Lao Tzu

Osho, please tell us: are not all of Lao Tzu’s teachings the teachings of a defeated, beaten man? At their root, isn’t there a negative attitude, a kind of escapism? Won’t this policy of tathata—of acceptance—end up encouraging exploitative systems? And finally, can we not call these teachings mere theoretical idealism? They are not practical, nor do they show any way to be free of doing or to be de-hypnotized.

No. If we understand life rightly, Lao Tzu is not running away from life; he is only stepping away from stupidity—from the fire, from the disease. He is going deeper into life. And we, thinking we are advancing in life, go on advancing into sheer stupidity and are deprived of life. What is the final criterion? Compare Lao Tzu’s face with ours. Lao Tzu, untroubled even while dying; we, anxious even while living. Lao Tzu joyously embraces death; we have never embraced life with joy. Lao Tzu laughs even in illness; we keep weeping even in health. What is the measure? Put thorns in Lao Tzu’s hands and he is grateful; put a flower in our hands and no gratitude arises. By what path shall we recognize? What standard? Lao Tzu is no escapist. And if he is, then everyone should be an escapist—then escapism is religion. Because by escaping…

Question: bhagwan sri, please explain whether these statements of lao tzu are not meant for a defeated existence. For an anguished person? Is there not a negative attitude, a sort of defeatism at the root of these teachings? Would not these ethics, of acceptance of things, as they are, give licence to the government to exploit the people? And finally, can this not be called a pure theoretical idealism? These teachings are not at all practical. There are no means of attaining freedom from desires or of awakening in them.

Then there is certainly some place where we have erred. Buddha says, "Life is sorrow. He who realises this, attains bliss. He who thinks life to be blissful, attains nothing but misery." This calculation of Buddha is very profound. Buddha and Lao Tzu both say: "He who takes life to be happiness, ends up in sorrow, for life is sorrow." If I look upon a thorn as a flower, the thorn is bound to prick me and cause pain, for it is a thorn a nd not a flower; but if I know a thorn to be a thorn, it cannot hurt me. It can only hurt me if I take it to be a flower. Buddha says: "Life is sorrow -- know this. Then no one can snatch your joy away from you." But if you take life as happiness, you will fall into unhappiness for you will have…

You say that lao tzu is for the rarest of seekers. Then how do you call him total?

This is a wise and foolish man -- he looks foolish but he is very wise in his foolishness; he looks very wise but he is behaving like a fool. If you understand life, the deeper you go the deeper you will understand that the whole is worth choosing. That means there is no need to choose. Choice will dissect the whole and whatsoever you get will be fragmentary and dead. Wisdom and foolishness are together in life; if you dissect them then wisdom will be separate and foolishness will be separate, but both will be dead. The greatest art of life is to let them grow together in such a balance that your wisdom carries a certain quality of foolishness, and your foolishness carries a certain quality of wisdom. Then you are total. That's why: rarest are the seekers who will go to Lao Tzu. He will seem to…

Question: what is the fore-sight and what are the hopes that have instigated you to resurrect the 2,500 year old religious teachings of lao tzu?

Bhagwan Sri: Whatever Lao Tzu has said is 2,500 years old. But in a way, it is as fresh as the morning dew. It is new because it has never been put into practice. It is new because the spirit of man has not taken a single step in its direction. The road is absolutely untouched, virgin. It is old because of the fact that Lao Tzu gave news of this path, 2,500 years ago. It is new because his news was not heeded up to now. Today as never before, it has become an urgent necessity to take heed of his message. Man has made use of the masculine-mind and seen the results. Our history of the last 2,000 years, is the history of the experiment of the masculine mind. In 2,500 years, we have made use of logic, struggle, violence, aggression and conquering ambitions. Man became more and…