Zen stories

33. Mokusen's Hand
Mokusen Hiki was living in a temple in the province of Tamba. One of his adherents complained of the stinginess of his wife.  Mokusen visited the adherent's wife and showed her his clenched fist before her face. 'What do you mean by that?' asked the surprised woman.
'Suppose my fist were always like that. What would you call it?' he asked. ‘Deformed,' replied the woman.

Then he opened his hand flat in her face and asked: 'Suppose it were always like that. What then?'
'Another kind of deformity,' said the wife.

‘If you understand that much,' finished Mokusen, 'you are a good wife.' Then he left. After his visit, this wife helped her husband to distribute as well as to save.

34. A Smile in His Lifetime
Mokugen was never known to smile until his last day on earth. When his time came to pass away he said to his faithful ones: 'You have studied under me for more than ten years. Show me your real interpretation of Zen. Whoever expresses this most clearly shall be my successor and receive my robe and bowl.'

Everyone watched Mokugen's severe face but no one answered. Encho, a disciple who bad been with his teacher for a long time, moved near the bedside. He pushed forward the medicine cup a few inches. This was his answer to the command.

The teacher's face became even more severe. 'Is that all you understand?' he asked. Encho reached out and moved the cup back again.

A beautiful smile broke ova the features of Mokugen. ‘You rascal,' he told Encho. ‘You worked with me ten years and have not yet seen my whole body. Take the robe and bowl. They belong to you.'

35. Every-Minute Zen
Zen students are with their masters at last ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher.

The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: 'I suppose you left your wooden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs.'

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nanin's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.

36. Flower Shower

Subhuti was Buddha's disciple. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoint that nothing exists accept in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity.

One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall about 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 the true emptiness.' And blossoms showered upon Subhuti as rain.

Parable of the grass-eating tiger

Sri Ramakrishna: "Before you came here, you didn't know who you were. Now you will know. It is God who, as the guru, makes one know. "Nangta told the story of the tigress and the herd of goats. Once a tigress attacked a herd of goats. A hunter saw her from a distance and killed her.

The tigress was pregnant and gave birth to a cub as she expired. The cub began to grow in the company of the goats. At first it was nursed by the she-goats, and later on, as it grew bigger, it began to eat grass and bleat like the goats. Gradually the cub became a big tiger; but still it ate grass and bleated.

When attacked by other animals, it would run away, like the goats. One day a fierce-looking tiger attacked the herd. It was amazed to see a tiger in the herd eating grass and running away with the goats at its approach. It left the goats and caught hold of the grass-eating tiger, which began to bleat and tried to run away.

But the fierce tiger dragged it to the water and said: 'Now look at your face in the water. You see, you have the face of a tiger; it is exactly like mine.' Next it pressed a piece of meat into its mouth. At first the grass-eating tiger refused to eat the meat. Then it got the taste of the meat and relished it.

At last the fierce tiger said to the grass-eater: 'What a disgrace! You lived with the goats and ate grass like them!' And the other was really ashamed of itself. "Eating grass is like enjoying 'woman and gold'. To bleat and run away like a goat is to behave like an ordinary man. Going away with the new tiger is like taking shelter with the guru, who awakens one's spiritual consciousness, and recognizing him alone as one's relative. To see one's face rightly is to know one's real Self."
Sri Ramakrishna stood up. There was silence all around, disturbed only by the gentle rustling of the pine-needles and the murmuring of the Ganges. The Sri Ramakrishna went to the Panchavati and then to his room, talking all the while with M. The disciple followed him, fascinated. At the Panchavati Sri Ramakrishna touched with his forehead the raised platform around the banyan-tree.

This was the place of his intense spiritual discipline, where he had wept bitterly for the vision of the Divine Mother, where he had held intimate communion with Her, and where he had seen many divine forms. The Sri Ramakrishna and M. passed the cluster of bakul-trees and came to the nahabat. Hazra was there.

The Sri Ramakrishna said to him: "Don't eat too much, and give up this craze for outer cleanliness. People with a craze do not attain Knowledge. Follow conventions only as much as necessary. Don't go to excess." The Sri Ramakrishna entered his room and sat on the couch.

Source: from book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

What happens after samadhi ?

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Lecture at Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A.
October 27, 1989 (Originally in English)

Q: What was the physical feeling at the moment You found the Truth? What did You feel?

