Know What Life Is To Know God!

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A short Suffi story reveals the truth.

Once the Sufi Mystic, Sheikh Farid, was on his way to the river to take a bath. A seeker followed him and said, “Please let me know the reason of your blissful nature. You look so happy and by just watching you I am intrigued to know the reason for the divinity that is emanating from you. I am a miserable person. With all the misery, I don't even have the desire to know God. How am I to invoke the desire?"

The mystic said, “I am on my way to take a bath in the river. You may also join me for a bath. The answer may be delivered to you while we have our bath or else it may be given to you after the bath!"

The seeker was puzzled, however he made his way to the river with Farid.

On getting into the water, the man lowered himself into the water to take a dip. Immediately, Farid jumped on him and pressed him down. The seeker started to gasp for his breath underneath the water. He struggled hard to get off Farid. But it was difficult as Farid was heavily built while he was on the leaner side. However the man tried with all his might and successfully threw off Farid and emerged out of the depths of the water.

As natural as it can be, the seeker was prompt to accuse Farid. “What kind of a man are you? You are a murderer! I am a poor man. I came to you to seek the way to arouse the desire in my heart for God. But you are trying to kill me!"

Wait a minute," said Farid. “Answer my questions first. When I pressed you into the depths of the water, you were suffocating. How many thoughts did you have then?"

The seeker replied, “How many? Just one, as to how to emerge out to get some air to breathe"

Farid further queried, “How long did that thought last?"

“Not for long as my life was at stake. The very thought of getting out of the water also disappeared to become my whole being!"

“You have got the answer," said Farid. “When you feel the pressure of the worldly life from all sides, suffocating you to realise that there is no more life but only death, then will the desire for God arise in you. That will also not last long as the very desire will soon become your real being. The intensity of the thirst will become your very being! I have shown you the path. You may now go"

Osho advises that it is not about how to know God but to know what one thinks of the meaning of life . He says, there is no life but only death.