Amidst Durga puja spectacles in Kolkata and tempting gift market with special Diwali offers in Delhi, are we forgetting the experience of being truly religious? As the market invades every sphere of life, and religious festivals become hyper competitive with their bigness, prizes and sponsors, we invoke the mystic philosopher Osho—his divine poetry that reminds us if the joy of being ordinary.
Those who live an ordinary life and don’t expect great things—when they feel hungry, they eat, and when they feel tired, they sleep; when they feel hot, they sit under the shower, and when they feel like talking they talk to people and gossip; when they don’t want to talk, they simply sit and meditate—these are the people to whom miracles happen, because to such ordinary people anxiety is not possible, anguish is not possible, frustration is not possible. So all the barriers disappear and suddenly the whole sky is open, because the barriers are no more there. The sun shines clear…the whole sky is available.
The barriers—that great things should happen and you should become enlightened and all sorts of nonsense—come in the way and don’t allow you to see that which is already there. The miracle has already happened! It is not in the future. It is just happening this moment. It is the nature of life to be miraculous, to be fabulous, to be fantastic—but for that one has to be very ordinary.
Just enjoy small things—and when you start enjoying small things, they become sacred. One person can eat it in such a way that it becomes a sacrament. One can take one’s bath in such a beautiful way that it becomes a prayer. It is the quality that you bring to it that is important—not the act in itself. You can go in a church and you can do prayer, and it may not be holy at all. It may be just a mechanical repetition, a gramophone record.
Just start living ordinarily. You have many great expectations—that you should become a great lover, and a great lover should come to you. That is creating trouble in your mind so you are never at ease. And there are great lovers, but you are not at ease so you cannot look at them. You are waiting for great lovers so you cannot see them. They are already there! They may be living right in your room.
Always remember, life is great. That’s what I mean when I say to live in an ordinary way. Then the extraordinary starts happening to you.
(Selected from Zen: The Path of Paradox)