M: There are many ways. Sometimes you have no physical feeling whatsoever. You enjoy in a different dimension. It does not always relate to the physical feeling. You do not use a physical body to enjoy the heavenly bliss. It is a different kind of enjoyment which also manifests sometimes in a physical feeling, like you will feel very peaceful, that is, nothing will move you at all: no anger, no hatred will arise in your mind, and your body will feel so relaxed and so beautiful. That is a lighter kind of samadhi.
Once you are in a deeper samadhi, there's no connection whatsoever with your physical body, and you can't tell. But when you come back, the manifestations of the Light take place at the physical level. For example, you will be more loving to people, you will do your work faster, you will think more quickly, you will be more tolerant, and you will look at all the books and understand them in no time. In other words, you are more intelligent, more loving, and calmer. That is how it manifests through a physical body. But otherwise, when you are in very deep samadhi, you are disconnected from the body, with no physical feelings.

Just a little patience is needed.

Osho occupies the window seat and I sit next to Him. He tells me that He needs to rest and I have to make sure no one disturbs Him. I nod my head in assurance and He closes His eyes.

After about half an hour our breakfast of tea and toast has arrived. I keep the tray on the little shelf which is attached to the back of the seat in front. I am confused wondering if I should disturb Him or not. I just look at Him and to my surprise He opens His eyes and smiles. I can’t believe this, He looked like He was sleeping deeply. Without saying anything, He fixes the shelf in front of Him and I place the tray on it. He eats the toast and tea with such a joy as if He is eating the most delicious breakfast. When I sip the tea it is like cold water. I tell Him, “The tea is very cold, You should not be drinking it. I will call for fresh hot tea.” He says, “Don’t be bothered, it is okay.” To my surprise, at the very moment the waiter comes rushing to us with a fresh hot tea pot and says, “Have this fresh tea and return the previous one.” Osho gives the waiter a big smile and thanks him. As I am pouring the fresh tea for Him, Osho says, “Just a little patience is needed.”

After finishing His tea, He looks at His watch and closes His eyes again.

Expectation leads to frustration

I look outside the window, the train is passing through Khandala. It is a very beautiful scene with vast green fields surrounded by a range of mountains, and clouds are floating in the valleys. It all looks magical. My mind is diverted by a man who is standing near me calling me by my name. Seeing me puzzled, he introduces himself as having met me at Sohan’s home and says that he is specially traveling by this train only to have a little talk with Osho.

I ask him to come again after a while, I look at Osho and He is sitting in the same posture with His eyes closed like a marble statue. It is quite noisy in the train, but Osho seems to be totally cut off from the outside world. And here I am, sitting next to Him, and starting to feel uneasy without any apparent reason. I watch my disturbed mind and try to relax. Just to occupy myself, I start reading the newspaper.

The train stops at Karjat station and some hawkers enter. It is very noisy but Osho is still sitting motionless with His eyes closed. This man comes again and seeing Osho with closed eyes, goes back.

After he has left, Osho opens His eyes, looks at His watch. I ask Him if He would like to drink a soda. He simply nods in affirmation. I get a soda for Him, which He drinks a little and returns the bottle to me. I tell Him about this man and He says, “Yes, I know he’s traveling on this train. When he comes again, allow him to sit in your seat for ten minutes to talk to me.” Then He asks me, “What about you? Are you enjoying the journey?” I tell Him how uneasy I was feeling and had started reading the newspaper.
Osho says, “You should meditate at least one hour daily, sitting silently and watching your thoughts.” I ask Him, “I feel frustrated without any apparent cause.” He replies, “Expectation leads to frustration. Don’t expect but accept. Accept yourself also as you are. Just relax in your being, that is all meditation is.” Seeing me serious, He laughs and adds, “Now don’t be serious about the meditation. Just learn to accept and enjoy everything and report back to me when I come next time.”

I hold His hand in mine and kiss it in gratitude and thankfulness. We create mountains out of mole hills and He has the art of dissolving the whole mountain; not even a mole hill is left.

I ask Him if He would like to drink more soda and He says, “You can finish it.”

He closes His eyes again and I start enjoying drinking soda from His bottle.

