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
