ing?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads

There were ten thousand screaming Buddhas all dressed in white robes dancing around me. The room was erupting into organised chaos to the wild beat of the music…and then…silence. Osho walked into the room, relaxed smiling. I looked at him and saw a man who could have been my father. This was no God – he was just an ordinary man. But that was his beauty. He was more ordinary than any of us. He had nothing to prove and nothing to hide. We all sat down and he began to speak. And then half way through his talk he turned to me and said, “You are the Buddha”.

I was just sitting there quietly amongst the ten thousand odd white robed disciples of this remarkable man. He spoke for two hours non stop, sitting there on his armchair calm and relaxed. I don’t remember a thing other than those magic words. But those words stayed with me for the rest of my life. But what did they mean?

In fact, Osho had always told his disciples that they are all Buddhas, they just don’t know it. Not very different from Christ telling us that we are all the children of God, this makes me personally the son of God. And a traditional Hindu meditative technique has meditators chanting ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which literally translates to, ‘I am God’. A neat twist brought to the technique by Nisargadutta Maharaj is the chant ‘Tat tvam Brahmasmi’ which translates to ‘You are God’. So what is this all about, is it pure blasphemy, or are we missing something?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads.

s more ordinary than any of us. He had nothing to prove and nothing to hide. We all sat down and he began to speak. And then half way through his talk he turned to me and said, “You are the Buddha”.

I was just sitting there quietly amongst the ten thousand odd white robed disciples of this remarkable man. He spoke for two hours non stop, sitting there on his armchair calm and relaxed. I don’t remember a thing other than those magic words. But those words stayed with me for the rest of my life. But what did they mean?

In fact, Osho had always told his disciples that they are all Buddhas, they just don’t know it. Not very different from Christ telling us that we are all the children of God, this makes me personally the son of God. And a traditional Hindu meditative technique has meditators chanting ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which literally translates to, ‘I am God’. A neat twist brought to the technique by Nisargadutta Maharaj is the chant ‘Tat tvam Brahmasmi’ which translates to ‘You are God’. So what is this all about, is it pure blasphemy, or are we missing something?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads

his armchair calm and relaxed. I don’t remember a thing other than those magic words. But those words stayed with me for the rest of my life. But what did they mean?

In fact, Osho had always told his disciples that they are all Buddhas, they just don’t know it. Not very different from Christ telling us that we are all the children of God, this makes me personally the son of God. And a traditional Hindu meditative technique has meditators chanting ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which literally translates to, ‘I am God’. A neat twist brought to the technique by Nisargadutta Maharaj is the chant ‘Tat tvam Brahmasmi’ which translates to ‘You are God’. So what is this all about, is it pure blasphemy, or are we missing something?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads

personally the son of God. And a traditional Hindu meditative technique has meditators chanting ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which literally translates to, ‘I am God’. A neat twist brought to the technique by Nisargadutta Maharaj is the chant ‘Tat tvam Brahmasmi’ which translates to ‘You are God’. So what is this all about, is it pure blasphemy, or are we missing something?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads

ing?

The fact is that whenever we look at something in its purity in nature, a cloud, tree or snowflake, it is always perfect. But unfortunately, whenever we look at things in its utilitarian manifestation, it becomes somehow less. The cloud brings rain, the yield from your apple tree is sub-average and the lowly snowflake causes disruption on the roads. Cars are too fast, slow or polluting. People are short, fat, skinny, rude or just plain ugly. Suddenly, judgement takes over from the first premise that everything in nature is perfect. Milton once wrote, ‘He also serves who stands and waits’, and no truer words have ever been spoken. Everybody and everything is perfect in itself, regardless of size, shape or utility. Reality may be inconvenient to you, but it is reality in its very own perfection.

And you. You are perfection as well. Yes, whatever your parents and teachers told you. However much you were bullied at school. Even if you eat more than a sumo wrestler, own 5,000 cats and have a habit of spitting in the supermarket. You are a child of God. You are the Buddha.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t make you any less irritating. Nor does it mean that people are going to worship you. Don’t forget we are Buddhas too. And if all of us are children of God, brothers and sisters, including George Bush Jr and Bin Laden, what does that mean about how we should behave? How does that change your attitude toward your boss, or your subordinates, or all those horrid immigrants trying to steal your job, and the millions dying in Asia and Africa because of imbalanced trade restrictions? If it doesn’t change your behaviour and attitudes – that really makes no difference either – you still remain a child of God, a Buddha. Funny, isn’t it?

Think about it.

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