These days I have been away from you, but I was aware of you, as you were aware of me. I heard your sound of joy, I heard your songs – and I was waiting for the right day to come. I was going to come yesterday, but yesterday was Sardar Gurudayal Singh’s day, so I had to remain in my room just for poor Sardar’s sake.

Before the sutras, a few questions.

One sannyasin has asked:

On commenting on Ten Zen Bulls, Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps write in the book, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, “May the reader, like the Chinese patriarch, discover the footprints of his potential self, and carrying the staff of his purpose and the wine jug of his true desire, frequent the marketplace and there enlighten others.”
Osho, what is the purpose and true desire they are indicating?
Their comment seems to be contradictory to your explanation.

I don’t know what Nyogen Senzaki’s and Paul Reps’ inner meaning is, because their hearts are not available to me. I have also read their words and wondered that without explanation they are using words which are meaningless in themselves.

What purpose? Life has no purpose. The very use of the word purpose shows that both these people, Senzaki and Paul Reps, have not understood the meaning of Zen.

Zen is rejoicing in purposelessness. What purpose is in a flower? What purpose is in the sun rising? For what purpose are you here? There seems to be no purpose to me.

I have looked deep enough in every corner of my being – there seems to be no purpose at all, and I consider it a great freedom. If there were a purpose, then you would be in bondage, then there would be a destiny you have to fulfill. Then you could be a failure.

Every purpose creates failures and successes. But if there is no purpose, nobody is a failure. Wherever you end up, that is the place you were destined to end. Wherever your boat leads you, and wherever the river moves, that is the direction. If you have any direction, you are going to be in conflict with many directions.

Don’t have any direction, and don’t have any desire. That does not mean repress desire. That simply means, rejoice in every desire, rejoice in every moment. Whatever is available, whatever has come across your path, love, be friendly.