Osho on Hassidism

MARTIN BUBER

What D.T. Suzuki did for Zen, Buber has done for Hassidism. Both have done a tremendous service for seekers. But Suzuki became enlightened; sorry to say, Buber could not.
Buber was a great writer, philosopher, thinker, but all those things are toys to play with. Still, I pay my respects to him by including his name, because without him the world would not have even known the word Hassid.
Buber was born into a Hassidic family. From his very childhood he was raised among Hassids. It was in his very blood, bones, in his marrow, so when he relates it, it sounds so true, although he is only describing what he has heard, nothing more. He has heard correctly; that must be on record. Even to hear correctly is very difficult, and then to report to the world at large is even more difficult, but he has done it beautifully.
Suzuki is enlightened, Buber is not - but Suzuki is not a great writer, Buber is. Suzuki is an ordinary writer. Buber towers very high as far as the art of writing is concerned. But Suzuki knows, and Buber knows not; he is only relating the tradition in which he was brought up... of course, relating authentically.
Tales of Hassidism should be read by all seekers of truth. These tales, small stories, have such a flavor. It is different from Zen, it is also different from Sufism. It has its own flavor, unborrowed from anyone, uncopied, unimitated. The Hassid loves, laughs, dances. His religion is not of celibacy, but of celebration. That's why I find a bridge between my people and the Hassids. It is not accidental that so many Jews have come to me; otherwise, I am always shattering the heads of the Jews as much as I can... and still they know that I love them. I love the essential in Judaism, that is Hassidism. Moses had not heard of it of course, but he was a Hassid; whether he knew it or not does not matter. I declare him to be a Hassid - and so I declare Buddha, Krishna, Nanak and Mohammed. Hassidism came after Baal Shem. The word does not matter, the spirit matters.
Martin Buber's second book, I and Thou, is his most famous work, the book for which he was given the Nobel prize. Forgive me, but I disagree with it completely. I mention it because it is a beautiful work, written artistically, with great profundity and sincerity. But still there is no soul in it, because the soul was missing in Buber himself. How could the poor man manage to bring it into his book, his masterpiece?
I and Thou is very much respected by the Jews because they think it represents their religion. It does not represent any religion at all, neither Jew nor Hindu; it only represents the ignorance of the man called Martin Buber. But the man was certainly an artist, a great genius. When a genius starts writing about something of which he knows nothing, he can still produce a masterpiece.
I and Thou is basically wrong because Buber says it is a dialogue between man and God. I and Thou! Nonsense! There cannot be any dialogue between man and God, there can only be silence. Dialogue? What will you talk to God about? The devaluation of the dollar? or Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini? What are you going to have a dialogue with God about? There is nothing you can talk about. You can simply be in a state of awe... utter silence.
There is no 'I' and there is no 'Thou' in that silence; hence I refute not only the book but even the title. I and Thou? That means one remains still separate. No, it is like a dewdrop slipping from a lotus leaf into the ocean. The dewdrop disappears, or in other words becomes the ocean, but there is no I and Thou. Either there is only I or there is only Thou. But when there is no I, there cannot be any Thou, it won't have any meaning. If there is no Thou, there can be no I either, so in fact there is only silence... this pause.... My being silent for a moment says much more than what Martin Buber tries to say in I and Thou, and fails. But even though it is a failure, it is a masterpiece.

(Osho in Books I Have Loved)

BAAL SHEM TOV

It is not known that even in the very traditional, orthodox Judaism there have been a few utterly enlightened masters - even some who have gone beyond enlightenment. One of them is Baal Shem Tov. I cannot forgive myself for not including him, and there is nobody to whom I can ask forgiveness.
Baal Shem Tov. Tov was the name of his town. His name simply means 'Baal Shem from the town of Tov'; so let us call him simply Baal Shem. I have spoken about him because when I was speaking about Hassidism, I have not left anything essential unspoken. I have spoken of Tao, of Zen, of Sufism, of Hassidism. I am not a man of any tradition so I am free to move in any direction I decide to. I don't even need a map.

Let me remind you again:

Coming in,
going out,
the waterfowl
leaves no trace behind,
nor it needs a guide.

Baal Shem Tov has not written any treatise - treatise is a dirty word in the world of mysticism - but he told many beautiful stories, so beautiful that I would like to relate one of them to you just as an example so you can taste the quality of the man.

A woman comes to Baal Shem. The woman is childless; she wants a child. She bugs Baal Shem continuously saying, "If you bless me everything is possible. Bless me please. I want a child."
Finally, tired - yes, even Baal Shem can get tired of a nagging woman - he says, "Do you want a boy child or a girl?"
The woman was tremendously happy; she said, "A boy, of course."
Baal Shem said, "Then listen to this story. My mother was also childless, and she bugged and nagged the rabbi of the town continuously to bless her. Finally the rabbi said, 'First bring me a beautiful cap.' My mother," Baal Shem said, "made a beautiful cap and went to the rabbi."
The cap was so beautiful that Baal Shem's mother said, "I don't want anything in return, just to see you in this cap is so beautiful. I am tremendously gratified. You are not obliged to me, I am obliged to you. Thank you, rabbi."
"And my mother went away. That's how she became pregnant," Baal Shem said, "and I was born."
The woman said, "Great. So tomorrow I will come with a beautiful cap."
The next day she returned with a very beautiful cap. Baal Shem accepted and did not even say "Thank you." The woman waited and waited, then she said, "What about the child?"
Baal Shem said, "Forget all about the child! The cap is so beautiful, I am obliged to you. I must say thank you to you. Do you remember the story I told you? The woman did not ask anything in return, that's why she conceived a child, and a child like me" - like Baal Shem.
"But you have come with the desire to get something. Just because of this cap do you want a child like Baal Shem? Forget all about it," he said, "and don't come again - ever."

There are many things that can be said only through stories. Baal Shem has said the fundamental: Do not ask and it shall be given. Do not ask - that is the basic condition.
The Hassidism that arose out of Baal Shem's stories is the most beautiful flowering that has ever happened. Jews have done nothing comparable to Hassidism. Hassidism is a small current, but is still alive, still flowing.

(Osho in Books I Have Loved)

THE TALMUD

Why did I want to avoid it? If I say anything against the Jews - as I have always done and will go on doing.... But for the moment I don't want to say anything against the Jews; only for the moment, just as if one is on holiday. That is why I wanted to avoid this book.
There is only one beautiful sentence in it, that's all, so I can quote it. It says: God is terrible. He is not your uncle, he is not nice. Only this sentence: God is not nice, and is not your uncle - this I love. This is really great. Otherwise the whole book is gibberish. It is altogether very primitive, to be thrown away. Just save this one sentence when you are throwing it away. Write it in your bedroom: God is not your uncle, he is not nice - remember! That will bring you back to your senses when you start doing stupid things to your wife or to your husband, your children, to your servants... or even to yourself.

(Osho in Books I Have Loved)