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What is our Destiny?
Yes, there is a destiny–and we all have a destiny. A seed is destined to become a flower. It has an intrinsic potential which becomes a possibility, also a certainty, if it gets the right soil and the environment. Although we all human beings have the destiny to have a certain flowering, it always remains uncertain about the kind of flowering. We can become a Buddha or Changez Khan, an ordinary politician or a priest, an entrepreneur or businessman–everything depends on the various factors and environment. But, as far as our consciousness or awareness is concerned, the choice is ours. An animal does not have the same choice as his consciousness is not evolved to make a choice, though there had been rare cases in the world of animals when some animals chose something in a somewhat conscious manner and they evolved–and there was a revolution in their world.
For example, when in the past a certain monkey decided to walk not on four legs, but on two legs–though it must have been very arduous for the poor fellow–he got a wonderful reward to gradually grow into a human being. He became the forefather of the whole of humanity. This monkey must have been ridiculed by the monkey society around him, also threatened and boycotted by it. And he remained stubborn and followed its instinct. This was certainly a conscious choice.
There’s another beautiful story of one of the previous lives of Gautama the Buddha. In one life he was an elephant – but then too he was superior. He tells the story that when he was an elephant the jungle caught fire. The fire was spreading rest a little in the coolness of the shadow. As he was just going to move and had lifted up one of his feet, a small rabbit, running in just the same fear of the fire, also came under the shadow of the tree, and rested there just where the elephant was going to put his foot. Now, to put his foot down would kill the rabbit, but not to put his foot. How long could he stand on three feet? And you should understand: an elephant standing on three feet is a really heavy job, just the one foot up is enough. But Buddha said, “I kept my foot up and saved the life of the rabbit, although because of balancing that great a load I tumbled and fell sideways and died. But because I had done that good deed, I was born as a man.”
Now, even while he was an elephant he was a superior elephant, not an ordinary elephant; otherwise, I don’t think any elephant is going to be bothered by a rabbit. In the first place, he won’t even see if the rabbit is there. Elephants are big but their eyes are very small. Have you seen that strange combination?- such small eyes in such a big animal. Who is creating these designs? A little proportion is needed. Or do you think the elephant can see the rabbit who is just sitting underneath his feet?I think it will take long yoga practice for the elephant to look down; it is not easy for an elephant to look that far down.
Just draw a picture of an elephant – I have drawn one and I have tried in every possible way to imagine myself as the elephant, but I couldn’t see the rabbit. The foot is there, and the rabbit is underneath the foot – but such small eyes in such a big body. It is just not possible. Even in his elephant life, Buddha was so non-violent, non-hurting, that he preferred his own death rather than killing a rabbit. He tells many stories of his past lives, and in every life he is superior. That superiority continues even into this last life: now he is the supreme-most enlightened man.
A monkey or an elephant could make a conscious choice, but sometimes the seemingly evolved human beings are unable to make a conscious choice–they continue living with their animal instincts. And they play havoc with the world. They do have the same potential as Gautama the Buddha had–to become an awakened one–but they do not have the consciousness or awareness to observe it or feel it within their being. They become Hitler, Mussolini, Changez Khan, Stalin and Lenin, the list is endless. The world is full of such people with violent instincts.
Osho explains it: “Violence is not the nature of man; it is the acquisition of his past, it is the impression of his past. Violence is man’s conditioning, which was unavoidable through the process of his evolution from beastly life. The beast is to be pardoned because violence is unavoidable in its life. Man cannot be pardoned, because violence is his choice.
“Violence is inevitable for beasts, it is a responsibility for man. It is a fact for beasts, for a man it is merely a historical memory. It is the present for beasts, it is past for man. We have a choice in front of us. Man can take a decision to be nonviolent; he can take a decision to be violent also. That is why when a certain person takes a decision to be violent, no beast can compete with him. Really, no beast can be as violent as a man can be, because a beast is violent by nature while a man becomes violent by planning. So, even after a thorough search among beasts, we cannot get such violent beasts as Changez Khan, or Timur, or Nader Shah, or Hitler. If we consult the history of beasts and ask them if they had parallel examples they would reply, “We are very poor in that, we do not have any memory — any record — in this matter.” It is very interesting to know that no animal except man commits atrocities against its own fellow-members. No animal kills another animal of its class, or commits violence against it.”
