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Hyakujō: The Everest of zen with Bashō's haikus
Book by Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree
- GenresPhilosophySpirituality
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Osho
4,292 books6,795 followersRajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain, 11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990) and latter rebranded as Osho was leader of the Rajneesh movement. During his lifetime he was viewed as a controversial new religious movement leader and mystic.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 29, 2022
'Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen with Basho's Hiaku' is a transcript of a set of talks delivered by Rajneesh Osho over the course of 9 days during September-October 1988, composed in the form of 9 chapters. In these talks, Osho discusses and provides commentary on a set of Zen koans composed by the 8th century Zen Master, Hyakujo. Each Koan is composed as a dialogue that Hyakujo has, either with a disciple, a lay-seeker or a Buddhist scholar. At the beginning of each chapter, the koan is narrated by one of Osho's disciples, followed by his sermon and commentary on the koans.
The content of the talks is thoroughly didactic (as spiritual lessons for his disciples) and aimed not towards a philosophical elucidation of metaphysical concepts in Buddhism but simply towards the purpose of provoking, what one could understand as 'awakening' or enlightenment. In other words, the talks are about the provocations towards enlightenment by the Zen master Hyakujo and Osho's commentary is itself an effort towards provoking his students towards such a path of awakening and realization. Hence, while using Hyakujo's koans and Basho's haikus to offer glimpses into the enlightened states of the 'real mind' or 'no-mind', Osho insists that the very purpose of these koans and haikus is not to discuss concepts or to provide conceptual answers but rather to provoke this awakening, that itself cannot be described, but the nature of which can be suggested or indicated. Hyakujo's koans are explicit about this.
Consider one, where on being asked to demonstrate the nature of the 'Truth', Hyakujo simply responds that he is spiritually too poor and that he does not possess anything of worth for anyone seeking to be his disciple. In another koan and in a simliar way, Hyakujo frustrates his interlocutor by claiming that the Tathagata (Gautam Buddha) never expounded the Dharma. The lesson, Osho explains carefully, is not to intellectually delve into the apparently unhelpful and contradictory nature of Hyakujo's replies. Rather, it is precisely towards understanding the sense of his words through the heart than the mind or rather, through the meditative 'no-mind' than the philosophically and conceptually engaged intellect. While this very effort may be considered to be contradictory especially insofar as one attempts to read these transcripts as a discussion of concepts, the lectures, as Osho insists, must be heard and read only as poetic provocations towards sensing states of being and mind that are in principle, indescribable but can only be experienced through meditative practice.
Two principles that are underlined by Osho through the entire series of talks is the "urgency" of awakening and its sudden nature, especially as one finds in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Accordingly, both Hyakujo's koans and Basho's haikus elicit such an urgency and sudden-ness, which as Osho explains, is the essence of practice with regards to what he refers to as enlightenment. It is around these two principles that one finds in these transcripts - as much as one may find in his publications that were books and not sermon transcripts - a constant reminder of the urgency of recognizing one's own Buddhahood and the always-present possibility of this event. At the same time, that this event is not discursive or conceptual and one that can only be sensed and achieved by meditation and meditative practices, even those including manual labour, painting or poetry.
The discussion in the book, while being directed towards a specific didactic goal, promises to be interesting to a variety of readers, owing to the breadth and depth of Osho's commentary. By breadth, I mean Osho's apparently vast knowledge of the historical and socio-religious contexts of the emergence of Zen Buddhism and the role played by some of its major figures such as Hyakujo and Basho. By depth, I mean Osho's own clear and incisive interpretations of Zen koans and haikus by masters, which he makes available not as academic philosopher or intellectual but as poet and self-realized or enlightened individual. While anyone themselves engaged in meditation practices and aspiring towards spiritual awakening of sorts may find this book rewarding, even scholars of Buddhism and Zen will find this book valuable. In either case, it is a text that one may need to revisit more than once.
The content of the talks is thoroughly didactic (as spiritual lessons for his disciples) and aimed not towards a philosophical elucidation of metaphysical concepts in Buddhism but simply towards the purpose of provoking, what one could understand as 'awakening' or enlightenment. In other words, the talks are about the provocations towards enlightenment by the Zen master Hyakujo and Osho's commentary is itself an effort towards provoking his students towards such a path of awakening and realization. Hence, while using Hyakujo's koans and Basho's haikus to offer glimpses into the enlightened states of the 'real mind' or 'no-mind', Osho insists that the very purpose of these koans and haikus is not to discuss concepts or to provide conceptual answers but rather to provoke this awakening, that itself cannot be described, but the nature of which can be suggested or indicated. Hyakujo's koans are explicit about this.
Consider one, where on being asked to demonstrate the nature of the 'Truth', Hyakujo simply responds that he is spiritually too poor and that he does not possess anything of worth for anyone seeking to be his disciple. In another koan and in a simliar way, Hyakujo frustrates his interlocutor by claiming that the Tathagata (Gautam Buddha) never expounded the Dharma. The lesson, Osho explains carefully, is not to intellectually delve into the apparently unhelpful and contradictory nature of Hyakujo's replies. Rather, it is precisely towards understanding the sense of his words through the heart than the mind or rather, through the meditative 'no-mind' than the philosophically and conceptually engaged intellect. While this very effort may be considered to be contradictory especially insofar as one attempts to read these transcripts as a discussion of concepts, the lectures, as Osho insists, must be heard and read only as poetic provocations towards sensing states of being and mind that are in principle, indescribable but can only be experienced through meditative practice.
