Friday, May 27, 2011

Osho on death




OshoPhoto: Amrit Vismay
Beloved Osho,
For the last week I have known that I have cancer. From that time, except for a few moments of panic and fear, I have felt a deep calmness and relaxation coming into my being.
Have I already given up my life, or is this the quietness of acceptance?
Osho says:
We have given up our lives at the very moment when we were born, because the birth is nothing but a beginning of death. Each moment you will be dying more and more.
It is not that on a certain day, at seventy years old, death comes; it is not an event; it is a process that begins with the birth. It takes seventy years; it is mighty lazy, but it is a process, not an event. And I am emphasizing this fact so that I can make it clear to you that life and death are not two things. They become two if death is an event which ends life. Then they become two; then they become antagonistic, enemies.
When I say that death is a process beginning with birth, I’m saying that life is also a process beginning with the same birth – and these are not two processes. It is one process: it begins with birth, it ends with death.
But life and death are like two wings of a bird, or two hands, or two legs.
Even your brain has two hemispheres, separate, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. You can’t exist without this dialectics.
Life is a dialectics – and if you understand this, a tremendous acceptance of death naturally comes to you. It is not against you, it is part of you; without it you cannot be alive.
It is just like the background of a blackboard on which you write with white chalk: the blackboard is not against the chalk; it simply gives it emphasis, prominence. Without the blackboard your white writing will disappear. It is like day and night – you see it everywhere, but you go on behaving like blind people. Without the night there is not day.
The deeper you enter into the dialectics … it is a miraculous experience. Without inaction there is not action; if you cannot relax, you cannot act. The more you can relax, the more perfection will be in your action. They appear to be opposites; they are not. The better you dissolve into sleep in the night, the sharper, the younger you will wake up in the morning. And everywhere in life you will find the same dialectical process.
[ --- few paragraphs have been skipped ---]
I say you are blessed to know – because everybody is going to die, but because it is unknown when, where, people go on living under the illusion that they are going to live forever. They always see others dying. That supports logically their standpoint that “it is always the other who dies. I never die.”
You must have seen many people dying, giving you a strong support, a rational background that it is always the other who dies. And when you die you will not know, you will be unconscious – you will miss the opportunity of knowing death.
Those who have known death are unanimous in their opinion that it is the greatest orgasmic experience of life. But people die unconsciously. It is good that there are diseases which are predictable.
Cancer means that you have known seven days before – or seven months, whatever the time may be – that death is coming closer each moment. These seven days are not allowed to everybody. Cancer seems to be something you must have earned in your past life – because J. Krishnamurti died of cancer, Raman Maharshi died of cancer, Ramkrishna died of cancer. Strange … three enlightened people who are not mythological, who have lived just now died of cancer. It seems to be something spiritual!
It certainly has a spiritual dimension …
I’m not saying that all those who die of cancer are enlightened beings, but they can become enlightened being s more easily than anybody else because others go on living under the illusion that they are going to live; there is no hurry. Meditation can be postponed – tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. What is the hurry? – and there are more urgent things which have to be done today.
Meditation is never urgent because death is never urgent.
For the man who comes to know that cancer is going to strike within seven days, everything in life becomes meaningless. All urgencies disappear. He was thinking of making a beautiful palace; the very idea disappears. He was thinking to fight the next election; the whole idea disappears. He was worried about the third world war; he is no longer worried. It doesn’t matter to him. What happens after him does not matter – he has only seven days to live.
If he is little alert in those days he can live seventy years or seven hundred years or the whole eternity – because now meditation becomes a priority, love becomes a priority … dance rejoicing, experiencing beauty, which were never priorities before …
Excerpt from the Osho book “Inner Harmony.”
Credit: Osho; for info visit: Osho.com (online library also available there)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Avoid Emotional Decision Making


Valmiki had the courage to explain Ramayan through lot of miseries.
 
These are some examples from Ramayan.
 
- If Dasaratha would wait for 2 days instead of granting the two boons to kaikayie in the war field. Kaikeyi was intelligent to say that I wont ask the boon now in this war field I will ask when it is time to ask.
 
- If Rama would have waited for 2 days instead of taking the request immeditely from kaikeyi to go to forest. In two days of time Bharatha would have returned and things would have been sorted out,
 
- If Laxman would have not cut the nose of surpanaka instead explain to her that he has a wife waiting in ayodhya.
 
- If sita would have waited for some more minutes for her RAM to arrive before crossing the line. Ram would have arrived. Sita was deceived emotionally by the words of the rishi (Ravana)
 
Ramayana would have not born.
 
Valmiki beautifully explaines here, "If we are not alligned with the laws of LIFE, We are sure to suffer from miseries."
 
Dont be a consequence receiver, be a choise maker.
 
Dont make any decisions when you are emotional. Wait for some time. Let the emotions settle down. Emotions will settle down. When we are emotional there is no intelligence. When we are peaceful within us. Intelligence comes up and we make clear decisions.
 
Inspite of all the above miseries in ramayan there was one person who said "All the miseries to my LORD Ram has to happen because you and me has to meet up. My bhakthi towards you has got me you here". Said the none other than the Monkey GOD Hanuman.
 
When we are emotional stand for few seconds as Swami Vivekananda stands with hands folded up. You will see the Swami Vivekananda in you.
 
-- Excerts from TT Rengarajan speech on Unspoke Languages from Ramayan and Mahabharatha on May 22nd 2011.
 
 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Have Patience


Once there was a sweeper in a well known temple and he was very sincere and devoted.