Spiritual dog

Osho is conducting a meditation camp at Matheran hill station. Near about five hundred people are participating in the camp. He is staying at Rugby Hotel which has a big open ground in the middle where the camp is arranged.

One dog comes regularly and sits silently near the podium while Osho is speaking. I watch him. He comes a little early and has reserved his seat near the podium on the floor. He sits at the same place every day like a great meditator and looks very attentive with his ears raised while Osho is speaking.

When Osho comes and namastes everyone, he raises his neck and looks at Osho and Osho greets him with a great smile. It is the fourth morning today and Osho is standing at arrived at the station to see Him off. I am surprised to see this dog standing near Osho. Osho looks at the dog with such love that he starts wagging his tail.
After a few minutes, this mini train running between Matheran and Neral station is about to leave. Osho namastes everyone and enters the train. The train starts slowly, everyone has left except the dog who is walking with the train. The train picks up speed and the dog starts running with the train. Osho is watching him running and with the gesture of his hand blesses him and tells him to stop running.

The dog stops and looks up at Osho. I can’t resist waving my hand towards him saying good-bye. Osho remarks, “He is a very evolved soul.”

Love the Stranger

It is very hard to burn this kerosene stove. It is giving lots of trouble. I have to clean its nipple with a pin very often and pump it for a while and somehow miraculously it burns up.

First I prepare tea and then keep the lid directly on the stove to make toast. Osho is having His breakfast on a little rectangular table placed in one corner of the kitchen. I keep the kitchen door open to keep the kerosene smell out. Today the watchman, who is a young handsome Muslim, comes to the door and bowing down towards Osho says, “Aleikum Salaam.” Osho greets him with His big heavenly smile and asks me to give him toast and tea.

But to my surprise the next day also this watchman comes at the same time and the whole incident is repeated again. Now I am sure it will repeat every day while we are there.

My intuition is not wrong, he comes every day for his tea and toast and I observe Osho is enjoying it. I feel Osho must be knowing my inner turmoil and anger against this man and is trying to bring it to the surface without saying a single word to me directly. Today I hear Him talking in discourse about unconditional love, loving strangers without any motive. Hearing this, I feel myself utterly stupid remembering the morning incident, and something clicks.
Next morning for the first time I receive the watchman with a open heart and give him toast and tea with love. Osho is watching it and when I look at Him, He gives me a sweet smile, acknowledging the change in my attitude towards the watchman

Where are You going ?

The series of discourses on Mahavira is arranged in Kashmir for eighteen days.

Osho will be coming from Jabalpur to Delhi by train and will fly from Delhi to Srinagar. From Bombay, we are nearly thirty friends who will be meeting Him there. One other group of about twenty friends from Delhi will join us in Srinagar.

In Srinagar, on the little hill near Dal Lake, cottages known as “Chashme-Shahe” are booked to accommodate the whole group. Somehow the Bombay group has reached there early and we have this opportunity of choosing our cottage. It is a very beautiful place. I go around looking for the cottage which has the best view. Each cottage has two bedrooms, one bathroom and quite a big living room.
I choose the last cottage in the row. It has an open verandah on the back side. The view is the best. One side is over-looking the lake and on the other side are vast fields with a range of mountains behind them. I think this open verandah will be the best place for Osho to sit and enjoy the scenery without any disturbance. I check the bathroom, flush the toilet, running hot water. Finding everything in order, my girlfriend, Sheelu, and I occupy one of the rooms of this cottage with the idea that when Osho arrives we will vacate this room for Him. The other room is occupied by a Bombay couple.

The Delhi friends have also arrived. Everyone looks happy and excited. This is a rare opportunity of being with Osho for a continuous eighteen days. Two cars have gone to the airport to receive Osho. We have a cook with us from Bombay, who is busy setting the kitchen up in one of the huts.