The Issue of Ram Janmabhumi And the Divine Solution for the Secular Country
About 32 years ago, Mr. Pritish Nandy, a senior journalist sent a question to Osho about his opinion on the issue of Rama’s birthplace: “There is this issue of Secularism, and there is a great controversy going on right now with regard to what they call Ram Janmabhumi and the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Both communities, Hindus and Muslims area claiming that place. How can this issue be diffused.”
Osho responded that this problem could be solved very easily by making the place holy for all the communities, but it the real problem comes from politics. He said: These are politicians behind the problems. Otherwise both can worship the place, both can make it holy. It becomes double holy to Hindus and to Mohammedans.
What is the problem?
The enlightened master gave an example: “Israel is a holy land for the Christians because of Jesus was born there, crucified there. It is holy land for the Jews because Moses founded the country. It is holy for Mohammedans because when Mohammed went to heaven, riding on his horse, he stayed for rest on a rock in Israel. So that rock is a problem. And I don’t see any problem. All can worship a rock. Rock will not say, “No, you cannot worship.” Just it has to be made clear to them that the whole earth is holy. And if you think this part is holy for you, you should be happy that this part is also holy for Hindus, for Mohammedans. You should invite Christians, Jainas, to make it more holy.
“Sheer childishness to fight on these problems, but politicians have power only if there is some fight going on.
Now the government will be in difficulty. If the government sides with the Hindus, the whole Mohammedan community will go against in the elections. If they side with the Mohammedans, the whole Hindu community will go against.
So they just talk about it, in the parliament discuss about it and nothing happens, and nothing will happen. My suggestion is very simple. A holy land is nobody’s possession, anybody can worship. And more people worship it, more humanitarian it becomes.”
So many decades have gone by but this issue continues to torture people. It is all because of the politicians. They have been very clever to keep it alive and never allow any solution to happen, because they survive on the conflict such issues–which are not the real issues for human survival and growth towards higher level of consciousness–to make India progress rapidly, and to move towards a space of peace and harmony amongst all communities. All communities are fighting with each other because all the communities listen to their narrow-minded politicians. No sane voice is ever heard or heeded in loud noise created by this lowest level of politics. These politicians dominate the religion also and want that the religion should not interfere with their way of working–but they would continue to exploit religion and the followers of these religions to rule over the masses.
In another talk on this topic, Osho says: Politicians live on lies; politicians live on promises – but those promises are never fulfilled. They are the most unqualified people in the world. Their only quality is that they can manage to befool the poor masses – or, in poor countries, they can purchase their votes. And once they are in power, they forget completely that they are servants of the people; they start behaving as if they are the masters of the people.
What do they know about the inner world of man? What do they know of blissfulness, of godliness? Still, they want religion not to be allowed to interfere with politics. What about them? They should be allowed to interfere with religion?Is the lower going to dominate the higher?Is the mundane going to dominate the sacred? That will be the ultimate misfortune for humanity.
As far as I can see, all politicians should be meditators, should know something of the inner world. They should be more conscious, more compassionate, should know the taste of love. They should know the experience of the silence of existence, and the beauty of this planet, and the gifts of existence. And they should learn to be humble and grateful.
Religion should be the teacher of all the politicians. Unless politicians have something of religiousness, there is no future for humanity. Religion has to interfere with the politicians. Without religion interfering with the politicians.the politicians are blind, they don’t have eyes, they are deaf; they don’t have a silent mind to listen to the truth.
The Seed and Fruition of Enlightenment
Many people often ask me: What does Osho say about the purpose of life. And I tell them what Osho has often said the purposelessness is the very nature of life. This answer shocks them. And to bring them out of this space of shock, I tell them: If you really intend to look for the purpose of life, then I can tell you that life has the same purpose as the seed has a purpose–it has to find the soil, and grow into a plant, express itself into flowers and bear fruit–in nutshell, come to fruition.
