The Long the Short and the All, Osho, Collections
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TheLong,theShortandtheAll
Talksgivenfrom1969
OriginalinHindi
CHAPTER
1
Knowledgeandunderstanding
DateUnknown
YOUASKWHATMYMESSAGEIS?Itisabriefoneindeed:thosewhoareawakearealive;those
whoareasleepmisseverything.
NOMANISGIVENMANHOODREADY-MADE.Hehastobuilditbyhimself.Thisisbothablessing
andabane.Itisablessingbecausethereisalwaysthepossibilityhewilldiewithouteverhaving
becomeaman.
MANDOESNOTBECOMEGODBYDEVELOPINGHIMSELF.Ifhewereabletoopenhimselffully,
hewouldknowheisalreadyGodhimself,hereandnow.AsIseeit,thecompleterevelationofthe
selfistheonlydevelopmentthereis.
ITISNOEXAGGERATIONTOSAYTHATWEHAVEFORGOTTENOURSELVES.Havewenot
forgottenourownbirths?Thenwhatelsecanonesayaboutalifethatrestsonafoundationof
self-forgetfulness?Isn’tsuchalifereallyjustadream?
What,ifany,isthedifferencebetweendreamingandbeingawake?Inadreamthedreameris
completelyforgotten.Thedreamoverwhelmshim,ithappensrightinfrontofhim,butheisnot
presentinthedream.Infact,hisabsenceitselfishissleepbecausethemomentheispresentheis
neitherasleepnordreaming.
Thenwhatshallwecallthisso-calledlifeofours?Itiscertainlynotwakefulnessbecausewecannot
rememberourselves.Soisitadreamtoo?Yes,myfriend,thistooisadream.Aslongasthereis
insensibilitytowardstheself,likeisbutanemptydream.
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CHAPTER1.KNOWLEDGEANDUNDERSTANDING
GURDJIEFFHASSAIDTHATMANISAMACHINE.Inallhisactivitiesmanisnothingbutapassive
participant.Hisactionsareunconscious,unaware.Theyarereallyreactions.Amansmaylove,
hateandfeelanger,butthesearesimplyexpressionsofunconsciousandmechanicalforcesat
workwithinhim.Heisreallyonlyanagentthroughwhichnatureworks.Hehasnoconsciousvitality
ofhisown.Whatwecancallreallifeonlybeginswhenamanrisesabovethismechanicalstateof
existence.
Ayoungmancametoseemeyesterday.Heasked,”HowshallIconductmylifesoIwillneverhave
causetorepentanythinginthefuture?”
Ireplied,”Thereisonlyoneanswertoyourquestion–discoverreallife.Whatyouknowaslifeisnot
lifeatall.”
Foronewhohasnotyetattainedtolifethequestionofusingitcorrectlyhasnomeaningwhatsoever.
Notattainingreallifeistomisuselife:attainingitistouseitcorrectly.Theabsenceofreallifecauses
theneedforrepentance;livinganauthenticliferesultsinbliss.Whatcanamanaccomplishwhen
hisreallifeisstilldormantwithinhim?
Amanwhoisasleepisnotone,butmany.Heisacrowd.Mahavirahassaidthatmanhasmany
minds.Itistrue.Notone,butmanyindividualsexistinsideus.Andacrowdcannotdecideanything.
Acrowdcannotmakeajudgment;acrowdcannotdetermineanything.Toaccomplishanythingat
allitisimperativethesoulineachoneofusbecomesactivated,becomesawakened.Wemust
becomeone,insteadofthedisorderlycrowdweareatpresent.Wemustbecomeconsciousof
ourownindividuality.Onlythenwillreactionsbereplacedbyactions.Junghastermedthisthe
individual’sattainmentofhiscenter.
Whenamanisasleep,unawakened,allofhiseffortsarefutile.Thereisnosenseofdirectionin
suchaman.Whatonepartofhimcreates,anotherdestroys.Itislikeyokingbullockstothefour
sidesofacart,puttingthereinsintothehandsofasleepingdriverandstillhopingtogetsomewhere.
Thelifeoftheordinarymanisjustlikethis.Hethinksheisgettingsomewherebutheisnotreally
movingatall.Suchamanachievesnothing:hesimplyexhaustshisenergies.