At 2:00pm, Osho arrives with Kranti in the car of a friend from Delhi. He looks quite tired, but still meets everyone individually without any hurry. The Delhi friends invite Osho to the cottage which they have reserved for Him. I silently walk behind Him. I feel Osho has some magnetic energy which always pulls me towards Him. Whenever I enter in His energy field I become more relaxed and silent. He enters the cottage and looking around asks me to check the bathroom. I go in the bathroom and finding there is no hot water, I feel very happy. I come back and suggest to Him to have a look at the cottage I have reserved for Him and to take a shower. The Delhi friends get annoyed with me but my whole concern is Osho’s comfort. I ignore them. Osho agrees and I take Him to the cottage chosen by me. It is quite hot, and we have to walk for about five minutes in the sun. He covers His head with a little napkin. I am walking by His side, feeling proud of my act. He tells me, “Seeing the two cars at the airport I knew this trouble is going to happen between Bombay and Delhi friends.” We reach the cottage. He looks around, sees the back verandah and smiles at me. We come back to the room where He sits on the bed and says, “I will stay here.” I am overjoyed to hear it. Someone is sent to bring His suitcase. In the meantime, I pull my suitcase out from underneath the bed and carry it to the living room. He asks me, “Where will you be living?” I answer, “Osho, I don’t know. I will move to some other cottage.”
He smiles and says, “There is no need to move. You can stay in the living room.” I can’t believe it, to have this unexpected gift of love from Osho. My heart starts dancing with joy and tears overflowing with gratitude. I touch His feet and placing His hand on my head, He says, “Very good.”

How much Osho is Compassionate ?

There are two separate kitchens of Bombay friends and Delhi friends. Bombay friends’ cook is preparing Gujrati food and Delhi friends are cooking Punjabi food, which is very different. They both want Osho to eat their food. So finally it is decided that Osho will eat lunch with Delhi friends and dinner with Bombay friends. I feel angry at the stupidity of the friends who are behaving so unconsciously with Osho. These two types of food can make anyone sick.

After morning discourse, at 11:30 am, Osho has to walk in the sun nearly five minutes to go to the cottage where lunch is arranged for Him. Walking behind Him I always feel I am walking behind Buddha. I tell this to Kranti and we discuss about the theosophical society’s experiment on J. Krishnamurti. We both agree on one point, that Buddha’s soul has chosen Osho’s body as a vehicle.

Osho’s compassion and acceptance is infinite. He accepts every situation so easily that hardly anyone ever thinks about His comfort. After lunch, while coming to the cottage, I talk to Him about this. He simply laughs and tells me not to be serious about such things.

How to have a Heart of an emperor ?

Today is the last day in Pahalgaon. With Osho, sometime it feels the time has
stopped and at other times it feels it is running very fast. While I am busy packing, I hear the voice of this Muslim watchman, who is standing at the door. I ask him to come after an hour to help us carry our luggage to the car. As a token of his services, I give him twenty rupees, which he receives with thanks and leaves.

We are sitting on the verandah with Osho, ready to leave. The watchman comes and salutes Osho saying, "Aleikum Salaam". Osho smiles at him. He asks Osho if he can come to Bombay to serve Him. I can see tears in his eyes. He is deeply touched by Osho's love. Osho blesses him by placing His hand on his head, and asks me if I have given him some money. I tell Osho about giving him twenty rupees. Osho says, "Give him twenty more". Twenty rupees is quite an amount in these days. People hardly give five rupees as baksheesh to their servants. Osho has the heart of an emperor who is always ready to share to the maximum. I give the watchman twenty rupees more. While receiving it he holds my hand and starts crying. It touches me deeply and tears overflow from my eyes also. Thank you beloved master, for giving me this opportunity to open my heart to a stranger.

Almost having tears in my eyes when reading. Love you for sharing such a nice story.

Source

http://oshospeak.blogspot.com/

Thy will be done, Oh Beloved of my heart

After wearing this orange dress for two days, I wash it and go to the morning discourse in my ordinary clothes. When He looks at me, I feel He is not happy about my wearing other clothes. There is a question in His look, “What has happened to the orange dress?”
I can’t understand it. How can I wear one dress for all these days?

After discourse, I am called in His room. I am scared as if I have committed some crime and I have to face the judge in the court. I enter in His room like a sheep. He is sitting on a chair with His eyes closed, and I sit on the floor near His feet. I feel relaxed, wrapped in His invisible fragrance. I can’t resist fazing at His radiant face. He opens His eyes and smiles at me. All my fear vanishes away.

