrightness he shows the split in what society preaches and how it lives.
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The mantra that begins and ends all Eastern scriptures, OM, represents the universal heartbeat. And shantih, the peace or silence that envelops those who fall in tune with that heartbeat. In this volume Osho opens new windows on timeless topics: the origins of compassion, freedom as the ultimate value, surrendering to love and not to the object of one's love, and transcending transcendence itself.
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Each chapter opens with a Zen story which Osho uses as to illustrate the obstructive attitudes and conditionings we carry and which prevent us from seeing the world and ourselves through fresh, clear eyes. A guide to the authentic search for our true, natural selves, and a guide to making ourselves available for transformation through the innocence and wisdom that every inner heart knows.
"Life is not a riddle to be solved, it is a mystery to be lived. It is a deep mystery, to trust and allow yourself to enter it."
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Using anecdotes about Zen masters and their disciples, as well as a magnificent selection of haikus, Osho reveals the mystery of Zen as something to be savored rather than solved. He then confirms the assertion of the Japanese seeress Katue Ishida that he has become a vehicle for the wandering soul of Gautama the Buddha, who has promised to return to the world as Maitreya, the friend.
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"There are a thousand and one poisons, but nothing like idealism -- it is the most poisonous of all poisons. Of course, the most subtle: it kills you, but kills you in such a way that you never become aware of it. It kills you with a style. The ways of idealism are very cunning. Rarely a person becomes aware that he has been committing suicide through it. Once you become aware, you become religious. Religion is not any ideology... "
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Based on the anecdotes of Nansen, the poetry of Sekiso and the questions of a disciple, this series of talks is penetrated by Osho's love for the radical revolutionary depicted in the courageous innovator Nansen and his insistence that the spiritual is not apart from the material - The Point of Departure. Challenging the listener to be a whole person, not denying anything, Osho continually hits us with the Zen stick of his wit, encouraging us to "transform everything, including everything in your spiritual growth."
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Just before Buddha died, somebody asked him : When a Buddha dies where does he go - does he survive, or simply disappear into nothingness? Buddha is reported to have said: "Just like a white cloud disappearing". This very morning there were white clouds in the sky. Now they are there no more. Where have they gone? From where they come? How they evolve, and how they dissolve again? A white cloud is a mystery, the coming, the going, the very being of it. That's the first reason why I call my way "The Way of the White Clouds", but there are many reasons, and it is good to ponder, to meditate upon those ...
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He walked like a cow and looked like a tiger. He could touch his nose with his tongue and had two rings on the soles of his feet! The unpredictable Ma Tzu brings fresh responses and devices to every situation - the empty mirror who simply reflects. To see things as they really are, you have to be absolutely empty - a mirror, clean, without any prejudices, without any judgments. And that is Ma Tzu's whole teaching: Don't react - just be, and reflect.
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Through a dissection of anecdotes about Zen masters and their disciples, Osho introduces us to Zen, "the only living religion." He experiments in these discourses with an existential understanding of Zen through the introduction of No-mind Meditation, leading the assembly through the three stages of it at the end of each discourse.
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Kyōzan was such a simple and ordinary man that, as his own master put it, if it was possible for him to become enlightened, then it is possible for anyone. These discourses - based on anecdotes about Kyōzan's life and on a selection of exquisite haikus - are filled with that promise. Osho uses Kyōzan's life to make Zen as accessible to the contemporary seeker as preparing a cup of tea.
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With humor and sensitivity this discourse illuminates traditional Sufi stories revealing the hidden dimensions of Sufism. Set out in poetic format it is illustrated with pictures of Sufi whirling.A discourse to rekindle the sense of wonder at the mysteries of the world around us.
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"A hair's breadth of difference - and what happens?" Joshu is asked. There is no intellectual answer to the Koans of Zen, no approximate answer and no amount of intellect to be applied: "Heaven and earth are far away." Only by authenticity can we rise in consciousness. And as this Lion's Roar of Joshu resounds through almost twelve centuries, so is its message more urgent. Through these symbolic Zen dialogues and the existential language of Haikus, Osho urges his reader not to be lukewarm, but single-pointed in the search for our authenticity. This discourse is full of clues... hints and pointers how to "begin" as Osho puts it - how to bring this search into our everyday lives, and in very simple ways how to begin meditating.
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Our eyes are clouded with words, our minds full of doctrines and ideologies - our whole upbringing and education focused on how to leave the biggest footprints, how to leave our mark. Osho lures the inimitable Zen master Isan out of the obscurity of thirteen hundred years and illuminates his teaching: "To cut all this rubbish like a sword, in a single blow, without hesitation, and the whole sky is yours, the whole expanse of the universe is yours."
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"This Upanishad ... is the smallest - it can be written on a postcard - and yet it is the greatest document in existence," Osho declares. "There is no document of such luminosity, of such profoundness anywhere in the whole history of humanity." These sutras are amongst the most ancient wisdom available to mankind - transmitted from masters to their disciples twenty-five centuries before even Buddha. With clear metaphors, stories and jokes, we are introduced to the perspective of an enlightened master - a world view so total that it embraces the cosmic, a rebirth of the spirit of the Upanishads.
