The price of rice in Joshu

Maneesha, before I enter into the beautiful world of Zen, I have to make some statement about the ugly world that surrounds us.

Prem Hasya has been on a world tour with a project of creating the atmosphere amongst scientists, artists, painters, musicians, for a World Academy - which belongs to no race, to no religion, to no nation, and whose concern is absolutely the whole world.

Just today she is back, and she reported to me that she had gone to see the chief editor of the German newspaper, DIE WELT. The journalist who had taken her was immensely interested in the project and wanted to write a detailed article about it. He could see the potential of a World Academy of Creative Science, Art and Consciousness as a defense against those who are preparing to destroy the whole world in nuclear warfare.

But the journalist, of course, wanted to ask the permission of the chief editor. Coming out of the chief editor's office he told Hasya that the man had thumped the table and shouted, "I am a Christian and I will protect the Fatherland!" when the journalist had said he wanted to write a positive article about Osho.

What kind of Christianity is this? Thumping on the table is showing your immense violence. It does not indicate any relationship with Jesus, who said, "Love your enemies ... even love your neighbors."

Unfortunately he forgot to say, "Love your tables." They are absolutely innocent .... Thumping the table and calling himself a Christian is contradictory. Either start learning drum-beating or be a Christian. To be a Christian ... in its essence, it is a message of love.

And unfortunately his famous newspaper is called DIE WELT; in English it means "The World." And exactly for that purpose Hasya had gone there - to save the world from the destructive politicians all around, all over the world. Right now there are five nations with nuclear weapons; by the end of this century there will be twenty-five members in the nuclear club. Every day the possibility to save the world becomes less and less. He should resign immediately from his newspaper. He does not deserve to be the chief of a newspaper called "The World."

And he also seems stupid in saying, "I will protect my Fatherland." Only German stupidity calls their country "Fatherland." The whole world calls their country "Motherland," because every child is born out of the mother, not out of the father! The earth is our mother - that seems to be a more symbolic and sensible proclamation than to call one's country the fatherland. It is male chauvinistic. He is neither a Christian nor a gentleman, and he is the chief editor of the famous German newspaper, "The World."

I am going to send Hasya again: go directly to the chief editor, and if he hits the table, hit on his head! He is fast asleep, he needs to be awakened.

These are the people who are going to destroy the world. He talks about protecting his fatherland and the whole purpose of the World Academy is to bring you to your senses that now nations are out of date - it is either the whole of humanity or no humanity. The alternative is absolute and categorical: either we can protect all ... but then we have to drop our old prejudices.

What is it to be an Indian, or to be English, or to be German, except a prejudice? Protecting prejudices, protecting your darkness that you have inherited from the past ... these are the people who are going to destroy the world. Humanity in general has to be made aware that these people should not be in any positions of power; these are fascists, hidden enemies of mankind.

I have taken up the issue particularly because there is a German photographer here who is going to take the message to Germany. But anyway, whether he takes the message or not, Hasya as my international secretary is going to hit this son-of-a-bitch who thinks he is a Christian.

And all my sannyasins who are German should remember: it is their duty, their responsibility to go around to such people and force them to change their minds. Now there is no Germany and there is no India and no China, and there is no need of any nation. That is the only possible way we can save this beautiful planet. Otherwise politicians are determined to bring about a third world war.

The name of his newspaper reminded me of the name of President Truman. He was responsible for dropping atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and his name was "true-man." Couldn't America find an UNtrue man to destroy more than two hundred thousand people within three minutes?

Now this fellow is editing a newspaper called "The World," but his mind is very small, very tiny, just German, prejudiced. Deep down Adolf Hitler is still there in his thumping on the table.

By the way I want to remind you also that Jesus was never a Christian. He lived as a Jew, he was born a Jew. He died on the cross as a Jew. He had never heard even the word 'Christianity'. The word 'Christianity' came into existence three hundred years later. It came because the Hebrew gospels were translated into Greek and the Hebrew word messiah becomes christ in Greek.

Because of this translation, the whole religion has become "Christianity."

Otherwise, Christianity is nothing but a projection of the Jewish mind; they are followers of a Jew.

