PHILOSOPHIA PERENNIS Vol 1 - Pythagoras the mystic, the poet and the philosopher is revealed .

It appears that Osho is the first man to have commented on Pythagoras, the mystic who may be known for his theorem in geometry but not for his spirituality and mysticism. Pythagoras was a pilgrim, a seeker his whole life. From Greece he went to Egypt, in search of the lost Atlantis and its secrets. He lived in Alexandria for years where he studied and was initiated into the mystery schools.Then he came to India where he lived for years and then travel]ed to Tibet and to China. That was the whole known world then. By the time Pythagoras returned to Greece he was a very old man. The seekers gathered around him and he founded a great mistery school there. But he was not allowed to teach people. Many attempts were made on his life. The day Pythagoras died the whole school was burnt and thousands of his disciples were massacred. Only one disciple survived and his name was Lysis who wrote the Golden Verses of Pythagoras.


Osho teaches the teachings of Pythagoras in the form of commentaries as well as in the form of responses to seekers’ questions. The first few verses of the ‘Golden Verses of Pythagoras’have been commented on in this 1st vol. Altogether it spreads over 10 chapters, of which 2 chapters deal with the 22 lines of the Golden verses and its teachings and commentaries by Osho and in the rest of the chapters osho responds to seekers’ questions with authority , clarity, sharpness and humor.Osho also brings his insight into various topics like religion , life , death, god , happiness ,bliss and love. Excess is illness. Avoid all extremes and remain in the middle. That is Pythagora’s meesage to the human community. Always remain in the middle., never move to the extreme , and you will remain sane and healthy and whole.


Osho often uses parables, anecdotes , simple jokes and small stories to expand his ideas. One such story included in this book goes like this: A very rich man wanted to become happy. He tried everything but failed. Then somebody suggested to go to Mulla Nazaruddin. The man went to Mulla with a bag full of diamonds , and he showed the bag to Mulla who was sitting underneath a tree outside the town. He said 'I am a very meserable man, I want happiness. I am ready to give anything for it, but I have not tasted even once what happiness is. Can you help me? How can I be happy? I have all kinds of things that the world can give to me, yet I am unhappy. Why?"


Mulla looked at the man and it happened so fast that the rich man could not understand what was happening. He just jumped on the man, took away the bag and ran. The rich man followed crying , shouting "I have been cheated , robbed"

Mulla knew all the streets of the town, so he was going zigzag this way and that. And the rich man had never run in his life and he was crying and tears were flowing down his face and he said, "I have been robbed absolutely, that was my whole life's earnings.Save me people ! Help me!".

A crowed followed .At last Mulla came back to the place where the rich man had found him. The rich man was crying , breathing hard. Mulla gave the bag back to him.
The rich man thanked God with such tears of joy, happiness and peace.

Mulla said " Look, I have made you happy. Now you know what happiness is. This bag has been with you for years and you were unhappy. It had to be taken away from you to make you happy."

What makes this book eminently readable is the poetic beauty of its language and the way of its presentation. It leaves no scope for any ambiguity whatever. The reader hardly feels the heaviness of the subject.