…And Nothing Has Ever Happened

A Review by Tanmayo

A mystifying title sets the tone for a book which unveils a world of mystery.

“…And Nothing Has Ever Happened” is a compilation of talks given during two meditation retreats by Osho’s enlightened disciple Swami Chaitanya Bharti, now affectionately called Gurudev. The talks cover a range of subjects from true love to Divine Pain; from the mysterious functioning of a Master to the inner resistance of a disciple; from the path of meditation to the way of devotion. But the focus remains clearly on leading the reader step-by-step to the Ultimate Truth that – as Ramana Maharshi put it – “nothing has ever happened.”
The path to reach that goal which Gurudev advocates is of Self-knowledge and Self-remembrance. As He says: “Learn to be, just to Be.” Discover your being and you will realize that you are eternal: You were, you are and you will be.
“Passivity” is a word which recurs often. Passivity, He explains, is the only way out of our mess because it does not strengthen the “doer” illusion. Other paths give you something to do in order to conquer “negative” emotions. And they work at times – the emotion temporarily subsides. But simultaneously, the “I” which has done the conquering gathers power. And that ego is the deep-rooted source of the “negative” emotion in the first place. Passivity is a fire which allows the emotion to burn itself out and finally burns the “I” behind the emotion.

Although the subject of the talks is serious, the tone of the book is amazingly light, because Gurudev strongly believes that “seriousness is a disease worse than cancer”. Thanks to His laughing-mantra “Ho Jaaye!” the pages of book echo with laughter and humour, often pointed at Gurudev himself.

The most heart-warming aspect of the book is that Gurudev presents himself as an equal, as a friend. He does not talk only about highest truths, but also brings Himself down to the level of the listener’s life. The chapter “Are you Ready to Eat Chicken” takes a humorous look at vegetarian conditioning and beliefs in day-to-day life. Here again, although Gurudev may be dissecting earthy matters, He slowly, slowly leads the reader to look up to the stars. This is His greatest gift: He effortlessly fuses the mundane with the magnificent.

QUOTES FROM “…AND NOTHING HAS EVER HAPPENED”

• The real communication happens in silence. When you become silent, God talks to you… without words. Silence is His language.

• You cannot tolerate yourself. All the time you escape from yourself – finding things to do. All the time, our attention is on the other. But when this attention is not on the other, when it does not move, but just remains – unmoved – only then can you know what-you-are. Then there is pure “am-ness”, pure “being-ness”. Call it God, or whatsoever you like.

• We go on using this word “I” but the “I” is nowhere! “I” is functional; it is not there; it is not real. “I” is the problem – it is nothing but a shadow! The shadow cannot claim anything; it can only know its nature. That much is enough and in this search “I” disappears…

• I am neither small nor big. I am what I Am. You can call me small, it is your problem. You can call me big, it is your problem. You can call me Guru, it is your problem. I am what I am, and if you ask me “who are you”, my answer will be “I don’t know”. I Am…just “I Am”.

• Consciousness is the dynamic principle of existence; it cannot stand still. But the beauty is: When it is conscious of itself, it becomes still. And that stillness is peace, is harmony, is joy, is happiness, is Moksha.

“I” refers to the body, “am-ness” refers to the essence – what I really am. This am-ness is all. This “am-ness” is the very centre of life. This “am-ness” is in everything… in every living and non-living being as well. Forgetfulness of “am-ness” is the root of all delusion, which causes all kinds of suffering.

Published by Zen Publications
For more details, log on to: www.dhyanleela.com/book.htm

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