Friday, June 28, 2013

MEDICINE FOR MADNESS - FROM OSHO - DOES IT APPLY FOR ANGER, HATE & JEALOUSY



MEDICINE FOR MADNESS

I am giving here an extract from OSHO'S talks on Yoga sutras. OSHO relates impressive, real-life examples to drive home the Life-Truths. Here is one such. It is mostly self-explanatory. 

You may only get into a doubt whether - this is a method to treat only mad people, or, is it also a method to set right, other people, who are constantly, rubbing the people around on the wrong side. 

Read On :


"In Japan they have a certain method, in Zen monasteries, for treating mad people. In the West they have not yet been able to find anything. They are still groping in the dark. Even ordinary crazy people seem to be beyond help. And psychoanalysis takes three years, five years, seven years. And then too, nothing much comes out of it. You dig the whole Himalaya and you don’t find even a mouse coming out of it. So only very rich people can afford it, as a luxury. Psychoanalysis is a luxury. People brag about it, that they have been psychoanalyzed by a very great psychoanalyst – for five years continuously they were psychoanalyzed, as if it is something of an attainment – and nothing happens. People go from one psychoanalyst to another.

In Japan they have a very simple method. If somebody goes mad he is brought to the monastery. They have a very small cottage separate from the monastery, in a corner. The man is left there. Nobody takes much interest in him – never take much interest in a madman, because interest becomes the food – a madman wants the attention of the whole world; that’s why he is mad. In the first place, he is mad because he demands attention. That has led him to madness.

So nobody takes much care... They care, but they don’t give attention. They give him food and they make him comfortable, but nobody goes to talk to him. Even the people who will bring food and other needs will not talk to him. He is not allowed to talk because mad people like talking. In fact, too much talking has led them to this state.

It is just the opposite of psychoanalysis: psychoanalyst goes on talking and he allows the patient to talk for hours, and the mad people enjoy it very much – and somebody so attentively listening – it is beautiful! Nobody talks in the Zen monastery to the madman. Nobody pays any attention, any special attention. In a subtle indifference, they take care, that’s all. For three weeks nobody talks to him, and because nobody talks he can talk to himself, that’s all. And he relaxes, sits or silently lies down on the bed, and does nothing – no treatment in fact – and within three weeks he is completely okay."


Many people around us are under stress, anger hate, jealousy, depression -  and so on. All these are certain types of madnesses only. 

Sometimes, treating mad people as normal people is the medicine for them. Sometimes, ignoring the outbursts of  angry people is the medicine for them. Sometimes, we must show by our behaviour that jealousy does not pay; and, hate does not pay; people with these must get ignored; 

Put the Board : Only friendly  people are allowed in - No words of anger, Jealousy or Hate are allowed here. It may work for many people. It may not work for the Hard core. Yet, this is worth trying. Putting the Board means - indicating this in as many ways as possible - especially to people with negativities.

Most people agree that there are two ways of dealing with Negativities and Negative people. Be indifferent to negative people -  as much as possible.  Don't give them any importance. Second, don't allow the negativity to percolate into you. This is easier - if we cultivate the Opposite, Positive quality and practice it.

It may be difficult the first time. But, like in all other things, it can be and must be practiced. And, practice makes perfect.

= v.vijayamohan





No comments:

Post a Comment