And it is a strange twist of fate that they have been killing Jews.

Sigmund Freud, himself a Jew, perhaps got the idea from this phenomenon that somewhere in the past man created a situation in which the father was killed, and the guilt of killing the father has created God. It looks very farfetched, but there seems to be a reason for killing fathers. If they are too dominant, and go on living like the Polack pope ... now somebody is bound to shoot him. How long can you tolerate ...? He has forgotten to die. All the cardinals are waiting like vultures on the trees for when this idiot dies. But there seems to be no sign, every week he is checked and he is perfectly healthy.

Perhaps in such a situation the son has no chance to assert himself ... but it is a psychological myth, although significant. But as far as Christians are concerned, they are killing Jews - who are their fathers, who were father to their messiah, Jesus.

And it is very strange that the people who call themselves Christians are the cause of most of the bloodshed on the earth. The whole approach of Jesus is of love. He even says God is just love.

Strange love, strange idea of love - and then crusades, burning living human beings, all out of love, just for their sake. And whenever violence is done "for your sake," it is the ugliest. It does not even leave you a chance to protest. You are being killed so that you can enter into paradise - it is strange that people are sending others to paradise. Why don't they commit suicide themselves? Who is preventing them from going to paradise?

They have to stop this public service of sending others to paradise. First they should go. If every Christian goes to paradise by committing suicide, I think perhaps many will follow. That will be the right way. Particularly this chief editor of "The World" has to commit suicide on his table.

And when my German sannyasins who are here go back, go to his office, continuously harass him, bring him to his senses. Because it is not a question of a single person, this is the mind of all politicians, all so-called great journalists. And this attitude is immensely dangerous. We have to get rid of all these prejudices if we want to live in peace, in love, in joy, in ecstasy ... in dance, under the stars.

This planet has a certain responsibility, because this is the only known planet where life has come to consciousness, to humanity. It is suspected that there may be life on some other planets - the universe is vast - but up to now, although we can scan the universe almost trillions of light-years away, we have not found a single instance of life anywhere. That makes this planet immensely responsible. Existence has struggled to bring you to such a position from where you can take the last jump and be a buddha.

Those who are trying consciously or unconsciously to destroy this universe are destroying the very hope of existence. They have to be exposed to the people without any mercy.

Maneesha has asked for this evening's delicious dinner of Zen.

UMMON ASKED THE HEAD MONK, "WHAT SUTRA ARE YOU LECTURING ON?"

"THE NIRVANA SUTRA," REPLIED THE MONK.

The Nirvana Sutra is one of the most precious compilations of Gautam Buddha's sayings. But even by reciting and lecturing on the sutra, you do not become a buddha yourself.

Ummon said, "THE NIRVANA SUTRA HAS THE FOUR NIRVANA VIRTUES, HAS IT NOT?"

"IT HAS," THE HEAD MONK AGREED.

PICKING UP A CUP, UMMON ASKED, "HOW MANY VIRTUES HAS THIS?"

It may look absurd to any outsider who does not understand the language of Zen. But Ummon is saying, "If the Nirvana Sutra has four virtues, then everything has the same virtues, because all things belong to the same existence. The Nirvana Sutra cannot be separate from existence." He is bringing the existential to an intellectual scholar.

THE MONK SAID, "NONE AT ALL."

"BUT ANCIENT PEOPLE SAID IT HAD, DIDN'T THEY?" SAID UMMON. "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHAT THEY SAID?"

UMMON STRUCK THE CUP AND ASKED, "YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"NO," SAID THE MONK.

"THEN," SAID UMMON, "YOU HAD BETTER GO ON WITH YOUR LECTURES ON THE SUTRA."

"Nirvana is not your destiny, but just lecturing on nirvana." The way Ummon has struck the cup and broken it is a significant gesture which means, "Unless you destroy your so-called mind like this cup, and throw away the pieces, you will not be enlightened, you will not know the taste of nirvana. So please get out and go on lecturing on the sutra. It is not your destiny to be a buddha."

