Published: Poona: Rajneesh Foundation (1979)

Reviewed by Ma Narayani

In Osho's discourse of 11th April 1977, which is the first of the collection published in this book, the Master tells the same story again and again from a spectrum of aspects. Understanding each perspective by being there, thus entering a thousand hearts directly. At the same time infusing this energy into all who listen and hear, widening Everyman's vision.

The story of the First Principle is, in fact, the statement of the only Principle: and even the explicit explanation of the First Principle (of Zen) is useless without the understanding of life itself - in all its myriad forms and variations. Words are but dry, dusty, clumsy forms of communication to express that First Principle, a thing of light, alive and evolving constantly.

Osho's discourse in its very detail and essence sparkles with laughter, with the exultation, wit, humour and sheer understanding of the blindness of those who 'can't see the wood for the trees'. He draws a vivid landscape, using every colour form and light variation to help you find your own picture of your own journey into Zen.

A quotation from the end of the first Discourse, in page 66 ...

"One Sunday afternoon after Church, God and St peter went to play golf. God teed up on the first hole, swung his driver mightily and sliced the ball off into the rough beside the fairway. Just as the ball hit the ground a rabbit came running out from beneath a bush, picked up God's golfball in his mouth, and ran with it onto the Fairway. Down from the sky swooped a hawk, and pounced on the rabbit. The hawk picked up the rabbit in its claws and flew over the green. A hunter spotted the hawk, took aim with his rifle, and shot the bird in mid-flight. The hawk dropped the rabbit onto the green. The golfball fell from the rabbit's mouth, and rolled into the cup for a 'hole in one'. "St Peter turned to God with exasperation saying 'Come on now! Do you want to play golf, or do you want to fuck around?'"

"This is perfect Zen."

This method of lightening the medicine with a (borrowed) joke not only illustrates the Master's understanding that laughter relaxes, thereby allowing new insights to happen of themselves... but his choice of joke, sardonically using sacred cows by making them human (and thus real) shocks the average listener enough to wake them up, with the chance and opportunity to see for themselves that (as He states) the joke IS perfect Zen.

As, "... So if you want to have communion with the First Principle, you will have to seek and search within yourself for a reality which is original, which has not been preceded by anything else ..." in other words from that relaxed space induced by the joke, a new-born intelligence can emerge unhindered in you.

The joke makes you get out of your own way.

I watch the rainbow of diamonds cascading in sun-dappled splendour into the pool around the waterfall in the Buddhafield, reminding me continuously of the never-ending ripples of movement through space and time. In the same way, the joke repeated causes ripples through each separate listener, arousing feelings of shock, astonishment, perhaps laughter-but certainly single-pointed ATTENTION. Even if it be only momentary, this means the listener is there in reality, aware of reality in all its harsh shockingness. By so being, he or she in that single moment contributes to the connectedness of all, to the First Principle.

Read the book for yourself. Make your own discoveries. Argue with your friends. Become your own version of a Zen Master.

But at least first know One who Is.