Consciousness In Upanishads Story-Osho

Friday, October 22, 2010, 11:59

Osho discusses about the two aspects of consciousness as revealed through a metaphor or a story from the Upanishads.

A short story in the Upanishads has it that two two birds were perched on a tree, one on the topmost branch, with eyes closed, immersed in silence, sans movement and the other on the lower branches of tree scampering from one branch to another , totally in the realm of restlessness.

Growing tired of its restless attitude, hungry for this fruit and hankering for that flower, competing, quarreling and growing jealous, the bird looked up to see the other perched upon the highest branch, calm and composed. Drawn by its composure, the restless bird hops upwards, going closer to the other and ultimately becoming one with it.

Osho says that we live in two dimensions. The tree represents the three of life and the birds, the two aspects of the same consciousness. The bird perched on the highest branch, calm and composed, represents the Supreme Self ( outer manifestation of the Master) . The bird on the lowest branch getting drawn to it marks the beginning of disciple-hood. On reaching the top and merging with the other denotes the restless mind merging with the self.

Osho says that when one grows tired of life's ups and downs owing to directing the vision outwards, suddenly by the pull of the Master's Grace starts looking inwards to suddenly find the repository of silence. Slowly the restless mind merges with the silent, unmoving Self to bask in eternal bliss.

The essence (Consciousness) of the Upanishads is thus captured in this story.