CHAPTER 14. TUG OF WAR
It happened. A young man made application to change his name according to the provision of the law. ’What is your name?’ the judge asked him as he appeared before the court. ’Bill Stinks, sir,’ said the applicant ’Well, I can understand why you want it changed, Bill,’ said the judge laughing uproariously. ’And what do you want it changed to?’ ’William Stinks, sir,’ replied the applicant. But Bill Stinks or William Stinks, what does it matter? You remain stinking. I know names don’t make much difference, but I take so much trouble to explain to you what your name means because I know that that’s where you exist – name and dress and the form. The formless you have not seen even in your dreams I have to start from where you are. And even there you deceive me. Drop deceiving, because deceiving me you are just deceiving yourself. And stop your mind from interfering between me and you. Let there be a communion. Enlightenment is possible. If it is possible for me, it is possible for you. If it has happened to one human being, it is everybody’s potentiality. The second question: Question 2 WHAT IS LOVE? It is unfortunate that we have to ask this question. In the natural course of things everybody would know what love-is. But I understand that nobody knows – or only very rarely – what love is. Love has become one of the rarest experiences. Yes, it is talked about, filmed, stories are written about it, songs are composed about it, films are made, on the TV you will see it, on the radio, in the magazines – a great industry continuously goes on supplying you with the idea of what love is. Many people are continuously involved in it, helping people understand what love is. Poets, authors, novelists – they all go on. But still love remains the unknown phenomenon. And it should be one of the most known. It is almost as if somebody comes and asks, ’What is food?’ Would you not be surprised if somebody comes and asks, ’That is food?’ If somebody has been starved from the very beginning and he has never tasted what food is, the question will be relevant. So is this question. You ask: WHAT IS LOVE? Love is the food of the soul. But you have been starved. Your soul has not received love at all so you don’t know the taste. Your question is relevant, but it is unfortunate. The body has received food so the body continues; but the soul has not received food so the soul is dead, or is not born yet, or is always on its death-bed. Sufis: The People of the Path, Vol 1
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Osho