Of the ultimate realization of Zen, Osho says, "Suddenly you become aware of a music that has always surrounded you... Your heart throbs in the same rhythm as the heart of the whole." This essential Zen reader also dips into a number of other themes - cowardice, boredom and restlessness, recognition and rejection, maturity, and moving from the non-essential to the essential.

Series Title: Ancient Music in the Pines 

   
Zen is the way of the spontaneous -- the effortless effort, the way of intuition.
A Zen Master, Ikkyu, a great poet, has said: I can see clouds a thousand miles away, hear ancient music in the pines. This is what Zen is all about. You cannot see clouds a thousand miles away with the logical mind. The logical mind is like glass, too dirty, too covered with the dust of ideas, theories, doctrines. But you can see clouds a thousand miles away with the pure glass of intuition, with no thoughts - just pure awareness. The mirror is clean and the clarity supreme. 
You cannot hear ancient music in the pines with the ordinary logical mind. How can you hear the ancient music? Music once gone is gone forever.
But I tell you, Ikkyu is right. You can hear ancient music in the pines -- I have heard it -- but a shift, a total change, a change of gestalt, is needed. Then you can see Buddha preaching again and you can hear Buddha speaking again. You can hear the ancient music in the pines because it is eternal music, it is never lost. You have lost the capacity to hear it. The music is eternal; once you regain your capacity, suddenly it is there again. It has always been there, only you were not there. Be here now and you can also see clouds a thousand miles away, and hear ancient music in the pines.
   
  
 Talk #01: The Pure Glass of Intuition 
 Talk #02: The Meaning of Maturity 
 Talk #03: The Halo of Yakushi-Buddha 
 Talk #04: Be a Light unto Yourself 
 Talk #05: The Ultimate Secrets of Swordsmanship 
 Talk #06: Madmen and Devotees 
 Talk #07: The Proper State of Mind 
 Talk #08: Life, Death, and Love 
 Talk #09: You Have My Marrow

 
More Osho: http://www.osho.com