When an ordinary man becomes a Buddha, an awakened one, the seed has reached its state of fruition: Attainment of Enlightenment. We all carry within us the seed or the potential of enlightenment, but we continue living in such an unconscious way, the robotic way, the insensitive way, that we have no time to feel this potential within us. Most of us think that to meditate and look within is a waste of time, because when we look within, first we encounter a crowd of thoughts, some emotions and sentiments–and all these things in conflict. An epic war of Mahabharata goes on within us day and night. Realising this we become scared, and we lose all the patience and never look within.
But then there some people, maybe very few in millions, who are courageous to accept this challenge and continue their meditation with all the patience. One day, this fruition of enlightenment happens. Such people can be counted on our fingers who attainted to enlightenment in the last century– Raman Mahrishi, Gurdieff, Meher Baba, J.Krishnamurti and Osho. Osho attained to enlightenment at the young age of 21. Osho talks about that fateful day when this happened. In the discourses on the Discipline of Transcendence, Osho says: I am reminded of the fateful day of twenty-first March, 1953. For many lives I had been working – working upon myself, struggling, doing whatsoever can be done – and nothing was happening.
Now I understand why nothing was happening. The very effort was the barrier, the very ladder was preventing, the very urge to seek was the obstacle. Not that one can reach without seeking. Seeking is needed, but then comes a point when seeking has to be dropped. The boat is needed to cross the river but then comes a moment when you have to get out of the boat and forget all about it and leave it behind. Effort is needed, without effort nothing is possible. And also only with effort, nothing is possible.
Just before twenty-first March, 1953, seven days before, I stopped working on myself. A moment comes when you see the whole futility of effort. You have done all that you can do and nothing is happening. You have done all that is humanly possible. Then what else can you do? In sheer helplessness one drops all search.
And the day the search stopped, the day I was not seeking for something, the day I was not expecting something to happen, it started happening. A new energy arose – out of nowhere. It was not coming from any source. It was coming from nowhere and everywhere. It was in the trees and in the rocks and the sky and the sun and the air – it was everywhere. And I was seeking so hard, and I was thinking it is very far away. And it was so near and so close.
(Read more on this link: https://www.oshonews.com/2016/03/21/a-date-with-death-and-god-march-21-1953/)
In another discourse of the Last Testament, Osho explains this phenomenon in simple words: Enlightenment simply means an experience of your consciousness unclouded by thoughts, emotions, sentiments. When the consciousness is totally empty, there is something like an explosion, an atomic explosion. Your whole insight becomes full of a light which has no source and no cause. And once it has happened, it remains. It never leaves you for a single moment..
Osho’s Enlightenment is a great reminder to all of us…and millions of Osho lovers around the world will be celebrating this day, the real spring of consciousness, as a reminder to themselves and others. All are welcome to join in this celebration.
Sex, Love and Tantra–And Mindfulness
On the world stage of spirituality, the two words that have become really catchy, besides Yoga, are Tantra and Mindfulness. And Tantra comes on the top. For many decades, it has remained very saleable, because of one reason–its association with sex. Psychologically speaking, the man’s mind immediately jumps on anything which has something to do with sex, because he did not seem to have lived it fully, to its supposedly satisfying limits. Most of the people have been starving of it because of their social conditioning and various other reasons. But, blending sex with the spiritual dimension, draws people easily towards it. The intelligent people always find some indirect ways to get something which is forbidden socially–and why should they not, when it is something natural. The Western people always taken a lead in this dimension, after they have achieved a certain level of prosperity, while the East continues to struggle to rise to the basic level of prosperity.
Recently, one article on Tantra and Mindfulness, written by some western writer attracted my attention. The opening lines were: “Electric shivers of euphoria ripple throughout her naked body. The summer breeze encircles the lovers, intensifying the deeply arousing sensation of the wetness on her nipples from his passionate kisses. She gazes into his yearning eyes, effortlessly accessing the opening to his soul and harnessing the power of their profound connection.”