He says, “You have to distribute all your other clothes to your friends and wear only orange.” I ask Him, “How can I go to the office in orange dress? People will laugh and think I have gone mad.” He laughs and says, “You are mad. Let people laugh, you can also laugh with them.” Seeing me confused, He says, “It is up to you. You decide whether you want to be a Sannyasin or not.” His voice is strong and He is really serious about Sannyas. He gets up and goes to the bathroom, leaving me in total confusion.
A special meeting is arranged in the evening in His living room, where He explains to us about His Neo-Sannyas movement. I leave the meeting with a heavy heart. I can’t digest this heavy dose. We have to live in our homes, continue our jobs and wear orange clothes and Mala around our neck. It sounds easy but does not seem practical. I am unable to sleep the whole night. When I visualize the whole scene of going to my home and office in orange clothes, my mind simply freaks out.

Lying in my bed, I can see my mind, wrestling with Osho. Finally, my love and trust for Osho wins and realizing its utter failure, my mind calms down and surrenders to the master. I whisper to myself, “Thy will be done, Oh Beloved of my heart.”

Flying kiss How ??

Osho has already moved to His new apartment in Woodlands building. I am seeing Him almost every day, narrating Him all kinds of incidents. He enjoys and laughs and tells me not to take anything seriously.

I narrate to Him how college boys throw flying kisses from the running buses when I am standing at a bus stop. I feel very awkward when people standing in the queue start looking at me as if I am a fool.


He tells me, “If someone is sending you a flying kiss, just stretch your arm and give him flying blessings. What else can you do?”


By and by, I get used to all such incidents. Osho is already very notorious and is known as ‘Sex Guru’ and people think of us as prostitutes.

By now, I have become very strong inside and don’t care a bit about others’ opinions. One morning I am waiting at the platform to catch the train. One so-called gentleman walks towards me and asks me if I would like to be with him tonight. I just tell him, “Sorry, you are too late. I am already engaged.” He takes it seriously and asks, “How about tomorrow?” I reply to him, “Tomorrow never comes.” He can not get the point and utterly confused, walks away.

When I tell this incident to Osho, He really enjoys it and says, “Well done, Jyoti. Just be playful like that and there will be no problem.”

http://oshospeak.blogspot.com/

Nothing can stop spirituality ?

By and by, people have started to understand us. My office people don’t give me any funny looks. Some have started reading Osho’s books and are coming to listen to His discourses also. The whole atmosphere has changed. My boss is no longer angry at me. On the contrary, he helps in whatever way possible.

Morning discourses are arranged in Patkar Hall for eighteen days from 8:30 to 10:00am. Osho is going to speak on Mahavira. My office starts at 9:00am and I have no leave to my credit. I feel desperate and go to see Osho. I tell Osho about my office timings and ask Him what to do. He is never in favor of resigning my job.

He asks me, “What is the name of your boss and how does he look?”

I tell Him the name and describe his personality. I don’t understand at all what He is up to. He closes His eyes for a couple of minutes and then tells me to inform my boss that I will be coming at 10:30 for eighteen days. I am surprised. It looks impossible. I tell Osho, “It won’t work. We have a time card punching system in the office. Only one minute late is allowed.” Listening to this, Osho again repeats the same message and asks me to do what He is saying.

I go to the office, working out how to put it to my boss. I know him as a very strict man of discipline in the office. My mind says, “He will think that I have lost my sanity, asking for such a concession.”

Somehow, I gather courage and go to see him. He greets me with a smile on his face, which is very unusual, and asks me what he can do for me. Hesitantly, I ask him if I can come one hour late in the morning and work one hour more in the evening for a few days. To my great astonishment, he says he has seen the advertisement in the paper and knows that Osho speaking from 8:30 to 10:00 every morning for eighteen days. Then he asks me, “How will you manage to reach by 10:00 in the office?” I tell him, “I will leave the discourse a little early and will manage to reach by taxi.”

He laughs and says, “There is no need to leave the discourse early. You can come by 10:30 and don’t punch your time card. I will take care of it and don’t sit late also.”

I can’t believe my ears! What a miracle! I am sure that Osho has done some telepathy with this man which I can’t conceive.

When I tell Osho about this, he laughs and does not comment on it. I think He is not in favor of making any gossip about His miraculous powers.

Same kind of thing I have also experienced. 

http://oshospeak.blogspot.com/

Truth will reveal itself.

After this taxi incident, my girl friend, who is also coming for discourse every evening and I decide that either she will come to stay with me in the night or I go to her house. In the morning, we can depart. She likes to come to my home; I have arranged an extra bed for her in my room. It works out fine.


