In Pune, I picked a lot of Osho books from Osho Meditation Resort. I am not sure when I will get the time to read them all. This was one of those books. I always find it difficult to write something about the Osho books. As they are so simple that it is futile to analyze them. This book Nirvana: The Last Nightmare: Learning to Trust in Life takes 5 Zen stories and Osho uses these stories to give his messages.
Nirvana: The Last Nightmare, Learning to Trust in Life
Through explaining these stories, he tries to tell that happiness or Nirvana or whatever you are seeking is not for the future. It is right here right now and once you realize that ‘everything is here in this moment’, you will stop seeking. As always, he tries to challenge the common beliefs of his followers. Confuses them by making contradictory statements, at times shakes them, but all the time loves them. One takeaway from this particular book is to do away with your conditioning, which I guess is the most difficult task. To be able to see things and live our lives without our conditioning is what Nirvana is all about.
Osho enjoys talking about Gandhi. And breaking the popular beliefs about him and unveiling his over-hyped public image. In the book Nirvana: The Last Nightmare, he talks about his obsession with bowel movements and links everything to the bowel movement. While he is explaining the impacts of being obsessive about anything. He gives interesting insights into the waves of obsession that keep hitting the world. And how one gives way to the other.
The tagline of the book says ‘Zen teaches trust not belief’, which beautifully sums up the essence of this book.
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Osho explores the concept of nirvana, which is often misunderstood as a state of eternal bliss or nothingness. According to him, nirvana is not a place or a state of being, but rather a way of being in the world. A state of freedom and peace that comes from letting go of all desires and attachments.
The book Nirvana: The Last Nightmare, Learning to Trust in Life by Osho, talks about the importance of trust in life. Osho says that we can only experience nirvana when we learn to trust that life is taking us in the right direction, even when things don’t seem to be going our way.
Five parables in the book
- Arrow: Teaches that we should not dwell on the past or worry about the future, but focus on the present moment.
- Finger pointing to the moon: Teaches that all spiritual concepts are just pointers to the truth and that the truth itself cannot be grasped by the mind.
- Two fish: Teaches that we should not compare ourselves to others, but focus on our own journey.
- The drunkard: Teaches that we should not be attached to our thoughts and emotions, but let them flow through us without judgment.
- The mirror: Teaches that we should not identify with our thoughts and emotions, but see them as reflections of our true nature.
Buy this book – Nirvana: The Last Nightmare: Learning to Trust in Life by Osho at Amazon India.
Read reviews of more Osho books:
- Tantra: The Supreme Understanding by Osho
- Intimacy: Trusting Oneself and the Other by Osho
- The Book of Man by Osho
- Maturity by Osho
