Letters 1_On Reading Osho

On November 27, Mark said he had ordered three Osho books I had recommended and had acquired The Tantra Experience from a friend. He said he had ordered some Osho tapes, but had not received them yet.

He was reading Alan Watts' book, On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He was finding it "a bit heavy" although he liked Watts' sense of humor, enjoyed his style, and intended to stick with it.

Mark informed me that he had split up with his woman and felt it was the right decision. "I am going to get a small flat, and I feel like I will be entering into a period of reading and meditation, plus yoga and pranayma (breathing exercises). I feel that the next phase of my life is going to be a very important one as far as spiritual development goes."

November 27, 2001

Hi, Mark,

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the value of your statement, "I feel that the next phase of my life is going to be a very important one as far as spiritual development goes." In light of your recent break-up with your partner, that phrase takes on added energy, and in light of your correspondence with me, and your follow-ups with the readings, it becomes even more evident that you are taking full advantage of this wonderful opportunity in your life.

I call it "an opportunity," because everything in you has been shaken up by the separation. Emotions are stirred up, perhaps seared; previous mind-sets are shattered; all the old hopes and dreams are out the window; your heart may feel rather like a raw wound, even if it was you who insisted on the break-up. It is a great opportunity because the old structures have been demolished, and new ones have not yet arrived — which creates an opening, sensitivity, a deep receptivity, an enormously heightened awareness of everything around you and inside of you. What a great time to plunge into Osho's writings, Hesse's Siddhartha, maybe Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (especially Stephen Mitchell's translation, as I mentioned before), and some of the other people and books on that list.

It's also a great move on your part to listen to a cassette of Osho talking. Listening is a different experience than reading, perhaps a direction you may want to pursue. His speaking voice is incredibly mellifluous, his pace deeply relaxing, his pauses filled with radiant inner silence. Many people prefer listening to his tapes, rather than reading; still others do both. Either way, it's great you are touching both bases, experiencing each, checking things out for yourself.

I guess that's what is in the heart of this e-mail to you. This time of your life, and your emotional, mental and psychological state of being, creates an extraordinary opportunity for you to explore, investigate, taste, touch and savor new ideas, new spiritual perspectives, new adventures of the psyche and the soul. It is an incredibly valuable time for you. Jump in without hesitation. Meditate, do the yoga breathings, read, listen to tapes, pursue the authors and books we have mentioned, look into new authors/books, follow leads. If this one or that one doesn't sit well with you, drop him without looking back; good you checked in, got a taste; now that you have a taste, maybe you'll come back later. On the other side, if someone does touch you, move you, feel relevant to you, dive right in and absorb all you can.

One last thing — you mentioned how Alan Watts' Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are is a bit heavy going, but you will stick with it, and you keep re-reading passages. Great! If by "heavy" you mean a little difficult, a little demanding or complex, and yet you are still enjoying it, getting something out of the content even though it may require a little more rigor and concentration than you are used to — all of that is good. It stretches your mind. At first, the reading is difficult; then you re-read a passage; it's easier. You find your thought-capacities stretching, expanding, getting into shape, rising to the level required. Your mind sharpens, becomes stronger, quicker, more capable of handling thoughts that previously were above or beyond you, but which now are in your grasp. It's rather like athletics, getting in shape, strengthening muscles, etc.

Thanks, Mark, for keeping me updated on your progress. Already, and on your own before you connected with me, you were in the process of transforming your life from chaos to clarity. You are well on your way — what a great journey this is!

All the best,
Soon,
Lee

Osho & Krishnamurti

November 30, 2001

Hi, Mark,

After you mentioned Osho's Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic, I ordered it, and it has arrived. Looks good to me, and I look forward to reading it.

Leafing through it, I see the focus is not entirely on him as a personality or controversial public figure (which is good), although there certainly is plenty enough to satisfy the curious and to set the record straight on numerous issues (including Sheela's fascistic betrayal of him in Oregon; and our government's harassment and eventual poisoning of him [shades of Socrates].) I see the compilers also include numerous passages that focus on various topics and issues relevant to psychological transformation and spiritual growth, the areas in which Osho was so brilliant. Those are the areas of greatest importance, not Osho's personality, the controversies that surrounded him in religious circles, or his various political conflicts.

Of the many books listed in the back of the Autobiography, I see that most of the passages in the text were selected from his later (Oregon and post-Oregon) periods. For a variety of reasons, I would not regard some of those books as being the best introduction for you to Osho's overall work. That is why I suggest you begin with books from the "Poona I" period (also spelled "Pune"), 1974-1981 or so. (The Sosan and Heraclitus books are from that period; the Zen Manifesto, however, was his very last book).

Unfortunately, many of the books published since his death (and re-published, often with new names) do not give the dates when they were originally spoken. If/when you run across this or that book and it looks interesting to you, by all means check it out. You can also check with me and I will be of whatever use I can.