ON ANOTHER OCCASION, A MONK SAID TO UMMON, "I ASK YOU, MASTER, TO DELIVER A LEARNER FROM DARKNESS AND ILLUSION QUICKLY!"

UMMON SAID, "WHAT IS THE PRICE OF RICE IN JOSHU?"

The monk was coming from Joshu, a village. Ordinarily, you will not see any connection between the question and the answer. If you can see it, there will be a great illumination. Ummon said, "Don't be bothered about getting rid of illusion and darkness. First be aware of the present. WHAT IS THE PRICE OF RICE IN JOSHU? You are coming from Joshu and you are not even aware of the price of rice. And you are talking great questions, how to get from darkness to light, and quickly."

A PHILOSOPHICAL MONK ASKED BASO, "WHAT TEACHING DOES THE ZEN SECT PROPAGATE?"

BASO RETURNED THE QUESTION, AND SAID, "HOW ABOUT YOU?"

He did not answer the question in the ordinarily understood and accepted way. But he has answered by asking, "How about you? Don't bother about the Zen sect and its philosophy - you are the point.

If you know yourself, there is no need to know anything about Zen."

If you know yourself, there is no need to know about anything. Knowing yourself is finding not the way, but the goal itself.

THE MONK ANSWERED, "I AM LECTURING ON AS MANY AS TWENTY DIFFERENT SUTRAS AND SASTRAS."

BASO EXCLAIMED, "YOU ARE A LION'S WHELP INDEED!"

THE MONK SAID, "YOU ARE VERY KIND."

He thought that Baso had appreciated him because of his scholarship of different scriptures and different sutras.

BASO BREATHED OUT STRONGLY.

"THAT IS THE REAL THING!" CRIED THE MONK.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'REAL THING', MAY I ASK?" SAID BASO.

"IT IS THE LION EMERGING FROM ITS DEN!" SAID THE MONK.

BASO WAS SILENT.

"THAT ALSO IS THE REAL THING!" EXCLAIMED THE MONK.

"HOW SO?" ASKED BASO.

"IT IS THE LION ENTERING HIS DEN!" SAID THE MONK.

The monk must be well acquainted with Zen and its heritage, but he has never, it seems, come in contact with a real Zen master, a lion really. He does not know about Baso.

"HOW ABOUT WHEN THE LION IS NEITHER COMING OUT NOR ENTERING IN?" ASKED BASO.

This is something to be remembered: when the lion is neither going out nor coming in, but just is - no coming, no going but just being ... The monk was silent. He could not understand.

This can be understood only by one who knows - not the scriptures but his own being ... silent, utterly peaceful, at ease. Neither going out nor coming in.

THE MONK WAS SILENT. HE BEGAN TO TAKE HIS LEAVE, AND WAS GOING OUT OF THE DOOR WHEN BASO CALLED HIM, "OH, MONK!" THE MONK TURNED ROUND AND BASO SAID, "HOW ABOUT IT?"

THE MONK MADE NO RESPONSE, AND BASO EXCLAIMED, "OH, MAN OF LITTLE SENSE!"

Perhaps the men of little sense have grown too many in the world. The grandeur of a lion has disappeared.

You are a lion when you are yourself, utterly centered, integrated. Otherwise, you are just a man of little sense. Maybe useful for the marketplace, but not capable of entering into the beatitude of existence.

Ryokan's verse runs:

IN THE ENTIRE TEN QUARTERS OF THE BUDDHA LAND THERE IS ONLY ONE VEHICLE.

WHEN WE SEE CLEARLY,

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN ALL THE TEACHING.

WHAT IS THERE TO LOSE? WHAT IS THERE TO GAIN?

There is nothing to lose and nothing to gain. If you can be centered in your consciousness, suddenly you will see that you are eternal and immortal.

Even if the body is burned on a funeral pyre, you will not be burned. Your life principle is immortal.

You cannot lose your life and you cannot gain it either. It is there since eternity and it will be there till eternity.

All other religions look very childish in comparison to Zen. They are talking about stupid things, mediocre things. Christians are talking continuously about the virgin birth, that Jesus was born to Virgin Mary. For eighteen centuries their theologians have been concerned about this! It seems to be, strangely, a tradition of sex maniacs.

