Lao
Tzu insisted on not saying anything about the truth his whole life. Whenever
someone asked about truth he would say many things, but he would not say
anything about the truth; he would avoid it. In the end he was forced to say
something. Disciples, lovers, said he should write because he had known
something which was rarely known, he had become something which was unique --
there would be no Lao Tzu again. So he wrote a small book, Tao Te Ching, but
the first thing he said in it was, "Tao cannot be said, Truth cannot be
uttered. And the moment you utter it, it is already false." And then he
said, "Now I can write at ease. I have declared the basic fact: uttered,
truth becomes false; written, it has already gone wrong." Why is the word
false? One thing: it always belongs to the past. Another thing: the word in
itself cannot carry the experience to you. I say I am silent. You hear the
words; the word in itself cannot carry the experience to you. I say I am
silent. You hear the words -- the word silent is heard, but what do you
understand? If you have never been silent, if you have never tasted it, if it
has never stirred your heart, if it has never overwhelmed you, overpowered you,
how can you understand? And if it has overpowered you, if there has been a gap
when you disappeared and silence was there, there will be no need for me to
talk about silence. The moment you see me, you will know; the moment you come
near me, you will feel. The word will not be needed.
Osho |
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