The Tantra Experience you mentioned is a reprint and re-titling of Tantra Vision, Volume I, originally spoken at the Poona Ashram, April 21-30, 1977. A wonderful book. Tantric Transformation is a reprint and retitling of Tantra Vision, Vol. 2. The third Tantra book is entitled Tantra: The Supreme Understanding. None of these are compilations, and they are all good.

Although there are some terrific Osho compilations available, I tend to shy away from them. Just personal preference. Seems to me that compilations tend to give a better picture of the compiler and his or her knowledge and biases than they do Osho and his vision. So I go for whole books and read for myself, rather than counting on compilers. Otherwise, of course, compilations are good, because they give nutshell selections, usually focused on a single subject or theme, and that makes for easier, quicker reading.

The book Tantra, Spirituality and Sex is a compilation of excerpts from The Book of Secrets, which was originally spoken in five volumes, then combined into a gorgeous boxed set of two very large volumes entitled Vigyan Bhairav Tantra: The Book of the Secrets. (I have this set. Many people regard the total work as one of Osho's most brilliant series — discourses on Shiva's 112 methods of meditation from the five-thousand-year-old book, Vigyan Bhairav Tantra). Together, the two volumes are 1134 pages long. So, while a compilation necessarily narrows the focus and makes for speedier reading, it cannot do justice to the work from which the excerpts are selected (nor is a compilation intended to). I like to go for the whole work whenever possible.

Krishnamurti is a different situation. Many of his books are not available, but compilations are. He became progressively more articulate as time went on, so his explication of the various issues during the course of over 50 years of public speaking becomes progressively more clear, precise, understandable, and compilers select the clearest discourses for the compilations. In recent years, as a result, a number of first-class compilations from his various works have appeared and they hold up well. I mentioned The Urgency of Change and the Penguin Reader, as I recall. Since then, it occurred to me that you might also enjoy two other compilations, Meeting Life, and On Fear.

Hope you're having a wonderful time opening the inner doors, Mark — let the sun shine in!

All the best,
Lee

Turning Point: Inner Doors

Mark was reading the Autobiography of a Spiritual Incorrect Mystic, and found himself thoroughly enjoying Osho's brilliance and his sense of humor. Osho had touched him deeply and connected with him "100%." He found it ironic that he was moving into Osho, when less than a year before he had been totally turned off by the notion of "17 Rolls Royces (or whatever number he had" and with rumors he had heard about a "cult regime." He said he said reading Osho was much better than reading some of the more "lazy spiritual stuff" that now sounded to him like "cookery books." In the past, he had not been ready for Osho's teachings, but now he was.

He decided to put Alan Watts "on the back burner for now," and to set Krishnamurti aside, because he did not care for K's insistence on no method and no guru in the spiritual journey.

He said that as a yoga teacher he had not been spending enough time on meditation, but he planned to change all that in the coming year. He had started reading Osho's book on Tantric meditations, and wondered what was my view of meditation.

December 1, 2001

Dear Mark,

I can't tell you how happy I am that you are connecting with Osho. It warms my heart when you say, "Maybe this will turn into years, as what I've read already has completely touched me and connected with me 100% — this guy was amazing although as you say eccentric and very controversial but boy it beats reading some of the more lazy spiritual stuff I've read in the past which was like reading a cookery book sometimes!!"

Osho is a brilliant, dynamic guy with a wonderful sense of humor, a magnificent seer, so clear, and one of the most bedrock honest people you will ever encounter. As I mentioned before, his work is usually divided into three periods: Poona I, Oregon & the World Tour, and Poona II. In the Poona I period he was perhaps at his fullest and most dynamic. During the Oregon and post-Oregon period in the '80s he transformed himself from the gentle Buddha into the wrathful warrior Buddha (as he was being attacked by rabid Christians and extreme right-wingers of the Reagan era). In the Poona II period, the thallium poisoning was taking effect; he was losing energy, plus he was embittered by the hostile treatment he was receiving from much of the world. That negativity affected many of his discourses during this last period (not all, by any means). That's why I suggested you explore the earlier pre-Oregon works first. They will give you a foundation, after which you will be able to make certain distinctions and evaluations of your own should you proceed.

I completely understand your hesitations when you were in India. All the hoop-la surrounding Osho is truly a dismaying distraction. Long ago I learned I have to go my own way, look into people on my own, treat other people's opinions of Osho and his work with skepticism, look through and past and beyond the opinions of his enemies and followers alike, check out the work for myself, connect directly with the man and his multi-dimensional vision, seeing for myself if his life and work had value for me. So very glad you are doing the same. It shows intelligence and sincerity of purpose on your part. Indeed, there is so little time in life, that it is good you set Watts and Krishnamurti aside for the moment, as they did not quite suit you, and jump into whomever you connect with, in this case, Osho.

In different ways, nearly every one of his works is a gem. Osho is one of the most accessible and right-on enlightened masters of the 20th Century, or of any century for that matter. Many people will disagree with me, of course, but then again, if you ask them, it is very likely that few of them have explored his works in depth. I am not saying I agree with everything he says, or that his perspective on every issue is infallible truth — it is important you know that about my view of him. Nevertheless, he has an enormous amount to offer, and I am happy you are connecting with him. It speaks very well of your own development. Through Osho, you will also get in touch with dozens of other masters, from Gurdjieff to Lao Tzu to Buddha, to the Zen guys (such as Sosan, the Third Zen Patriarch), which may open additional doors.