These tantalising words could be good for sexual liberation, but can it be described as Tantra. I don’t want to be so judgemental as to condemn them, because the modern practitioners of Tantra would argue: This too is Tantra. It is a good beginning of Tantra.
The article highlights it further by adding–The rhythm of their breath…”With every breath, motion, and fiber of her being, she expresses her fierce desire, unabashed love and undying devotion”….”She finds herself in a dreamlike, meditative state with beautiful visions, images, colours and light refracting in her minds-eye. Intoxicating energy reverberates throughout her gently rocking body.”
The writer of this article adds: This example illustrates that mindfulness enhances sex by increasing sensual connection. The following are five practices for you and your partner to embrace together: 1) Breathe consciously & deeply. 2) Be present & aware. 3) Practice acceptance & non-judgement. 4) Meditate–*Clear out the cobwebs. Open your mind, heart and spirt to love through mindfulness meditation practices. *Tap into your sexual energy with a Kundalini meditation. 5) Invite new possibilities.
The article concludes with one quote from Osho discourse: “Orgasm is the involvement of the total body: mind, body, soul, all together. You vibrate, your whole being vibrates, from the toes to the head. You are no longer in control; existence has taken possession of you and you don’t know who you are. It is like a madness…it is like meditation…”
This quote is from Osho’s book: Returning To the Source. 10th Chapter: Making A Nuisance. But the context is not Tantra, but the difference between Sex and Love. He says about love: But nobody can be in possession of love. Love possesses you, you cannot possess it. Love controls you, you cannot control it. Love means you are no longer there, something else has come. That’s why love is so rejuvenating. Even if an old man falls in love, suddenly you will see that his face has become younger, his eyes are no longer old; his body may be old, but his total being suddenly becomes young. Why does it happen?- for this very reason: you can allow a let-go; you move to the original source of energy where rebirth is possible. You touch the deathless core. You only touch the deathless core when you are ready to die, that is the paradox. You touch the deepest core when you are ready to die. If you cling to the surface and you are afraid, afraid to let go, then you remain on the surface, and the surface is the body.
Osho makes it clearer: People who are afraid of love are not afraid of sex. Love is dangerous; sex is not dangerous, it can be manipulated. There are now many manuals on how to do it. You can manipulate it – sex can become a technique. Love can never become a technique. If in sex you try to remain in control, then even sex will not help to reach the ultimate. It will go to a certain point and you will drop back, because somewhere it also needs a let-go. That’s why orgasm is becoming more and more difficult. Ejaculation is not orgasm, to give birth to children is not orgasmic. Orgasm is the involvement of the total body: mind, body, soul, all together. You vibrate, your whole being vibrates, from the toes to the head. You are no longer in control; existence has taken possession of you and you don’t know who you are. It is like a madness, it is like a sleep, it is like meditation, it is like death. So even in sex you let go up to a point, but you don’t allow totality, because if you allow totality then the ego cannot exist. And this is the problem: you are afraid of death because you are not capable of living totally.
The enlightened master illuminates further: Love, meditation, sleep – nothing is total. In your activity also you are not total, because if you were total, there too a moment would come when you would be lost. Losing yourself has become the problem; you cannot lose yourself, you cannot relax – you have to do something. You go into the garden and dig a hole, but you are not total. If you really were total while digging the hole you would forget yourself completely; the self-consciousness would disappear. You are self-conscious but not conscious of your self; you are aware but there is an ego. You are aware of the total – the trees, the sun’s rays, the breezes
blowing, the birds singing, your activity, the digging of the hole, the mud coming out – you are aware of everything except your self. If you became conscious of your self, in that moment an orgasmic feeling would happen. It is like deep love, it is like sleep, it is like death. You will come out of it totally different and new.
I urge the readers of this article to read or listen to Osho discourses in their completeness. Small bits are not so useful–sometimes they may be dangerous when some writers mix them up unconsciously with their own concoctions. It is better to Return to the Source.