Two principles that are underlined by Osho through the entire series of talks is the "urgency" of awakening and its sudden nature, especially as one finds in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Accordingly, both Hyakujo's koans and Basho's haikus elicit such an urgency and sudden-ness, which as Osho explains, is the essence of practice with regards to what he refers to as enlightenment. It is around these two principles that one finds in these transcripts - as much as one may find in his publications that were books and not sermon transcripts - a constant reminder of the urgency of recognizing one's own Buddhahood and the always-present possibility of this event. At the same time, that this event is not discursive or conceptual and one that can only be sensed and achieved by meditation and meditative practices, even those including manual labour, painting or poetry.
The discussion in the book, while being directed towards a specific didactic goal, promises to be interesting to a variety of readers, owing to the breadth and depth of Osho's commentary. By breadth, I mean Osho's apparently vast knowledge of the historical and socio-religious contexts of the emergence of Zen Buddhism and the role played by some of its major figures such as Hyakujo and Basho. By depth, I mean Osho's own clear and incisive interpretations of Zen koans and haikus by masters, which he makes available not as academic philosopher or intellectual but as poet and self-realized or enlightened individual. While anyone themselves engaged in meditation practices and aspiring towards spiritual awakening of sorts may find this book rewarding, even scholars of Buddhism and Zen will find this book valuable. In either case, it is a text that one may need to revisit more than once.
January 26, 2022
The structure of the book is as follows:
someone reads out a story/teaching of Hyakujo;
Osho provides a commentary;
Osho reads out a Basho poem and provides a short comment on it;
Osho is asked a question unrelated to the reading;
Osho addresses some controversy with some of his students, urging them to become buddhas (the strangest and most unnecessary part of the book);
Osho will tell a few jokes as well.
Like other Osho books, it is presented in a casual, light hearted way, that shows his humour and insight. Osho's philosophy is very close to Zen, with some more Sufi love in there, and he talks eloquently about it.
He makes some factual mistakes, as anyone who talks so much would e.g. claims that Basho never wrote prose, when in fact he has several travel diaries to his name & claims that Hyakujo never had Dharma successors, when in fact his successors included Obaku, Rinzai and Fuke, some of the most famous Zen/Chan masters of all time. But as he says in one of his talks, he is not interested in the teachers or literal truth, but rather gives his own teachings and uses other teachers as springboards. For example, the false claim about Basho is used to justify his inclusion in this book: Osho claims that Hyakujo only ever wrote prose, and Basho only ever wrote poetry, so they complement each other nicely, as common themes in both works are the ineffability of existence and getting straight to the point. Regarding Hyakujo's Dharma successors, he wanted to express the point that the Zen master chooses the successor, it is not done democratically, as for example the Pope is chosen, which is simply politics. In reality Hyakujo had fantastic disciples that did receive the Dharma transmission.
Osho is probably one of the greatest spiritual teachers of modern times, and greatly misunderstood. Great book and relatively short, you could finish in a couple of days easily, so why not give it a try?
someone reads out a story/teaching of Hyakujo;
Osho provides a commentary;
Osho reads out a Basho poem and provides a short comment on it;
Osho is asked a question unrelated to the reading;
Osho addresses some controversy with some of his students, urging them to become buddhas (the strangest and most unnecessary part of the book);
Osho will tell a few jokes as well.
Like other Osho books, it is presented in a casual, light hearted way, that shows his humour and insight. Osho's philosophy is very close to Zen, with some more Sufi love in there, and he talks eloquently about it.
He makes some factual mistakes, as anyone who talks so much would e.g. claims that Basho never wrote prose, when in fact he has several travel diaries to his name & claims that Hyakujo never had Dharma successors, when in fact his successors included Obaku, Rinzai and Fuke, some of the most famous Zen/Chan masters of all time. But as he says in one of his talks, he is not interested in the teachers or literal truth, but rather gives his own teachings and uses other teachers as springboards. For example, the false claim about Basho is used to justify his inclusion in this book: Osho claims that Hyakujo only ever wrote prose, and Basho only ever wrote poetry, so they complement each other nicely, as common themes in both works are the ineffability of existence and getting straight to the point. Regarding Hyakujo's Dharma successors, he wanted to express the point that the Zen master chooses the successor, it is not done democratically, as for example the Pope is chosen, which is simply politics. In reality Hyakujo had fantastic disciples that did receive the Dharma transmission.
Osho is probably one of the greatest spiritual teachers of modern times, and greatly misunderstood. Great book and relatively short, you could finish in a couple of days easily, so why not give it a try?
June 7, 2017
As usual, it's a delight to read Osho on spiritual topics, including Zen. When I read books by others on Zen, they appear very text-bookish. It's ironical that books on Zen rarely exhibit zen-like quality in their writing style. Books by Thich Nhat Hahn and 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' are the only two exceptions in this matter, from my perspective.
But Osho talks about Zen in a way you can understand the core of it. Since this book is a collection of his discourses, I felt like somebody was talking to me, and it had the benefit of being playful. At the end of every discourse, he shares some jokes and some meditation instructions which are an added delight.
I really loved how he explained the famous zen story of 'When hungry, I eat.' And it was a delight to know why Japanese things are so beautiful. Their beauty comes from the meditative mind of the artists which comes from turning every act into meditation by doing it with full awareness.
But Osho talks about Zen in a way you can understand the core of it. Since this book is a collection of his discourses, I felt like somebody was talking to me, and it had the benefit of being playful. At the end of every discourse, he shares some jokes and some meditation instructions which are an added delight.
I really loved how he explained the famous zen story of 'When hungry, I eat.' And it was a delight to know why Japanese things are so beautiful. Their beauty comes from the meditative mind of the artists which comes from turning every act into meditation by doing it with full awareness.
August 6, 2014
Beautiful Haikus and Osho's serious jokes !
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews