OSHO Talks. silence shared in words.
OSHO International Foundation presents:
OSHO: Meditation is Not for the Suffering Type
In my childhood
it was a constant conflict
between me and my father.
Whenever I was feeling good
that meant
a holiday from school.
And he said, "You are a strange fellow.
When you are sick, you have a fever,
and you are suffering from a cold,
then you go to school.
You have an upside down mind!"
I said,
"Whether the mind is upside down or not,
when I am feeling good I go to the river" –
which I loved...
to swim for miles or to go in a boat.
In a beautiful full-moon night,
the river looked almost like silver.
And I told him, "I am not going
to waste my time in the school.
When I have a fever
and I cannot go to the river,
school is good.
School to me is a kind of hospital."
He said, "Do whatever you want to do.
There is some truth in what you are saying,
because you cannot enjoy the river
and swimming when you are sick."
I said,
"You have understood my point.
Whether I am sick or I am not sick,
I don't enjoy your history,
your geography anyway.
So when I am sick it is perfectly good.
I can waste my sickness
on your school and your education.
For the remaining part of my life
I am going to enjoy nature,
to enjoy the stars,
to play the flute,
to sing songs,
to go to the forest,
and to dance there
amongst the dancing trees."
I have made a clear-cut distinction.
And in my childhood I was rarely sick,
so rarely present in the school.
But you will be surprised,
I was not present at school,
but they were giving me
seventy-five percent attendance every year.
They were very happy
that I was somewhere else!
Every principle of every school, college,
every vice-chancellor
of every university I was taught in,
told me once or twice,
"If you can go somewhere else –
to the library,
to the botanical garden,
or the whole world is there, –
just don't go to your classroom,
because it creates so much trouble for us.
And I promise you that we will not
prevent you from entering the examination
because you have not attended enough."
Seventy-five percent was the right
percentage of attendance,
only then could you enter the examination.
They said, "Even if you don't come at all,
just appear at the examination hall
and every paper will be ready
and you will be allowed to sit."
I said, "This is such a good arrangement.
I am happy outside,
you are happy inside.
But once in a while when I'm not feeling well...
I wanted to make it clear to you,
that I would never attend to you or your college
in a state of well being....
If I'm not feeling well,
I am going to come.
So pray to God
that I never fall sick.
That is your only protection!"
When you are feeling joyous,
this is the time to come
in tune with existence.
This is the time
when you can love
the trees, the moon, the sky.
This is the time you can enter into yourself
very easily,
with no hindrance.
Meditation is not for the suffering type.
Hari Om Tat Sat # 13
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