Osho speaks about the mind being the disease, “If you bring your mind to reality you will see something which is not there.” From our series 1001 Tales, compiled by Shanti.
There was a man who lost his axe and he suspected the boy next door. He watched the boy walking – he had stolen his axe.
His expression, his talk, his behaviour, his manner, everything about him betrayed the he had stolen the axe.
Soon afterwards the man was digging in his garden and he found the axe.
On another day he saw the boy next door again. Nothing in his behaviour and manner suggested that he would steal an axe.
That is the difference between a buddha mind and an ordinary mind. An ordinary mind is an active agent. It is not like a mirror. It is not just showing whatsoever is the case; no, it penetrates actively. It brings its own ideas to reality. It colors reality, it gives a shape. It gives a form to reality which is not there, which has been brought by the mind itself. […]
Sufis say the mind is the disease. And all those who have known agree with them. And the trick is such that whatsoever the mind thinks, it always finds there… because first you put something in reality and then you read it. With the right hand you put it, with the left hand you read it and you think you are reading reality. […]
The boy remains the same. The boy is not even aware of what is happening. He had become a thief, now he is no more a thief – a beautiful, nice boy, very good! Look at his walk – so innocent. The boy remains the same but the mind of the man has changed.
If you bring your mind to reality you will see something which is not there. You may miss something which is there. Hindus call this bringing of the mind to reality, maya. This is the root cause of all illusion.
If you want to understand the Hindu concept of maya, this is the base. If you live through the mind you live in maya, you live in illusion, you live in your own projections and ideas. Layers of your thoughts hide you from reality and hide reality from you. Dropping the mind is dropping the maya, the very base of all hallucination. Once the mind is not there, suddenly that which is, is revealed.
Osho, Just Like That – Talks on Sufi stories, Ch 5 (excerpt)
Series compiled by Shanti
All excerpts of this series can be found in: 1001 Tales
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