Keep on keepin' on, Mark — you're doing great things! What an exciting journey!
All the best,
Lee

P.S. Didn't get to meet any of the Beatles during my travels with Tim, but I love many individual songs, including "Here Comes the Sun," "Somethin' in the Way She Moves," "Come Together," "Because," and John's "Imagine." What a great group. Tremendously influential.

P.P.S. On meditation, the seers have often said, "Meditation is emptying the mind of its contents." That has been my experience, primarily through the playing of music, sitting down, becoming still and empty, allowing music to flow up and out, listening to it without self, and without directing it, giving it voice as it rises. If I think or drift off into dreaming, everything goes wrong. If I set mind aside, open up, become totally absent and completely receptive, completely in-the-present, the music flows like rivers. I become that "hollow bamboo flute" the seers talk about. This process transfers into daily life for me. I think less, and become more open, empty, clear, perceptive, insightful, spontaneous, creative — not "doing" anything, just being, and the doing takes care of itself. Lao Tzu's "wei-wu-wei," action through non-action.

Meanwhile, all the great ones speak of meditation with utmost respect (even K, who meditated, but without methodology, i.e. simply stepped into consciousness without content). Since it is a deeply personal interior issue, it seems to me rather like certain other things in the course of spiritual development. Check things out for yourself. Find that which fits with you. Spend time with it. (You might eventually want to read Osho's Book of the Secrets, talked about in yesterday's e-mail. I found the meditations dealing with sound to be especially helpful for me.) Since you are already involved with yoga, hey, great, move straight-ahead, yes? (Osho also did a series of ten books on Patanjali and Yoga, the first four of which are still available, called Yoga: Science of the Soul.)

When all is said and done, it seems to me that each and every way offers something of value to the sincere seeker. For some it is action. For others, non-action. For some it is this or that orthodox religion. For others it is spiritual involvement without the slightest touch of dogma. For some, Zazen is the only way. For others, no-way is the only way. Some say read. Others say don't read. Some celebrate Krishnamurti or Alan Watts, but condemn Osho or Gurdjieff. Personally, I think every single one of these Masters has a great deal to offer. I don't think in either/or terms. I think in terms of both/and.

I am a great supporter of freedom, independence, self-exploration, finding one's own way by seeking and connecting those teachers with whom one resonates deeply, profoundly, and truly. By delving into their work, learning from them, growing through them but without dependence upon them, expanding, evolving with their help, one becomes a larger, deeper fuller person. From there, he eventually moves on, sometimes a week later, sometimes years later — moves on with love and gratitude to still greater heights and depths, because the journey, as you know, is endless. Each mountaintop reveals a still higher mountain on the other side. That is not discouraging. To the contrary, it is thrilling. Spiritual expansion is endless, open, forever vital and alive.

The hard part is finding the right connection. Once you do, then go for it, pursue it, dive deeply and totally into it. And one connection leads to others, because everybody is in this thing together, are we not? The rewards are vast and unending. Creative evolution knows no bounds.

All the best, Mark,
Keep me posted—
Talk with you soon!
Lee

The Mind of Absolute Trust

December 6, 2001

Hi, Mark,

Terrific you liked the Osho autobiography. I'm overwhelmed at the moment with other readings (but that's okay, as I am already familiar with Bhagwan's life, triumphs and struggles). Nevertheless, I intend to get to it in the near future.

One of the books the compilers quote from during the earlier pages of the bio is Glimpses of a Golden Childhood, one of my personal Osho favorites.

Sosan's great written work, as you see from Osho's Hsin Hsin Ming, is "The Mind of Absolute Trust," one of the all-time great distillations of higher-consciousness. I have sent that poem to numerous people, and return to it myself every now and then, just to refresh the well-waters. There is another version of it in a wonderful book of spiritual poems selected from around the world, entitled The Enlightened Heart, edited by Stephen Mitchell. Also included in that same book are several of Mitchell's translations of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching sutras. I carry a copy of The Enlightened Heart around in the car with me, dip into it every now and then while waiting for Sonia to do the grocery shopping, etc.

As you get into your various readings, I will undoubtedly be suggesting additional and/or related titles, so you might want to keep a little file of titles, authors, info, whatever, for later reference.

Sonia and I are zipping into town now to mail off a few Christmas presents to family.

Soon,
Best,
Lee

Monastery & books

December 8, 2001

Hi, Mark,

Sounds like a terrific idea, visiting the Buddhist monastery for a little "celebratory silence" over the holidays! Let me know what the environment was like, the people, the meditations, etc. I envy you your travels, explorations, serious interests in these matters, and your upbeat energy in the inner exploratory adventures!