Mankindmustrealizethatwhatithasmistakenforlifeisnothingbutaslowformofsuicide.Death
beginswithbirth.Deathispartoftheprocessofbirth;itisnotsomethingthathappensaccidentally.
Birthanddeatharethetwopolesoflife.Butthereisagreaterlife,beyondbirth,andwemusteither
attaintoitorperish.
Itmustberememberedthatwhateveroccursattheendofsomeeventwasalsopresentinthe
beginning.Theendissimplythebeginninginitsmanifestform.Andiflikehastwopoles,thenit
followsitalsohastwodirections–thepossibilityoflifeandthepossibilityofdeath.Stagnancyis
death;consciousnessislife.Andmanisacombinationofthesetwothings.Hemaybeamachine,
butthereisanelementinhimthatisabletocomprehendthisfactabouthimself.Ifhepursuesthis
understandingheattainstolife.
TheexistenceofmyconsciousnessgivesmetheknowledgethatIam.Anditisthisrealizationitself
thatlightsthepathofexistence,thatilluminesthepathtolife.Therayoflightmaybedim,itmaybe
obscure,butstillitisvisible.Anditsexistenceistremendouslysignificant.Thatfaintrayoflightin
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CHAPTER1.KNOWLEDGEANDUNDERSTANDING
thedarknessisasign,anindicationthatthereisapossibilityofreachinglight.Thatrayoflightgives
mehopethatthesunexists.Cannotthesunbeknownbyasunbeam?Thatrayofawarenessin
manpointsthewaytohisenlightenment.Thisslightindicationofconsciousnessisman’sgreatest
possibility,hisgreatestasset.Nothingmorevaluablethanthatexistsinhim.Ifhefollowsit,hecan
reachtheself,hissoul;ifhepursuesithecanreachexistence.Thisisthewaytolife,tothegreater
life,toGod.
Manonlyhastwooptions;thereisnothirddirectionopentohim.Fromthisinitialsparkof
consciousnesshecanmoveforwardtoenlightenmentorhecanregressintoacoma.The
mechanicalandrepetitivecircleofordinarylifedoesnotautomaticallyproceedtowardsthepeak,
towardsenlightenment.Itisaneternallawthatwithouteffortonefallsback.Deathcomeswithout
beinginvited,butlifewaitsforaninvitation.
Thisrayofknowledgeexistsineveryone,andonecanonlymoveaheadbyitslight.Asamanbegins
tomoveinwardthedimensionsofknowledgebegintounfoldbeforehimandhebeginstoriseabove
hisstagnant,dormantstate.Andashebecomesmoreandmorefamiliarwithhisnewfound,growing
consciousness,somethingsolidanddeepwithinhimbeginstotakeshape,beginstocrystallize.It
isthisprocessthatleadstotheindividualityworthyofthenameman.
ITISTRUETHATMANISNOTANANIMAL,butisitcorrecttosaythatmanhasbecomeman?His
beingananimalmaybeapastevent,buthisbecomingamanisstillafuturepossibility.Weseem
tobesomewhereinthemiddle.Thisisouronlyaffliction,ouronlytension,ouronlydistress.
Onlythosewhoaredissatisfiedwiththeirmiserableexistencesandmakeanefforttodosomething
aboutthemcanbecomemen.Manhoodisnotacquiredautomatically,youhavetogivebirthtoit
withinyourself.Buttobecomeamanyouhavetorealizethatsimplynotbeingananimaldoesn’t
necessarilymakeyouaman.Youcannotbesatisfiedwithwhatyouare.Onlyadeepandfervent
dissatisfactionwithyourselfwillbecomeyourevolution.
RELIGIOUSLEADERSmakemuchoftheteaching”Knowthyself”.Butwheredoesthis”self”exist?
Isn’tone’sselfjusttheshadowoftheuniversalself?SowhyshouldIsaytoyou”Knowthyself”?I
simplyrepeatoverandover–know,know,know!Knowwhatis!
ITMAKESNODIFFERENCEIFNOONERECOGNIZESMEinthedarknessthatenvelopsthe
pathoflifebutjustthinkoftheterribleconsequenceifIfailtoknowmyself.Manypeoplearenotas
keentoknowthemselvesastheyaretobeknownbyothers.Thatiswhylifeisbecomingshrouded
deeperanddeeperindarkness.Howcanyoushedlightaroundyouifyoudon’tknowyourselfat
all?