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Hyakujo's greatest contribution to Zen was the development of monasteries - where thousands of people gathered together with a single direction, toward what Zen calls The Ultimate Experience. And his motto: "One day without working, one day without food." No holy charity here; work and meditation go hand in hand. He also created the Chinese Tea Ceremony where something so ordinary as drinking tea becomes a meditation.
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"If I were to save only two books from the whole world of the mystics, one would be Sosan's Hsin Hsin Ming," Osho says. "It contains the quintessence of Zen, the path of awareness and meditation...the very soul of Zen." Himself a master of both words and silence, Osho builds a bridge between the modern, chattering mind and the infinite no-mind of Sosan through these Zen sutras - the only words uttered by Sosan, the 6th-century Chinese mystic and third Chinese patriarch.
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"Go quietly amid the noise and the haste..." The Desiderata is one of the smallest and most potent verses of western mysticism. Osho places it on a par with Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat and Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, and sees it a significant companion for those on the path.
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Osho speaks on the exuberant poems of Kabir, as translated by India's Nobel Prize-winning poet, Rabindranath Tagore. He also responds to questions as diverse as the difference between relationship and aloneness, mind and society, self and enlightenment, and explains the difference between a crystallized self and a strong ego.
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This discourse is dedicated to the full moons. Not only is the moon a symbol for the mirror of our consciousness, but it is also a transforming agent. "The master is the possibility for this transformation...the universe our university." The running theme of Dogen's message of 800 years is the eternity of our consciousness, a consciousness with no limitations and that exists through all changes of form. Something inner which moves from one climate to another, which is beyond form, birth, death, beyond life, which simply is - isness.
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Dang Dang Doko Dang represents the sound of the drum beaten by a Zen master in an existential lesson for a disciple. As well as symbolizing the poetic quality of Zen, the title represents the special flavor of this collection of Osho's commentaries on well-known Zen stories. "Zen is a way of dissolving philosophical problems, not of solving them," he explains. "It is a way of getting rid of philosophy, because philosophy is a sort of neurosis." The volume also includes Osho's answers to questions about the meditation technique of Zazen.
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Triggered by the presence of a TV crew from the USSR, and almost a year before the walls of Eastern Europe crumble, Osho offers a highly-charged and prescient reappraisal of Soviet communism, beginning with faint praise for Gobachev and ending with a fierce and prescient warning about the tragic effects that supporting his plans for reform will have. Osho also exposes how the US is already orchestrating its own ultimate downfall. All in the context of his comments on Zen anecdotes and a dazzling selection of haikus.
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With ruthless precision and an irreverent wisdom that is often shocking, Osho dismembers Christianity in the presence of twenty-one Jesuit priests visiting his commune at the time this discourse series was given. This is Osho at his most candid as he deals with all the unspoken questions anyone from a Christian background might ever want to ask.
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Commentaries on the Teachings of the Messenger of Zen from India to China Osho paints a portrait of Bodhidharma, one of his favorite Zen master, as an enlightened "mafia guy" with a personal history that reads like a spiritual Alice in Wonderland.
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Osho talks on a diversity of subjects from science and meditation, personality and essence, to homosexuality, witnessing, salvation and silence. During these discourses, Osho's father and disciple dies, and Osho speaks on what this means for him.
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A beautiful and simple introduction for those new to Zen. Commenting on eleven Zen anecdotes, Osho explores the spiritual search, speaking on emptiness and no-mind, the relative importance of "knowledge" and "being," the difference between belief and trust, and philosophy and religion. Find a whole new depth in familiar old concepts like love and divinity, death and disease, happiness, and living in the here-and-now.
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Of the ultimate realization of Zen, Osho says, "Suddenly you become aware of a music that has always surrounded you… Your heart throbs in the same rhythm as the heart of the whole." This essential Zen reader also dips into a number of other themes - cowardice, boredom and restlessness, recognition and rejection, maturity, and moving from the non-essential to the essential.
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Some of the best known Zen stories are used here to illustrate the nature of enlightenment, meditation, love, knowledge and knowing, man's misplaced identification with his ego.
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Osho says that laughter is "the very essence of Zen." And though the theme of this series is meditation - watching, remaining alert and aware - as the only way to truth, Osho encourages us to, "be happy and meditation will follow." There is a wonderful chapter on laughter, Hotei the Laughing Buddha, and enlightenment. As Osho says, "This is the whole effort of all the masters: to create a sudden clash of thunder so those who are fast asleep can be awakened."
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Using traditional Zen stories and responding to seekers' questions, Osho shows how man must first be grounded in himself before he can fly into the sky of consciousness. Osho takes the reader from subjects as diverse as food, jealousy, businessmen and enlightenment, to how to know if one needs a master, the barriers we create through fear, and gratitude. Good for newcomers to Zen.
"Be rooted in the earth so that you can stretch to the sky; be rooted in the visible so that you can reach into the invisible. Don't create duality and don't create any antagonism. If I am against anything, I am against antagonism. I am against being against anything; I am for the whole, the complete circle. The world and God are not divided anywhere. There is no boundary: the world goes on spreading into God and God goes on spreading into the world. Really, to use two words is not good but language creates problems. We say the creator and the created, we divide. Language is dualistic; in reality there is no created and no creator, only creativity, only a process of infinite creativity. Nothing is divided. Everything is one -- undivided."
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