People living in the neighborhood notice it and not knowing the facts, start the rumor that I am bringing girls in my home at night, who leave in the morning. When I hear this gossip from a friend, I am really shocked. What a rotten society we are living in. How people project their minds on us! They won’t even dare to come and talk to me about this.


Sometimes I decide to stay at my friend’s home and come to my home in the morning. And again the gossip: I am not coming home the whole night; surely I am doing some night business. I tell to Osho about all these rumors about us. And His answer is, “It is your fire test. You have not to react, but ignore such people. Be indifferent. One day the truth will reveal itself.”

Jesus loves me .

"A man just got married and was returning home with his wife. They were crossing a lake in a boat when suddenly a great storm arose. The man was a warrior, but the woman became very much afraid because it seemed almost hopeless -- THE BOAT WAS SMALL AND THE STORM WAS REALLY HUGE, AND ANY MOMENT THEY WERE GOING TO BE DROWNED. But the man sat silently, calm and quiet, as if nothing was happening.

The woman was trembling and she said, "Are you not afraid? This may be our last moment of life! IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THE OTHER SHORE. Only some miracle can save us, otherwise death is certain. Are you not afraid? Are you mad or something? Are you a stone or something?"

THE MAN LAUGHED AND TOOK THE SWORD OUT OF ITS SHEATH. The woman was even more puzzled -- what he is doing? Then he brought the naked sword close to the woman's neck -- so close that just a small gap was there, it was almost touching her neck.

He said, "ARE YOU AFRAID?"

She started to giggle and laugh and said, "WHY SHOULD I BE AFRAID? If the sword is in your hands, why should I be afraid? I know you love me."

He put the sword back and said, "This is my answer. I know God loves me, and the sword is in His hands, and the storm is in His hands -- so WHATS OEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS GOING TO BE GOOD. If we survive, good; if we don't survive, good -- because EVERYTHING IS IN HIS HANDS, AND HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING WRONG."

This is the trust one needs to imbibe. SUCH TREMENDOUS TRUST IS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING YOUR WHOLE LIFE! And ONLY such tremendous trust is capable of transforming your life -- less than that won't do."


~ Osho

Osho touches mothers feet

Osho is giving discourses on Mahavira at Patkar Hall in Bombay. It is the eighteen-day religious festival of the Jainas called Paryushan.

Today Osho’s mother and aunt, who have arrived from Gadarwara, will be taking Sannyas before discourse. The auditorium is over-full. Osho has arrived two minutes early today, and after greeting everyone with folded hands, sits in lotus posture with His eyes closed. Suddenly, two elderly women in orange saris, walking through the auditorium, reach to the podium and bow down to Osho. Osho slowly gets up and touches their feet first and then puts Malas around their necks. The whole scene is so touching; many friends in the auditorium start sobbing. It blows my mind away, watching Osho touching the feet of His mother and aunt. I feel as if the sky has come down to touch the earth. Such a man of heights and so simple and humble, is unbelievable. I guess it has never happened in the past history that a mother gets initiated by her enlightened son. Thank you beloved master, for giving me this opportunity of being a witness to this memorable event.

http://oshospeak.blogspot.com/

Where is God ?

It is evening, peak rush time of vehicles on the roads in Bombay. I am waiting for a taxi to reach Cross Maidan, where Osho is giving discourses on Bhagavadgeeta at 6:30pm. I am getting desperate after waiting for fifteen minutes. So many taxis are passing before me, but all are already occupied. I wonder where all these people are going, why someone is not giving me a ride. It getting too late and I feel frustrated and helpless. As a last chance, I start praying in my heart, asking existence to help me to reach in time for discourse. I relax and let go and the miracle happens. A car stops near me. Someone opens the front door. I peep in.

I can’t believe my eyes. Osho sitting in the back seat greets me with a smile and Ma Laxmi, who is driving, asks me to sit by her side in front. My mind is blown away. There is deep silence in the car and I feel drowned in it. My eyes close with gratitude and tears start flowing.