Theprayerofamanofknowledgeis,”Iwillacceptdeathreadily–unknowntotheworld,
unrecognizedbymyfellowmenanduncrownedwithsuccess–butatleastletmeknowmyself.”
ThatsinglerayoflightisenoughtoleadamantoGod.Thelightofasinglemanwhohasthe
knowledgeoftheselfismorevaluablethanthelightofamillionsuns.
YOUWANTTOKNOWHOWTOREALIZETHESELF?Firstofall,cometoknowthenon-self.Know
whatisnottheselfandunderstanditcompletely.Finally,nothingwillremain;eventually,everything
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CHAPTER1.KNOWLEDGEANDUNDERSTANDING
thatisnottheselfwilldisappear.Thatistheself.Thatemptinessistheself.Onlyemptinessis
reallyfull.
WHATISTHISTHINGCALLEDCONSCIOUSNESS?Themindisnotconsciousness.Whenthe
movementofthemindhastotallyceasedthereisanotherstirring–andthisIcallconsciousness.
Onlywhenthemindbecomesemptydoesconsciousnessmanifestitself.Themindistheinstrument,
themedium.Whenitbecomesinvolvedwiththeactivitiesoftheegoitceasestobeamediumof
consciousnessbecauseitisotherwiseengaged.Tobecomeacquaintedwithconsciousnessisto
bidfarewelltothemachinationsofthemind.
Themindislikeaservantwhohasusurpedhismaster’splaceinthemaster’sabsence.Willsucha
servanteverdesirethemaster’sreturn?Hewillneverbeabletowelcomethereturningmasterwith
sincerity.Hewillputupeverypossibleobstaclehecantodelaythemaster’sreturn.Andthemost
basicobstructionwillbehiscontentionthathehimselfisthemasterandnooneelse.Hewillsimply
denythatanyothermasterexists.
Generallytheminddoesexactlythesamething.Thisishowitbecomesabarrier;thisishowit
hinderstheadventofconsciousness.
Ifyouwishtomovetowardsconsciousnesslearntoletyourmindrelax.Allowittoremainfreeof
activity;allowittobeempty;allowittodisengageitselffromitsinvolvements.
Thecessationoftheactivityofthemindmarksthefirststirringofconsciousness.Andthedeathof
themindheraldsthebirthofconsciousness.
ITISCERTAINLYVERYDIFFICULTtoconquerone’sself,butitisimpossibletoconqueranythingbut
theself.Andremember,themanwhoconquerstheselfcaneasilyachievevictoryovereverything
elseinlifeaswell.Inlifethereisonlyoneconquestandonlyonedefeat.Thedefeatisoftheself,
bytheself;theconquesttooisoftheself,bytheself.
THEGREATESTFREEDOMisthefreedomofone’sselffromoneself.Weusuallyremainunaware
ofthefactthatweareourowntightestchainsandtheheaviestburdensonourownshoulders.
KNOWLEDGESAYS”IANDEMPTINESS”andinthatemptinessitbecomesGodhimself.
Ignorancesays”Iameverything:IamGod”andinthisfantasyofbeingGoditremainsempty.
Whatknowledgerealized,ignorancedeludesitselfintothinkingithasrealized.Whatknowledge
knows,ignorancecanonlyadmitto,canonlyaccept.Whatignoranceproclaims,itneverbecomes.
TOKNOWEXISTENCE,youhavetotransformtheselfintoamirror.Theshadowsofyourthoughts
distortyourmind.Butasthoughtssubsideandthemindbecomesemptythemirrorthatiscapable
ofreflectingthetruthissuddenlythere.
NOTHINGISSIMPLERTHANGREATNESS.Simplicityitselfisgreatness.
TOREALIZEEXISTENCEonehastocomeface-to-facewithnon-existencefirst.Onlywhenaman
isencompassedbynon-existencedoesherealizethatexistencecanbeknown,canberecognized,
canbeloved.Onlywhenamanissurroundedbythevastoceanofnon-existencecanhehavethe
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