> > The first is life.
> >
> >       Man has a right to dignity, to health, a right to grow, so that he
> can
> > blossom into his ultimate flowering. This ultimate flowering is his
right.
> > He is born with the seeds, but the society does not provide him the
soil,
> > the right caring, the loving atmosphere.
> >
> >       On the contrary, society provides a very poisonous atmosphere,
full
> of
> > anger, hatred, destructions, violence, war. The right to life means
there
> > should be no wars anymore. It also means that nobody should be forced
into
> > armies, forced to go to war; it is everybody's right to refuse. But this
> is
> > not the case.
> >
> >       Thousands of people are in prisons ? particularly young people,
> > sensitive and intelligent ? because they refused to go to war. Their
> denial
> > has become a crime ? and they were simply saying that they don't want to
> > kill human beings.
> >
> >       Human beings are not things you can destroy without a second
> thought.
> > They are the climax of universal evolution. To destroy them for any
cause
> ?
> > for religion, for politics, for socialism, for fascism...it does not
> matter
> > what the cause is; man is above all causes, and man cannot be sacrificed
> on
> > any altar.
> >
> >       The right to life is possible only in a certain, different
> atmosphere
> > that is not present on the earth at the moment. Animals are killed,
birds
> > are killed, sea animals are killed, just for game. You don't have any
> > reverence for life. And life is the same whether it is in human beings
or
> in
> > other forms. Unless man becomes aware of his violence towards animals,
> > birds, he cannot be really alert about his own right to life. If you are
> not
> > caring about others' lives, what right have you got to demand the same
> right
> > for yourself?
> >
> >       But the whole of humanity is non-vegetarian; they are all eating
> other
> > life forms. There is no reverence for life as such. Unless we create an
> > atmosphere of reverence for life, man cannot realize the goal of getting
> his
> > fundamental right of life.
> >
> >       Secondly, because the UN also declares life to be a fundamental
> right
> > for man, it is being misused. The pope, Mother Teresa, and their tribe
are
> > using it for teaching people against birth control, against abortion,
> > against the pill. Man's mind is so cunning. It was a question of human
> > rights ? they are taking advantage of it. They are saying you cannot use
> > birth control methods because they go against life; the unborn child
also
> > has the same right as you have. So some line has to be drawn, because at
> > what point...?
> >
> >       To me, the pill does not destroy human rights; in fact it prepares
> the
> > ground for it. If the earth is too overcrowded, millions of people will
> die
> > of starvation; there will be wars.
> >
> >       I am absolutely in favor of birth control methods. A child should
be
> > recognized as a human being when he is born ? and then too, I have some
> > reservations.... If a child is born blind, if a child is born crippled,
if
> a
> > child is born deaf, dumb, and we cannot do anything.... Just because
life
> > should not be destroyed, this child will have to suffer ? because of
your
> > stupid idea ? for seventy years, eighty years. Why create unnecessary
> > suffering? If the parents are willing, the child should be put to
eternal
> > sleep. And there is no problem in it. Only the body goes back into its
> basic
> > elements; the soul will fly into another womb. Nothing is destroyed.
> >
> >       If you really love the child, you will not want him to live a
> > seventy-year-long life in misery, suffering, sickness, old age. So even
if
> a
> > child is born, if he is not medically capable of enjoying life fully
with
> > all the senses, healthy, then it is better that he goes to eternal sleep
> and
> > is born somewhere else with a better body.
> >
> >       The right to life is a complex thing. Nobody is entitled to kill
> > anyone, either, in the name of religion. Millions of people have been
> killed
> > in the name of religions, in the service of God. No one should be killed
> in
> > the name of politics. Again, the same has happened. Joseph Stalin alone
> > killed one million people, his own people, while he was in power. Adolf
> > Hitler killed six million people. And thousands of wars have happened.
> >
> >       It seems that on this earth we are doing only one thing:
reproducing
> > children because soldiers are needed, reproducing children because wars
> are
> > needed.
> >
> >       It seems man is nothing but a necessary instrument for more
> > destruction, more wars.
> >
> >       The population has to be reduced if man wants to be, to have his
> > dignity, honor, his right to live ? not just to drag, but to dance. When
I
> > say life is a fundamental right, I mean a life of songs and dances, a
life
> > of joy and blessings.
> >
> >       My second consideration is for love.
> >
> >       Love should be accepted as one of the most fundamental human
rights,
> > and all societies have destroyed it. They have destroyed it by creating
> > marriage. Marriage is a false substitute for love.