You asked about The Book of Secrets (Vigan Bahirav Tantra), I am not sure what you mean when you ask, Is it a "heavy" book? Help me out. Do you mean physically large? intellectually complex? darkmood serious? To be sure, it is physically large (over 1,000 pages). I think I mentioned to you that it is five volumes assembled into a two-volume set. I recall having seen it on sale somewhere, either through Dhanyam or at Osho.com (possibly Amazon). It is of course an intellectually demanding work, but I regard that as stimulating, energizing, and it is by no means beyond your grasp. It is also one of Osho's most widely read works.

I would suggest you read the books you have in your possession right now; see how you feel about his style, concepts, approach; see whether or not you find yourself consistently touched deeply by his insights and wisdom. Maybe after that you might want to jump into the Book of Secrets — it's a commitment, because of its length — or perhaps explore some of his other works first. I don't know to what extent money is a consideration for you in ordering books. If it is no problem, there are many, many books from a wide variety of teachers I might urge you to acquire and read in addition to Osho. If, however, there are financial limitations involved, I would want to suggest only those works of immediate, essential importance for you.

Have you checked in with Dhanyam yet and received an Osho catalogue? If/when you get the catalogue, I can tell you a little about some of the works, approaches you might want to take to further readings, etc.

You're right, Osho spoke 10 volumes on Patanjali's Yoga sutras, and four are still in print. I don't know why they cancelled the others, probably just a matter of demand. After you complete the books you already have, you might want to order the first Yoga volume, read it, see if you want to explore further.

The book of poems I mentioned to you IS amazing, a gem of a book — The Enlightened Heart. Terrific for brief readings, exposure to different poets from different lands (whether Lao Tzu from China, Blake from England, Rilke from Germany, Kabir from India, etc.), and exposure to Stephen Mitchell, too. He's quite a guy, very bright, a man of higher-consciousness himself (which is why his translation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching is so good).

I don't know how you like to do things, but you may want to simply move ahead smoothly, without rushing, not over-ordering or over-stocking books, just having a few in front of you while you read steadily and leisurely, acquiring new books as you want and need them, not piling up so many that they overwhelm you!

By the way, you have not mentioned what your work is outside of the spiritual considerations we discuss. Do you have a job? I think you said something in one of your earlier e-mails, but I don't recall what it was. A musician? Refresh me, if you would.

How are things coming along in the healing process after your partner's departure?

Looking forward to hearing from you, Mark.
All the best,
Lee

Mark said he became involved with yoga when he found himself suffering from depression. Yoga improved his outlook, and he eventually became a full-time yoga teacher. Money was a bit of a problem. Although he did not drink, smoke, or do drugs, he had to maintain his ex-girlfriend plus his own cost of living. "So buying the 3 Osho books was a bit extravagant!!"

At the moment, he was staying with friends, but moving into a two-room apartment in the new year. Although he broke up with his girlfriend, and she took their two-year-old son with her, he did not regret the decision to separate.

"She wants more children, a bigger house, etc., but my path is a spiritual one which doesn't involve material possessions."

The monastery he had hoped to spend time in over the holidays was booked up for Christmas. He had "a first" when he went into a favorite bookstore and browsed through his favorite "Mind Body Soul" section. Instead of staying for an hour or two as he usually did, "I was out of there in 10 minutes. I think this is due to me connecting so much with the Osho stuff. I feel like I've got all I need right now. Osho is answering all of my questions and providing answers to questions I have not asked or even thought about. I am absolutely thrilled that you have put his works in front of me. Thank you for that again."

Osho and Confusion

December 13, 2001

Mark wrote and said he had just finished Osho's Hsin Hsin Ming on Sosan, and felt confused. He accepted the fact that everything has an opposite — day/night, life/death — and that these are not really opposites but "part of the same circle." But he could not accept "the love/hate circle." When he thought of his two-year old little boy, he could not imagine any hate in the relationship, or that there ever even could be. He wondered if perhaps because Osho did not have children, he therefore could not understand the love a parent has for his children.

He said he had begun The Hidden Harmony on the sayings of Heraclitus, and noted some repetition, immediately speculating that perhaps because we are so asleep, we need to hear things over and over again "until we accept and understand on a deeper level than the scholarly mind."

Hi, Mark,

Sorry I can't take a little more time — am deeply embroiled in the editing process of the Timmy book [Blue Melody].

Glad you are moving into the Osho discourses. There will be confusion on the way! Do not fret. Keep going. Everything will become clear. Difficult to grasp the notion of complementary unities, because we are taught to think in terms of mutually exclusive opposites. Don't worry. You're moving along just fine. Good you are reading the Heraclitus book. He, too, was a master of complementary unities.

Osho's children were his sanyassins.

You are right about there being a certain amount of repetition. One of the reasons I suggested those particular three books is because it seems to me they contain many of the fundamental foundation stones. Important to absorb those basic tenets from several different perspectives.

You are also right-on when you wonder if "we are so asleep we need things said to us over and over again until we accept and understand on a deeper level than the scholarly mind?" No question about it!

Soon,
Best,
Lee

Overeating? — Moderation

December 21, 2001

Hi, Mark,

Back in action now.

How have you been coming along in your readings?

