Your treasure is in your own being - don’t look for it somewhere else.
The art of dying is the art of living. It is the fear of death that makes a man incapable of living The moment one loses the fear of death he becomes capable of living. Also if one doesn’t want to possess anything he becomes fearless. Then even death is a beautiful experience to pass through. If a person has a well lived and well loved life , death comes to him as a silence, as a profound bliss. This book is the transcribed version of Osho’s talks on Hasidism, based on a few Hasidic stories.
Hasidism is a mystical Jewish religious movement founded in the 18th century by Baal shem. It teaches life in community. To live in a community is to live in love and commitment, caring for others Hasidism says that if a man starts living a natural life, one day, suddenly, the love of existence arises as naturally as love for the woman or love for the man arises; as naturally as breathing arises after birth.Hasidism is not a path of meditation. It is a path of prayerfulness. It simply says:’ trust life, trust existence, and whatsoever has been given to you, enjoy it’. The Hasidim were a joyous community when Baal shem, its founder was there.According to Osho, When Baal Shem walked on the earth, the Hasidim were one of the most beautiful communities on the earth.
Osho comments on 5 selected Hasidic stories in this book which include the story of one Rabbi Eisik, son of Rabbi Yekel in Cracow.. Rabbi Bunam used to tell this story to young men who came to him for the first time
After many years of great poverty, which had never shaken his faith in God, he dreamed that someone bade him look for treasure under the bridge which leads to the king’s palace in Prague. When the dream recurred the third time he set out for Prague. But the bridge was guarded day and night and he did not dare start digging.
Nevertheless he went to the bridge every morning and kept walking around it until evening. Finally, the captain of the guards, who had been watching him, asked in a kindly way either he was looking for something or waiting for someone.
Rabbi Eisik told him of the dream which had brought him from a faraway country. The captain laughed, “And not to please your dream you wore out your shoes to come here! You poor fellow. And as far as having faith in dreams, if I had had it I should have had to go to Cracow and dig for treasure under the stove in the room of a jew - Eisik, son of Yekel! That’s what the dream told me. And imagine what it would have been like; one half of the jews over there are called Eisik, and the other half Yekel!” and he laughed again.
Rabbi Eisik bowed, traveled home, dug up the treasure from under his stove and built the house of prayer which is called Reb Eisik’s Shul. Rabbi Bunam used to add, “take this story to heart and make what it says your own. There is something you cannot find anywhere in the world, not even at the zaddik’s, and there is, nevertheless, a place where you can find it.”
Osho’s commentaries on Hasidism as well as his responses to questions from audience and disciples are unique and inspiring. It gives us an insight into the mysteries of life and death.Osho often tells stories, anecdotes and parables during the course of his talks. To say a thing in a very indirect way he always uses a parable and here is one such parable.
The woman lion tamer had her beasts under perfect control. At her summons, the fiercest lion came meekly to her and took a piece of sugar out of her mouth. The circus crowd marveled - all except one man, Mulla Nasuruddin.
“anybody could do that,” he yelled from the audience.
“would you dare to do it?” the ringmaster yelled back scornfully.
“Certainly,” replied Nasruddin, “I can do it just as well as the lion can.”
Listen to the meaning and never listen to the words. Is the moral of the story.
Osho observes:
Knowledge makes people stupid, it dulls their sensitivity.
If you allow yourself to be dominated by others you will miss your life.
It is not a question of truth whether God is there or not, it is a question of a psychological need.
If you are not bored with your life, it simply shows that you live in a very low state of consciousness.
The selected Hasidic stories included in this book are extremely beautiful. Equally beautiful are the commentaries on these stories by Osho.
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