> >
> >       If two people want to live together, they don't need any
permission
> > from any priest or any government. They need the permission of their
> hearts.
> > And the day they feel that the time has come to part, again they don't
> need
> > anybody's permission. They can part as friends, with beautiful memories
of
> > their loving days. Love should be the only way for men and women to live
> > together. No other ritual is needed.
> >
> >       Children should be accepted not as their parents' property ? they
> > belong to the whole humanity. You should not possess your children. You
> can
> > love them, you can bless them, but you cannot possess. They belong to
the
> > whole humanity. They come from beyond; you have been just a passage.
Don't
> > think more than that about yourself. Whatever you can do, do.
> >
> >       Once love is free, it will prepare the ground for other
fundamental
> > rights.
> >
> >       The third most fundamental right... because these are the three
most
> > important things in life: life, love, and death.
> >
> >       Everybody should be given the fundamental right that after a
certain
> > age, when he has lived enough and does not want to go on dragging
> > unnecessarily.... Because tomorrow will be again just a repetition, he
has
> > lost all curiosity about tomorrow. He has every right to leave the body.
> It
> > is his fundamental right.
> >
> >       It is his life. If he does not want to continue, nobody should
> prevent
> > him. In fact, every hospital should have a special ward where people who
> > want to die can enter one month before, can relax, enjoy all the things
> that
> > they have been thinking about their whole life but could not manage ?
the
> > music, the literature...if they wanted to paint or sculpt....
> >
> >       And the doctors should take care to teach them how to relax. Up to
> > now, death has been almost ugly. Man has been a victim, but it is our
> fault.
> > Death can be made a celebration; you just have to learn how to welcome
it,
> > relaxed, peaceful. Let them live for one month at least like emperors,
so
> > they can leave life with no grudge, with no complaint but only with deep
> > gratitude, thankfulness.
> >
> >       The fourth: the search for truth.
> >
> >       Nobody should be conditioned from childhood about any religion,
any
> > philosophy, any theology, because you are destroying his freedom of
> search.
> > Help him to be strong enough. Help him to be strong enough to doubt, to
be
> > skeptical about all that is believed all around him. Help him never to
> > believe, but to insist on knowing. And whatever it takes, however long
it
> > takes, to go for the pilgrimage alone, on his own, because there is no
> other
> > way to find the truth.
> >
> >       The search for truth...you should not teach anybody what truth is
> > because it cannot be taught. You should help the person to inquire.
> Inquiry
> > is difficult; belief is cheap. But truth is not cheap; truth is the most
> > valuable thing in the world. You cannot get it from others, you will
have
> to
> > find it yourself.
> >
> >       And the miracle is, the moment you decide that "I will not fall
> victim
> > to any belief," you have already traveled half the way towards truth. If
> > your determination is total, you need not go to truth, truth will come
to
> > you. You just have to be silent enough to receive it. You have to become
a
> > host so that truth can become a guest in your heart.
> >
> >       Right now the whole world is living in beliefs. That's why there
is
> no
> > shine in the eyes, no grace in people's gestures, no strength, no
> authority
> > in their words. Belief is bogus; it is making castles of sand. A little
> > breeze and your great castle will be destroyed.
> >
> >       Truth is eternal, and to find it means you also become part of
> > eternity.
> >
> >       Fifth: to find the truth, all education systems from the
> kindergarten
> > to the universities will create a certain atmosphere for meditation.
> >
> >       Meditation does not belong to any religion, and meditation is not
a
> > belief. It is a pure science of the inner. Learning to be silent,
learning
> > to be watchful, learning to be a witness; learning that you are not the
> > mind, but something beyond ? the consciousness ? will prepare you to
> receive
> > truth.
> >
> >       And it is truth that has been called by many people, "God," by
> others,
> > "nirvana." By others, other names have been given to it, but it is a
> > nameless silence, serenity, peace. The peace is so deep that you
> disappear;
> > and the moment you disappear you have entered the temple of God.
> >
> >       But strange it is, that people are wasting almost one-third of
their
> > lives in schools, colleges, and universities, not knowing anything about
> > silence, not knowing anything about relaxation, not knowing anything
about
> > themselves. They know about the whole world ? it is very weird that they
> > have forgotten only themselves.
> >
> >       And because it is not part of any religion, there is no problem ?
it
> > should be all over the world, in every school, in every college, in
every
> > university. Anybody who comes home from the university should come with
a
> > deep, meditative being, with an aura of meditation around him.