What does it matter whether Jesus was born out of poor Joseph or the Holy Ghost? What difference does it make to you? In fact, if he is born out of the Holy Ghost, your Holy Ghost becomes unholy.

He has destroyed the virginity of a poor girl.

And Christianity says that God, the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ are all one, three sides of one reality. Just look at the absurdity of it: God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Ghost - the real father - all are one. At least one has to be the uncle. And if the Holy Ghost corrupted a virgin girl, that really means God is also involved in it.

For eighteen centuries, Christianity has been continuously discussing - as if it is of much importance - whether the Holy Ghost really corrupted her. And why are you so insistent that Jesus should be born out of a rape? What is the interest? All these theologians seem to be sex maniacs.

Just a few days before, the Polack pope declared, "It is our fundamental principle: Christianity cannot be Christianity if Jesus is not born out of a virgin woman. We cannot drop this idea." Don't drop it, carry it - make a few more virgins pregnant! Anyway, you are against condoms .... But it seems that after Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Ghost both have started using condoms. The condom is a religious symbol now.

And if you look at other religions, the same is the situation. Mohammedans say that Mohammed went to heaven sitting on his horse; the horse also went - direct! Now this is their fundamental religion. If you question it, you are asking for danger. But what does it matter whether he was riding on a horse or on a donkey or in a Rolls Royce? What does it mean? What has religion to do with it?

Zen is not concerned about all these things at all. It is concerned with the very essential: You! And everything else is nonsense. Find yourself and don't be bothered with scriptures, there are millions.

Ryokan continues:

IF WE GAIN SOMETHING,

IT WAS THERE FROM THE BEGINNING.

IF WE LOSE ANYTHING, IT IS HIDDEN NEARBY.

LOOK AT THE BALL IN THE SLEEVE OF MY ROBE.

SURELY IT HAS GREAT VALUE.

You are here from the very beginning, if there was any beginning, and you will be here till the end, if there is any end. To say the truth: there is no beginning, no end. Your being has the quality of eternity. To discover it is to discover the splendor, the majesty, the great joy of being deathless.

Another Zen poet, Gyokko has said:

COMING, I DON'T ENTER THE GATE.

GOING, I DON'T LEAVE BY THE DOOR.

THIS VERY BODY

IS THE LAND OF TRANQUIL LIGHT.

When you go out, only the body goes out. Your inner light remains in the same place inside you.

Whether you come or go, whether you run or sit, it does not matter. Your inner being remains in the same situation.

Another poem runs:

IN THE UTTER SILENCE

OF A TEMPLE,

A CUCKOO'S VOICE ALONE

PENETRATES THE ROCKS.

These are great statements. Just feel for a moment ... because these poems are written not to be understood by the mind, but to be felt by the heart like a cool breeze.

IN THE UTTER SILENCE - and that silence is here - OF A TEMPLE, A CUCKOO'S VOICE ALONE PENETRATES THE ROCKS.

In this silence you discover your truth, your beauty. Except this, anything that is talked about by theologians and religious people is sheer gibberish ... we will do it before the meditation; that is a very religious, sacred phenomenon.

Question 1:

Maneesha has asked:

It is true, Maneesha, common sense is very rare because to be ordinary ... the ego prevents you.

It wants you to be extraordinary, to be special, to be a V.V.I.P. It does not allow you to be ordinary, simple, nobody, a nothingness - which is your real nature. In that ordinariness, in that nobodiness, is your real home. Outside it is only misery, suffering, death, anguish, angst. Settling in your simple innocence, knowing nothing ... just being, and you have become an emperor without any empire.

No anxiety of the empire at all, just a pure emperor.

This pure essence of your being is called the buddha, the awakened, the enlightened. There is no other dance and no other joy. There is no other poetry, there is no other music which can go higher, deeper, which can be without limits, than the joy of an awakened being. It is your birthright.

Before we do our daily meditation, just to clean the temple .... With laughter we clean the temple, not with brooms.

Pretty young Honey Saddleride is traveling in a train across Texas. A dapper-looking man walks up to her and whispers something in her ear, whereupon she gives him a stinging slap in the face.

