According to Osho, Zen masters used seemingly ‘insane’ devices—wordless answers like Hyakujo’s silence and Nansen’s sharp, cutting methods—to bypass the head and awaken direct, heartful awareness. Their significance is pragmatic: they cut the mind and transmit silence. For modern, head-heavy seekers, Osho translates their madness into understandable methods—speaking, jokes, gibberish, drums—to lead you into the same inner stillness.
Zen masters did strange things to stop your busy thoughts so you feel quiet inside, and Osho updates those tricks for today’s minds.