Otherwise,
> > what he is bringing is all rubbish, crap. Geography he knows: he knows
> where
> > Timbuktu is, he knows where Constantinople is, and he does not know
where
> he
> > is himself.
> >
> >       The first thing in life is to know who you are, where you are.
Then
> > everything in your life starts settling, moving in the right direction.
> >
> >       The sixth: freedom in all dimensions.
> >
> >       Freedom in all dimensions means that man, wherever he is born, is
> part
> > of one humanity. Nations should dissolve, religions should dissolve,
> because
> > they are all creating bondages.
> >
> >       No child should be given any idea by the parents what life is all
> > about ? no theology, no philosophy, no politics. He should be made as
> > intelligent and sharp as possible, so when he comes of age he can go in
> > search. And it is a lifelong search. People today get their religion
when
> > they are born. In fact, if you can get your religion when you die, you
> have
> > found it early. It is such a precious treasure, but it is possible only
> out
> > of freedom ? and freedom in all dimensions, not only in religion.
> >
> >       There should be no nations, no national boundaries. There should
be
> no
> > religions. Man should be taken as man. Why confine him with so many
> > adjectives? Right now he is not free in any way.
> >
> >       Man's basic right is to be himself.
> >
> >       And in an authentic human society, everybody should be allowed to
be
> > himself ? even if he chooses just to be a flute player, and he will not
> > become the richest man in the world but will be a beggar on the streets.
> >
> >       Still I say freedom is so valuable.... You may not be the
president
> of
> > the country, you may be just a beggar playing the flute in the streets.
> But
> > you are yourself, and there is such deep contentment, fulfillment, that
> > unless you know it you have missed the train.
> >
> >       Seventh: one earth, one humanity.
> >
> >       I don't see any reason at all why there should be so many nations.
> Why
> > should there be so many lines on the map? And they are only on the map,
> > remember. They are not on the earth; neither are they in the sky. And
the
> > map is man-made. Existence has not created this earth in fragments.
> >
> >       Start from anywhere; just let the whole of humanity be one, and
the
> > nations will disappear, the lines will disappear. It is our world ? one
> > humanity, one earth, and we can make it a paradise. Right now there is
no
> ne
> > ed to describe hell. You can just look all around; it is here.
> >
> >       Looking around the earth, man is in such misery and suffering that
> > there seems to be no need for another hell. But we can change the whole
> > situation. This earth can become a paradise. And then there will be no
> need
> > for any paradise; paradise will be empty.
> >
> >       Eighth: uniqueness of every individual.
> >
> >       I teach not equality, not inequality ? I teach uniqueness. Every
> > individual is unique and needs to be respected in his uniqueness.
Because
> > every individual is unique, the birthright should be: equal opportunity
> for
> > their growth of uniqueness.
> >
> >       Man is unique, and everybody should be respected as a world in
> > himself. He is neither inferior to anybody nor is he superior to
anybody;
> he
> > is alone. In this aloneness there is beauty. You are no longer a mob, a
> > crowd; you are yourself.
> >
> >       Ninth: a world government.
> >
> >       I am absolutely against governments. I am for one government for
the
> > whole world. That means no war will be possible; that means there will
be
> no
> > need to keep millions of people in armies unnecessarily. They can be
> > productive, they can be helpful, and if they are merged into humanity,
all
> > poverty will disappear.
> >
> >       One world government means a tremendous change, a revolution. The
> > whole earth will be benefited by it.
> >
> >       And tenth: meritocracy.
> >
> >       Democracy has failed.
> >
> >       For every post, the person who is chosen should be chosen by
> experts.
> > The health minister should be chosen by all the doctors, the surgeons,
the
> > medical experts, the scientists who are working in the medical field.
Then
> > we will have the cream of our genius, and we can depend on this cream to
> > make the life of all humanity more peaceful, more blissful, more rich.
> >
> >       This idea I call a meritocracy.
> >
> >       Before the world government happens, each nation should pass
through
> a
> > meritocracy. And once we have enjoyed the fruits of a meritocracy then
> these
> > people will be able to understand that if we can combine the whole world
> > into one government, life can certainly be a joy, worth living ? not to
> > renounce, but to rejoice.
> >
> >       Up to now, whatever has happened has been accidental. Our history
up
> > to now is nothing but a history of accidents. We have to stop this. Now
we
> > have to decide that the future is not going to be accidental. It will be
> > created by us; and to create our world can be the greatest creation
> > possible.
> >
> >
> >
> >       Osho, Sermons in Stones, Number 29
> >
> >
> >
> >       Copyright