A tall Texan seated across the aisle stands up and asks her, "Is this man bothering you, Ma'am?"

"He certainly IS," replies Honey. "He just offered me ten dollars if I would go with him to his sleeping compartment."

Without hesitation the Texan pulls his pistol out and aims it at the man.

"My god!" cries Honey, "that is no reason to kill him!"

"Lady," says the Texan, "I will shoot any man who tries to raise the prices in Texas!"

Kowalski is beginning to go bald and is willing to do anything to cure it. He hears that there is a witch doctor in the Amazon jungle who has a cure, so he sets off immediately for South America.

After a long and arduous journey through the jungle, he reaches the hairy Amazon tribe and goes straight to consult the witch doctor about his baldness.

"No problem," says the medicine man. "You must go and see Samba Wamba, the biggest Amazon woman in the tribe. All you have to do is spend the night with your head resting between her legs, and your problem will be solved."

And sure enough, by the time Kowalski gets back home he has a headful of black, curly hair. A few days later, Kowalski is sitting on the bus behind a man with a shiny bald head. Hoping to share his good fortune with the fellow, Kowalski taps him on the shoulder. But when the man turns around, Kowalski sees that he has a large black curly beard and moustache.

"Wow!" says Kowalski. "You must be a good friend of Samba Wamba!"

Ma Papaya Pineapple says to Ma Mango Milkshake, "I have got a terrible headache!"

"Well," says Mango, "when I have a headache my boyfriend soothes all the pain away. First he rubs the back of my neck, and then he rubs my forehead lightly. Then he kisses me a little here and a little there. Then he strokes me a little here and a little there, and then he squeezes me a little here and a little there, and before you know it, no more headache! Why don't you try it?"

"Mmm," smiles Papaya Pineapple. "I think I will. When does your boyfriend get home?"

One night in Holland, an utterly drunk Dutch sailor is brought into the hospital, totally unconscious.

Nurse Holynose is given the task of taking care of him until he recovers from the fight he has been in.

She begins to wash the blood from his face and notices under his shirt that his body is covered with tattoos. Curious, she can't help but unbutton his shirt a little for a further peek. Naked dancing women cover the sailor's chest completely.

More curious, Nurse Holynose looks around to see that she is alone, then undoes the sailor's trousers. Pulling them down, she is shocked to see that he is really tattooed everywhere.

Just then, Nurse Creamlips walks in. Obviously flustered, Nurse Holynose says in surprise, "Oh, I was just washing this disgusting man. But all these tattoos are too much for me. Could you take over, please? And by the way, be careful. This filthy pervert has even tattooed 'Adam' on his penis!"

Then Holynose walks out.

Nurse Creamlips takes over the job enthusiastically. A little later, the two girls meet in the hallway.

"How did you get on with that horrible sailor?" asks Holynose.

"Just fine," says Creamlips. "And by the way," she grins, "it doesn't say 'Adam' on his prick. It says:

All the girls love me in Amsterdam!"

Nivedano, give the beat - and everybody goes religious ....

(Drumbeat)

(Gibberish)

(Drumbeat)

Be silent, close your eyes.

No movement. Just be in.

Deeper and deeper and deeper, just like an arrow so that you can find your very center, from where life arises.

To make it deeper and more concentrated ...

Nivedano ...

(Drumbeat)

Relax.

Let go as if you have died.

This silence, and you are all buddhas.

No sinner, no saint, just buddhas.

In this silence is your awakening.

Keep this silence all the day around; then whatever you do will show the grace, the beauty of your inner peace, of your inner benediction.

Nivedano ...

(Drumbeat)

Come back fresh and new and fragrant, remembering your buddhahood.

Sit down, feeling your buddhahood in every fiber of your being.

In this silent temple even the cuckoo is not singing the song.

Even the bamboos are standing silently without making any comments.

This silence makes a place holy, a temple.

Except this silence, there is no temple.

Okay, Maneesha?

Yes, Osho.

Can we celebrate so many buddhas together, meeting after so many centuries?

Yes!