I'm afraid wasn't able to spend proper time with you a few days ago. While I was working on Blue Melody, a thought occurred to me, about one of my own reading experiences. I thought I would pass it along, for whatever value it may or may not have for you.

Nutshell: I fell so deeply in love with the writers I listed, and with others, too, that I found myself over-reading at first. Each day, initially, it was like sitting down to a scrumptious meal. I ate,
enjoyed, loved the tastes, the nourishment, ate until I was full — then kept on eating until I had overeaten! After more than one chapter, nearly everything else was wasted on me. Brains went numb. Read too much every day. Got blanked-out from it.

Solution, simple enough: I started reading only one chapter per day, savored it, let it settle in, let it work on me. Maybe I would read a second writer, too, a lighter, easier writer, but also not more than one chapter. By not over-reading, or reading too fast, the things I read meant more, did more, worked their way into me more deeply.

Any relevance here? I don't know. Just passing it along. You probably know this already.

Meanwhile, what are you looking into at the moment?

Hope all's going well with you. Have a wonderful Holiday season and Happy New Year

All the very best,
Lee

Mark said he had indeed been reading too much each time — "Talk about eyes too big for my stomach! I pigged out on Osho big style. . .I didn't realize it at the time, but now I've read your e-mail, it's so true. I think I'll heed your advice. A chapter a day sounds like a reasonable amount for the brain to take in and let it soak right through my bones!"

He said he was going to get Osho's discussions of Patanjali's sutras on cassette. "I think my brain likes to hear stuff sometimes, as well as reading. Plus, I think it's always great to hear the ol' guy's voice as well."

On Thoughts

December 27, 2001

Mark said he began re-reading a book by Vivekananda, but he could not connect with it the way he used to, or in the same way he found himself connecting with Osho. "Its almost like Osho is now the way for me and I don't need to read any other books — its like all there is to be known or read is contained in Osho's works." He wondered if it were "just a phase" he was passing through.

Re: thoughts

December 27, 2001

Hi, Mark!

Good to hear from you. I've been thinking for the past couple of days about writing to you. So glad you dropped in with this note, and with this wonderful insight about yourself and Osho.

I understand your feelings completely. Very few, if any, spiritual guides speak with as much clarity, insight and communicative impact as Osho. Almost everybody else suffers by comparison. In my own case, I spent many years reading only Osho, because only he spoke to me, my needs, interests, questions. In more recent years, I have been exploring other writers in addition to Osho, but I always keep an Osho book going too! He has so much to offer, and on so many levels in so many dimensions, that it is pointless to spend time with other writers until you feel a need to do so. Read him, because he is singing your heartsong.

Don't misunderstand me. I am not "pushing" Osho or anybody else on you. I would say the same if you felt drawn to Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, Ken Wilber, or any of the other Seers we have mentioned along the way. It is my view that when you finally encounter someone who touches you deeply, don't miss him. Don't by-pass him, mistakenly thinking surely somebody better awaits you just around the corner. No, just settle in, read, listen, explore, absorb the teacher's messages, let yourself grow and expand. If a time comes when you want to take a breather, read a book or two by somebody else, great, by all means do it. And if you reach a point of saturation or feel you are no longer satisfied and perhaps it is time to move on, then at that time, not before, not too soon, begin stretching out. Until then, move further into the teacher who moves you, in this case Osho, one of the most extraordinary masters who has ever visited this planet, don't you agree?

If I might, let me suggest two things:

Many people dislike Osho, not necessarily because they have read him and find him offensive (rarely have his critics explored his works to any significant degree). They very often form completely uninformed negative opinions, because they have listened to yellow journalists and drawn their conclusions from right-wing Nazi-types (like the Reagan era Christian fascist contingent who attacked the Oregon ashram) or from established orthodox religious authorities — whether Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or others. Osho mercilessly criticized politics and politicians and entrenched hierarchical church structures and their priests (for good reason, too, as is evidenced by any newspaper or TV newscast today). He antagonized established orthodoxies in virtually every religious, political, and social domain.

As well, many of his disciples became disappointed if he refused to enslave himself to their ideas about what a guru "should" be. He remained his own man, his own person, his own free human being, nobody's follower, did things his own way (as all authentic masters do) — and that upset some of his sannyasins, who in turn became embittered.

My point is simple enough. Read him, enjoy him, feel him deeply, because you know in your heart that he speaks to you. At the same time, when you venture to share your enthusiasm with others, be aware that you may find yourself rebuffed. You may suddenly find yourself embroiled in conflict with people who know little or nothing about him other than the negative publicity he received — and yet they will condemn him as if they had read his entire library! That hurts, of course. Worse, they may well condemn you, too. You may lose credibility in their eyes, and in the eyes of friends too. Keep this in mind.

Osho needs no defense. He is a giant among pygmies. But neither do you need to try to convince others about his brilliance, poetic power, astonishing insight, and profound relevance to the times we live in. If I might, let me suggest you read and be thrilled and moved by the doors upon doors that he can open for you, and at the same time keep your own counsel, go your own way, move independently, watching, listening, paying attention, not needing to either defend or advocate.

