Nothingness dies, the soundless dies,even the infinite dies. A true lover never dies.
Osho’s discourses in this book are commentaries on ten of Kabir’s poems, in which Kabir sings of his love of God. Kabir lived in Kashi, a place abounding in scholars. According to Osho no one has ever sung of love’s greatness as Kabir has.
Kabir has said that he did neither seek God nor wander about in search of God. According to Kabir the devotee is like a beloved who can only wait and wait; the devotee waits and God goes to him. “Even if the devotee wanted to go to God”, Kabir asks, “where would he go? How can he take the initiative?”
Kabir believes that the whole of existence helps man who is helpless and the man who accepts help and support from the outside world does not need God at all. He also believes that the man who masters the mind achieves everlasting happiness and the man who has not will remain in misery forever. Kabir says:
Chop off the head for eternal joy,
An unchopped head is suffering
Kabir again says that if God is also known then one who knows God is definitely greater than God. Kabir asks: Is Ram greater than he who knows Ram? Is Brahma who created the universe is great, or is the great existence in which Brahma himself was born is greater? Is the highly praised Vedas are greater than the rishis, than the consciousness which created them?. Kabir undoubtedly says that he who knows is greater, the witness is greater, the consciousness is greater, the great existence is greater than God, Brahma or Vedas.
Kabir has said to be ready to be cheated, but not to cheat. He says that “you lose nothing when you are cheated, but that all is lost when you cheat others”. According to Kabir people, society, the Vedas, the scriptures, tradition, family prestige - all these are like nooses around one’s throat. He says that the world is a prison and knowing the secret to escape from this prison of the world completely is the great secret.
There is a saying about”containing the ocean in a pot.” Osho says that kabir has done that. He has managed to contain the unlimited, the infinite in very small words, in words we use everyday.
Osho uses simple jokes and small stories during the course of his talk to enthuse the audience or to give clarity to any of his points. Here is one such joke:
A priest once went to an asylum to give a talk. He spoke on his subject in great detail, but he used simple terms because he was speaking to madmen. He explained things from all points of view. One of the inmates kept staring at the priest and was listening to him with rapt attention. The priest was very impressed as no one had ever listened to him so intently. When the meeting was over the madman ran to the superintendent and said :“See what the world is like! This man is outside, while we are shut up in here. A great injustice is being done!”
Osho says that there is not much difference between those who are out and those who are in.
Some of Osho’s observations:
Wealth is a substitute for love, and so you will never find love in the life of a miser.
God believes in freshness and newness and your religions believe in oldness.
No one else is ever responsible for anything that is wrong in your life.
The whole world changes when you change.
People who are full of fear themselves create fear in others.
Osho delivered these discourses in 1975 to a live audience, mainly to a Hindu gathering where only a few hundred Westerners were present. Osho gives an excellent commentary on the great subjects of Kabir’s poems - love, truth, death and enlightenment. His views are rather unique and beautiful.
