Sufism, Vol. 1 Sufis: The People Of The Path Chapter 12: The 'Instant' Pathology, Question 5

The last question:

Question 5

I HAVE BEEN STUDYING RELIGIOUS LITERATURE FOR MANY YEARS AND FOR THREE YEARS I HAVE BEEN STUDYING YOUR BOOKS TOO. AND THROUGH ALL THIS STUDY I HAVE PROGRESSED A LOT ON THE PATH. OSHO, WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD DO NEXT?

What are you talking about? Path? You are on the path just by studying books?

It is not possible. Through books one never comes to the path. Through books one only hears rumours about the path -- just rumours that the path exists, that the path is, that the path is possible, perhaps somewhere the path exists -- that's all. Books can only give you rumours, they cannot put you on the path.

And that's what I go on saying to you every morning -- that knowledge is a barrier, that one never comes to God by learning. One comes by unlearning; by not becoming knowledgeable but by becoming innocent. One has to burn one's scriptures, my books included. One has to burn all language, verbalisation, thinking. Only then does one come to the path, not before it.

And you are asking: I HAVE PROGRESSED A LOT ON THE PATH. WHAT NEXT? You have not even dreamed about the path.

A woman was seriously ill. Her husband summoned the doctor, who dashed inside the sickroom and came out a minute later asking for a chisel. The stunned but anxious husband didn't ask questions. He found a chisel.

Minutes later the doctor poked his head out and asked, 'You got a hammer?'

The husband was puzzled, but not wanting to doubt the doctor, gave him a hammer. Five minutes later out came the doctor asking for a hacksaw.

By now the husband was completely upset and screamed hysterically, 'Doctor, you asked for a hammer, a chisel and a hacksaw. What are you doing to my wife?'

'What wife?' asked the doctor. 'I'm trying to open my satchel!'

You have not even opened your satchel yet. What path are you talking about? The doctor is just opening his box. Scriptures can't help you more than that. And there is every possibility that whatsoever you read in the scriptures may not be in the scriptures at all.

How can you read something that you don't know already? You can read only that which you know. So people go on reading themselves in their books. They don't read the books. When you read my books you cannot read them. You will be reading only something about your o. n mind into it. You will interpret it in your own way. You will be the interpreter.

To understand what I say, you will have to enter with that state of mind from where it is said. To understand Christ you will have to attain to Christ consciousness. To understand Krishna you will have to attain Krishna consciousness. Just by learning, you will not be able to understand -- you will misunderstand. All your interpretations are going to be wrong. They will be your interpretationS out of your ignorance and out of all your kinds of stupidities.

Parson Sloan, with a nervous habit of winking his eye, was sent by his parish to New York City.

Sloan asked the taxi driver for a good hotel -- as he winked -- and the cabbie mistook the wink and took him to a bawdy-house.

The parson asked the madam for a nice room -- as he winked -- and she took him by the hand to a room filled with her girls, telling him to take his pick.

But Parson Sloan said -- as he winked -- that he didn't want any girls.

The madam went to the head of the stairs and shouted, 'Oh, Clarence, here's one for you!'

People understand only according to their state of mind. And that is natural. It has to be forgiven.

But listening to me, reading my hooks, you have not even understood a simple fundamental that I go on repeating: that through knowledge knowing is not possible, through knowledge wisdom is not possible.

Your question reminds me of this small anecdote....

Farthington and Smythe, two Englishmen, went on holiday to Ireland. Farthington had a reputation for tactlessness, so Smythe warned him not to say anything disparaging about the Catholic Church.

One evening they were playing darts in the local pub when news came over the radio that the pope was ill. Immediately everyone crowded around the radio to listen.

'Oh, to hell with the pope,' said Farthington. 'Let's get on with the game.'

He woke up in the hospital to find Smythe sitting next to him. 'I warned you not to say anything about their religion,' said Smythe.

'Yes, I know,' said Farthington. 'But you didn't tell me the pope was a Catholic.'

Sufism

VOL. 1, SUFIS: THE PEOPLE OF THE PATH

Chapter-12

The 'Instant' Pathology