Just a suggestion, which may prove helpful as you move into the light that Osho shines.

Sonia just called me up to dinner.
Talk with you soon,
Ain't this adventure spectacular?!!
All the best,
Lee

2nd thing: Daily Nourishment

December 27, 2001

Hi, Mark,

Back from dinner.

The second thing I wanted to tell you about has to do with an experience I had with this kind of reading. If I might once again draw a parallel with dining: You don't eat one meal, and then don't eat anything else for three days, or a week, or a month, right? That first meal certainly tastes good, and fills you up, and gives you nourishment and energy, but just because it did all that the first time does not mean you do not need to nourish yourself again thereafter, and on a regular basis.

If you don't read too much (which we talked about before), and if you read every day, then the insights you derive from the readings go deeper and deeper. If you nourish yourself each day, then that day's reading moves around inside of you, inside your mind and heart, inside your very being, helping you grow. If you miss a few days reading, you can feel yourself becoming less full, using up the energy, becoming more superficial, more brittle, strained. But if you read a chapter every day, you feel that satisfying nourishment coming into you, and, over a longer period of time, you find your very perception beginning to open up, expand, become more penetrating.

You begin to change. You not only feel exhilarated on a daily basis, but you feel the substance of that day's reading working its wonders on a more sustained basis at the fundamental perceptual level: you see things more clearly, you feel things more deeply, you become more sensitive, more aware, more loving, kind, compassionate, understanding, insightful. This is one of the ways personal transformation takes place. By being in contact with the buddhas on a daily basis. Does this make sense for you?

In my own, case I started getting up early in the morning, around 5 a.m., while it was still dark, and the house was quiet. Sonia and our dog, Buddy, and our two cats still slept, and the day's other activities had not begun. I'd read for and hour or two. That seemed to be the best time of day for me, and I still do that. The reading is the first thing of the day, while I'm well-rested, open, receptive, relaxed. That contact with the buddhas does wonders to nourish on an immediate basis, and to alter perception on a long-term basis.

I also regard the Wisdom Boys as my friends, you know? These are the people I like to hang out with. They are as alive today as they were a decade or a century or 25 centuries ago, because they lived in the eternal moment and spoke from the heart of the timeless present. I enjoy the company of living people too, regular folks, friends, acquaintances, but when I need to be in the atmosphere of genius wedded to compassion and radiance and creativity, well, that's when I hang out with the buddhas, which is every day.

They help me in my daily life, yes? — conversations, problematic matters, puzzling questions, coping with my own or somebody else's confusion, whatever. Sometimes it's their thoughts and insights that help; more often than not, it is nothing in particular, no particular word or concept of theirs; it's rather a clarity I have developed as a result of spending time in their presence — that long-term effect I just spoke of.

The buddhas have a way of stripping off layers of conditionings. As those blinders fall away, I can see more and more clearly. I don't see through their eyes. To the contrary, they help me see evermore clearly through my own eyes. Great friends, wonderful companions, absolutely a delight to be around.

One last thing, Mark: When I said in my previous e-mail that I would say the same thing to you about Gurdjieff or Krishnamurti or Wilber that I was saying about Osho, I wasn't being quite clear.

I meant I would encourage you the same way if you were involved with any responsible teacher at this high level we are talking about. There are many teachers around, of course, and I dare say they all mean well (or meant well when they spoke). But there are only a few Everests, you know? Only a few who have both insight and language; realism and poetry; spiritual realization and a strong sense of pragmatic values. Osho is one. The other people I mentioned to you a while back are a few others. So, it is not that I would endorse just any teacher in the neighborhood, so to speak. I was only encouraging you to plunge deeply into Osho — or whichever teacher of this high caliber you may find yourself drawn to.

Osho himself will introduce you to many absolutely wonderful people along the way, some of whom you may want to explore further on your own. It was Osho who led me into Lao Tzu, Gurdjieff, Buddha, and dozens of Zen masters, for example. In reading him, I gained something of an education about many other seers of exceptionally high quality, including numerous poets and philosophers. (Although Osho is himself a Doctor of Philosophy, he takes delight in trashing philosophers; you'll see why as you go along). He also talks about psychologists, which is sometimes helpful. (Although he often knocks psychology, often to my dismay, he was perhaps the first to incorporate virtually all of the avant-garde psychological methodologies of his day into his ashram — a brilliant innovation).

With Osho and some of the others you are now encountering, you are being led into new levels of your own being. You will find yourself changing, even as you felt yourself already changed when you tried to re-read your beloved friend Vivekananda the other day. As you grow into new domains, you may find yourself saying Farewell to a few treasured teachers, blessing them, giving them your respect and appreciation, thanking them from the heart for helping you arrive at the level you are now.

Everything you have done before, all the books you have read, all of the teachers who have lovingly served you so well on your journey, all of the music you have brought into your heart, all of your friends and lovers — your whole life has carried you on the crest of its wave to this very moment in which you read these words. Thank everyone and everything, and move ahead, into the new and the unknown. Those you have known before will always be with you, shining threads in the golden fabric of your life. Those whom you are meeting just now are helping you continue your spiritual evolution. The torch passes from one hand to another, and the journey goes on. Everybody plays a role in it. All are valuable, all are to be treasured, all are to be honored and respected.

It takes courage to grow, as you know. And it is truly an adventure. And it's the best, most exciting adventure there is: you are learning how to be reborn in each new moment. There is a lot involved with that — which we will save for another letter at another time, yes?

Meanwhile, you are in the presence of an extraordinary new friend. Osho is one of the most capable fellow travelers you could ever hope to meet. Keep me posted on your readings, won't you?
Have a fabulous New Year, Mark!
All the best,
Lee

The Wisdom Boys

December 28, 2001

Mark responded with great enthusiasm to my last letter, feeling my words and Osho's words in the core of his being. He felt Osho's words were pure bliss, pure poetry, and said, "This man is a Buddha." He said he intended to plunge more deeply into Osho's works, reading only a chapter a day, and that he would thank Vivekananda and other teachers who have helped him, and move on from there. He felt "it is going to be a special year for spiritual growth," with meditation, yoga and Osho as his foundations.

Osho: His Q & A's

January 23, 2002

Hi, Mark,

I imagine you are moving into the Osho/Patanjali tapes in great shape. Quite an experience, isn't it? Listening to him speak is itself a meditation. You get not only the content of his talk, but the breath, the pauses, the inflections, the mellifluous tone. It must have been something being there at the ashram during the '70s.

Let me pass along to you one of my delights with Osho — as you know, he usually devotes a chapter to the sutras, followed by a chapter devoted to answering questions posed by the sanyassins.

I like to read the questions carefully, and pause briefly before going on to his answer. I ask myself the same question. How might I answer it? Can I answer it?

Usually, of course, I can see only so far into the question, and Osho takes it deeper and higher from there. More often than not, I am blown away by the way he picks this or that specific word or phrase, and moves into his answer from that point forward. He doesn't move only with the generality, but with specific semantic explorations, and from there into the generalities. That, of course, is only me observing [or projecting] a technique. The significance lies not in the technique, obviously, but in the depth of insight he brings to the question and the answer.

Meanwhile, it helps me enormously to make that pause, pose the question to myself, and make a conscious gesture toward answering it in my own mind before moving on to his answer.

I checked into one of the Osho sites and see that a one-volume edition of The Book of the Secrets (Vigyan Bhairav Tantra; the book of 112 meditations) is available for only $35 (many years ago, I paid $120 for my two-volume edition!). . .
Hope all is going superwell with you, Mark.
Keep-keep-keepin' on!
Namaste,
Lee

Silence Is The Answer

January 24, 2002

Hi, Mark,

Wonderful to hear your cheerful voice again. You express yourself so well when you say listening to O's tapes "is just absolutely amazing. Just to hear his voice is enough. It is a meditation in itself. His choice of worlds is perfect every time — not too much, not too little, just straight to the heart every time."

Osho often talked about words being steppingstones to silence. In one of his books he says thematically, "Silence is the answer." And a musician named Deuter used to be in Osho's ashram (Poona I), during which time he recorded several albums (still available), one of which is entitled "Silence is the Answer."
When I talked with Deuter, I said, "The answer to what?" He said, "To everything!" (And he is right, is he not?).

"Words are the containers. The content is silence." (Transcending mind = the journey, the source, and the goal).

All the best,
Lee

On Deuter, Wolff & Parsons

December 24, 2002

Hi, Mark,

So glad you asked me to tell you more about some of my musical interests in general and Deuter in particular. Deuter = excellent!

Chaitanya Hari Deuter is his full name. He spent several years in the Poona ashram, from 1972 or so until Osho went to Oregon.

Before moving from Germany to Poona, Deuter recorded Celebration, one of Sonia's and my favorites. Albums in Poona include Ecstasy, Silence is the Answer (double album), Haleakala, and Aum, all of which I like.

He recorded on the Kuckuck/Celestial Harmonies label (www. harmonies.com). Celestial Harmonies is one of the best music labels in the world; all sorts of first-rate spacemusicians, electro-acoustic innovators, modern and traditional classical music, etc. Check out the site. Among the people listed there, I especially recommend David Parsons (synth), Peter Michael Hamel (piano), and Henry Wolff (Tibetan bells).

Deuter plays guitar, wooden flute, synthesizer and several others instruments. He walked in the woods or by the sea and recorded nature sounds (birds, wind, ocean, etc). He was one of the first to incorporate natural sounds into his music. A kind of quasi folk instrumental style, with a wide variety of moods, from sprightly, lite, upbeat, to the more intense, introspective, spacious, interior moods of his Tibetan bells. I suppose Silence is the Answer ranks as one of my personal favorites (especially in vinyl form, as the CD form truncates the originally much longer first Tibetan bells piece). I suggest you check him out at Celestial Harmonies and/or Amazon, listen to a few tid-bits, see how it feels for you (although snippets obviously cannot do justice to the totality).

He recorded several albums after leaving the ashram, including San, deep spacemusic, one of my favorites. The other albums, however, tended to feature the lighter, folkier, guitar-flute approach considerably more than the introspective intensities of the bells/synthesizer spacemusics. They were good for that, and I enjoy those albums, but tend to prefer his "inner" musics more.

David Parsons, incredibly intense synthesist, deeply influenced by Eastern perceptions. Especially Dorje Ling (the best so far) and Himalaya (excellent double-CD). Henry Wolff, one of my all-time favorite musicians; Tibetan bells; from exquisitely subtle to fiercely searing. Especially The Bells of Sh'ang Sh'ung, Tibetan Bells III (The Empty Mirror), and Yamantaka.

If I had to pick three from all of these albums they would be Deuter's Silence is the Answer, Parsons' Dorje Ling, Wolff's Bells of Sh'ang Sh'ung.

Be sure to check out the Celestial Harmonies label, familiarize yourself with their names, titles. Good stuff there (also good stuff on the Fortuna affiliate label, including synthesist Steve Roach, a whole other story).

You ask good questions!
Best,
Lee

New Adventures

January 26, 2002

Mark said he eagerly looked forward to listening to Deuter's music and to some of the other recommendations, and expressed his appreciation to me for answering his questions and giving him so much good information. He said he loved "moving into new avenues all the time with music and reading."

Growing + Deuter

January 26, 2002

There's the key, Mark: "I love moving into new avenues all the time with music and reading."

That perspective will keep you vital, alive, growing, evolving. Music and books can nourish you profoundly. As you incorporate whatever is needed and wanted in any given moment, so you expand and heighten whatever level you are on — until the moment comes when you suddenly separate from this level and leap upward: into the next level, where a whole new domain opens itself up, offering new nourishment, new stimulation, new challenges and dangers, new opportunities for deeper and higher insight and ever-increasing waves of understanding, empathy and compassionate embrace.

And there are no ends to the levels! Endless unfolding into light.

The Deuter albums I recommended before—Celebration, one of Sonia's favorites, and Ecstasy, Silence is the Answer (double LP), Haleakala, and Aum — all include D's folk stylings as well as some of his spacier offerings. Each and all of these are good representations of his full scope, from folk strummings and wooden flute stylings, to natural musics, playful synthesizer music and extended meditation musics. Of these, I would pick Silence is the Answer (in double-LP form, if you can locate it), but all of them are good.

You cannot be aware of the fact that I rarely write to other people, and almost never spend time discussing music or books with them, because the music I like to talk about and the books I read are very close to me. Almost never do I encounter someone such as yourself, who revels in the process of exploring himself through music and reading, who approaches listening and reading, not only as forms of deeply satisfying entertainment, but as transformational energizers.

Self-exploration through music and reading opens inner doors, which reveal new levels of psychological unfolding and spiritual ascension. To then actually walk through those doors, and personally engage one's self in the adventure of psycho-spiritual evolution, is the greatest series of leaps one can ever make — thrilling, and dangerous; challenging, and sometimes frightening; exciting, and all too often frustrating to the point of despair. It takes a special kind of person to embark upon these storm-tossed journeys, a special kind of mind and heart to see the potency of certain kinds of music and the kinds of authors you are reading. They are not for everybody, not for the timid, not for those who would cling to this shore, not for those who desire safety, security and social respectability over exploration, self-transcendence and creative evolution.

So when you say, "I love to move into new avenues all the time with music and reading," you are saying a lot about yourself in terms that have considerable meaning for me. Hence, our letters. Go for the new, the things that open doors into whatever is unknown now, but which can be experienced simply by having courage and confidence enough to stride into the new domain. Ignorance and confusion transform into light-filled clarity and unending waves of bliss.

The values are simple enough: Will this person or book or piece of music help me grow, or will it dim my sight, drain my energy, destroy my sensibilities or my mind? Will it add to my creativity, psychological health, spiritual expansion? Will it contribute to my awakening consciousness, or will it merely drop me into the maw of oblivion? Will it add to my capacity for courage, compassion, love, generosity, empathy, or will it merely give me facts and information that leave me inwardly unchanged? Even if it threatens to shatter the security of my known worlds, can I summon up courage enough to see myself in new ways through new eyes, and thereby leave the familiar behind and embrace new self-perceptions? Can I embrace and nourish my highest potentialities without being overcome by fear? And even when I do feel fear along the way — and I will — can I summon up enough love and trust to dissolve it, and move forward, onward, upward?

Odysseus is one of my heroes. I once wrote a prose-poem short story entitled "Listeningsong," in which Odysseus played a role. Maybe someday you will have an opportunity to read it.

For some of the same reasons, Tim is one of my heroes, for he was a Starsailor.
All of those writers I originally listed for you are among my heroes, too. There are writers and musicians galore, my friend, all of whom have traveled these great, grand waters, all of whom beckon to you and me. Through their words and music, the Buddhas sing for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear. What a grand adventure, isn't it?

Keep on keepin' on,
All the Best,
Lee