Every time he saw thousands of devotees coming to take darshan of the Lord,
he thought that the Lord is standing all the time and giving darshan and He must be feeling very tired. 

So one day very innocently he asked the Lord whether he can take the place of the Lord for a day
so that the Lord can have some relief and rest.
The Deity of Temple replied, "I do not mind taking a break.
I will transform you like Myself, but you must do one thing.
you must just stand here like Me, smile at everyone and just give benedictions.
Do not interfere with anything and do not say anything.
Remember you are the deity and you just have faith that I have a master plan for everything.
" The sweeper agreed to this. 



The next day the sweeper took the position of the deity and a rich man came and prayed to the Lord.
He offered a nice donation and prayed that his business should be prosperous.
While going, the rich man inadvertently left his wallet full of money right there.
 Now the sweeper in the form of deity could not call him and
so he decided to control himself and keep quiet. 



Just then a poor man came and he put one coin in the Hundi and
said that it was all he could afford and he prayed to the Lord
that he should continue to be engaged in the Lord's service.
He also said that his family was in dire need of some basic needs
but he left it to the good hands of the Lord to give some solution.
 When he opened his eyes, he saw the wallet left by the rich man.
The poor man thanked the Lord for His kindness and took the wallet very innocently.
The sweeper in the form of the Deity could not say anything and he had to just keep smiling. 



At that point a sailor walked in. He prayed for his safe journey as he was going on a long trip.
Just then the rich man came with the police and said that somebody has stolen his wallet
and seeing the sailor there, he asked the police to arrest him thinking that he might have taken it.
Now the sweeper in the form of Deity wanted to say that the sailor is not the thief but he could
not say so and he became greatly frustrated.
The sailor looked at the Lord and asked why he, an innocent person, is being punished.
The rich man looked at the Lord and thanked Him for finding the thief.
The sweeper in the deity form could no more tolerate and he thought that
even if the real Lord had been here, he would have definitely interfered
and hence he started speaking and said that the sailor is not the thief but
it was the poor man who took away the wallet. The rich man was very thankful as also the sailor. 



In the night, the real Lord came and He asked the sweeper how the day was.
The sweeper said, "I thought it would be easy, but now I know that Your days are not easy,
but I did one good thing." Then he explained the whole episode to the Lord.
The Lord became very upset on hearing this whereas the sweeper thought
the Lord would appreciate him for the good deed done. 



The Lord asked, "Why did you not just stick to the plan?
You had no faith in Me. Do you think that I do not understand the hearts of all those who come here?
All the donation which the rich man gave was all stolen money and it is only a fraction of what he
really has and he wants Me to reciprocate unlimitedly.
The single coin offered by the poor man was the last coin he was having and he gave it to Me out of faith.
The sailor might not have done anything wrong,
but if the sailor were to go in the ship that night he was about to die
 because of bad weather and instead if he is arrested he would be in the jail
and he would have been saved form a greater calamity.
The wallet should go to the poor man because he will use it in My service.
I was going to reduce the rich man's karma also by doing this and save the sailor also.
But you cancelled everything because you thought you know My plan and you made your own plans." Moral: God has plans and justice for everyone.... 
We just have to have patience!!!!! 

Patience is trusting God's timing.



Received from a friend in one of the mail. 



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It is easier to criticize, but DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE!

Once upon a time there was a painter who had just completed his course. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery. He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills.

He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below a board which read -"I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake."

While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting.

Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his master's place and burst into tears.

This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying"I'm useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I'm not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying"

Master smiled and suggested "My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt flawless painting. Do as I say without questioning it. It WILL work."

Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled. "Come with me." master said.

They reached the same street-square early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read -"Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it."

Master and disciple walked back home. They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in!

Moral of the story:
It is easier to criticize, but DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE!
So don't get carried away or judge yourself by someone else’s criticism and feel depressed...
JUDGE YOURSELF! YOU ARE YOUR BEST JUDGE!!!

Source: As received from a contact of mine, thought to share it with you all.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Wait and ...Waiting for....


There are 2 aspects to life.
 - wait and
 - waiting for.
 
When we wait the for the results arrive it is more peaceful. When we wait for the results we get disturbed and slow down the entire process of life. 
 
This can be said with an simple example, when the elevator is in 4th floor and we are in 1st floor we press the button and wait for the elevator to come down. In the mean time before the elevator comes down we get agitated, frustrated, keep on pressing the button, walk here and there, do some noises. We get disturbed and entire process is not peaceful.
 
Rather when we WAIT the results are peaceful.
 
Same goes with the traffic signal. While we are stading in the signal we keep on accelerating, honking, etc. where there is entire chaos not only to ourselves but also to the people in the vehicle in front of you.
 
Learn to "WAIT" and not "WAIT FOR" to expediate the progress of life in a peaceful manner.
 
Once whatever has to be done is done then "WAIT".
 
Results will come when it has to come. "Peacefully WAIT".
 
When we have done what must be done that's when man's responsibility ends and existential reponsibility begins. Do what u must do and wait. When we WAIT FOR the results to may not be denied but will be delayed.  When we "WAIT" results are much more than what we must get.
 
Siddhartha was going to different masters for 6 years out of "Waiting for" spiritual desperation to get the spiritual enlighment. But at one point he did what it needs to done and he did "WAIT" under a bothi tree to get the spiritual enlighment.
 
-- Excerpts from TT Rengarajan speech in Headlines today TV channel on Saturday April 30th 2011 from 6:45 a.m. IST to 7:00 am. IST.