In a few minutes we reach Cross Maidan. I get out of the car and rush to touch His feet, but there is already a big group of people surrounding Him. Everyone is touching His feet and He is bending every time to touch their heads. It is too much. So many people are surrounding Him; it is difficult for Him to move even an inch. Laxmi looks at me and we both start pushing people to the sides, and stretch our arms, working like a wall on both His sides. Still two minutes distance takes about ten minutes for Him to reach the podium. He greets the audience with folded hands and sits cross-legged in Buddha posture with His eyes closed. I find my place in the front row on the ground. I look at Him. There is no sign of any tiredness on His face. He looks so fresh and luminous like an angel who has just arrived on the earth.


Source
http://oshospeak.blogspot.com/

Please explain again

Osho – Once it so happened that a man came every day for twenty-one days to hear Lao Tzu. Every day he would tell Lao Tzu, ”I have forgotten what you said yesterday. Please explain again”. This went on for a few days. Lao Tzu’s one disciple Ma Tzu could bear it no longer. On the morning of the fifth day, he stopped the man outside Lao Tzu’s hut and said, ”What is your problem?”

The man replied, ”I have forgotten what was said yesterday and so have come to ask again.” Ma Tzu said, ”Go away, do not enter in for one mad person is you and another is this Lao Tzu. If you come with the same question for the rest of your life, he will keep on explaining to you. Since the last five days I have noted that you are where you are with your question and he is where he is with his answer!”

Personally I feel there is nothing to ask and there is nothing to answer. That person was right. Between master and this Person love is going on. Once you love some one. It does not matter what he says. You simply love to listen. You listen inner silence not the words. Words are a just a way to be with masters.

When this talk was going on, Lao Tzu came out of his hut and said, ”You have come brother? Come in. Have you forgotten? Then hear again.” For twenty-one days this went on. On the twenty-second day, he did not come. The story goes that Lao Tzu went to his house, fearing he might be ill. ”What is the matter? Why did you not come today?” Lao Tzu asked. The man replied. ”I have understood. Now I am a different man.”

Understand the difference: Had we gone twenty-one times to Lao Tzu it would not have been for the sake of understanding. The understanding, according to us, took place the very first day but life did not change. This man however says that: ”If I understand what you have said, my life must change.” And there the matter ends.

Whenever Buddha spoke – and this amazing fact came to be known when his books were edited – he repeated each line not less than three times. Now it is difficult to print the same matter three times. Besides, making the book three times its size, it proves burdensome to the reader also. Therefore when Rahula Sankrityayana first translated the vinaya pitarika, he put an asterisk after each line and in his notes he added another asterisk and yet another – the whole book is filled with asterisks.

What was the reason? Why did Buddha repeat so often? To explain a thing, a logic has to be given but to convey the thing to the innermost to those simple people, all that was needed was repetition, which then became mantra-like and suggestible and it quickly penetrated the innermost centre. Continuous repetition was enough. Each repetition helped it to penetrate more within.

Source: from Osho Book “The Way of Tao, Volume 1″

Mythological story of Churning of Ocean by Gods and demons

In Hindu Mythology there is a story where gods and demons cooperates together to churn the ocean in the hope of getting precious treasures and wealth.

While they were churning the ocean, first of all a very deadly poison came out from it. Which Lord Shiva drank and after the poison many things came out from the ocean like Lakshmi (Goddess of prosperity and beauty), Goddess of wine, Moon, Rambha the nymph , White Horse, Kaustubha a jewel, Parijata the Celestial tree, Surabhi the cow of Plenty, Airavata a white elephant, Dhanus a mighty bow, Sankha a conch shell came.

But they kept on churning the ocean and in the end Divine nectar came out and as per the legend who ever drinks this nectar will become immortal.

Although this story looks like a myth but this is the story of every meditator. When we start meditation then the content from out unconscious mind starts surfacing and we have to witness many such desires which were buried deep with in our unconscious mind. These desires could be of fame, sex, power, money, vehicle or being immortal. But they come out and we have to keep on witnessing them like the gods and demons of this story who kept on churning the ocean, till the divine nectar came out.

If we persist in our meditation then in the end the divine nectar comes which signifies our real self or the realization of our true nature. Moral of story is that we have to have to dig deep in our mind and be a passive watcher of whatsoever comes from our mind. We don't need to indulge in these desires but to be a passive watcher of these desires and transform these desires into highest form of energy e.g. sex into love, hate into compassion etc