NINE SUTRAS

In this newly published translation from a series of Hindi discourses, Osho defines his own “Nine Sutras” of neo-yoga. In as much as science does not start from belief but from investigation, yoga does not start with assumptions but with search, quest and investigation. Hence, all that is required for the spiritual search is the capability to experiment, only the courage to search is needed, nothing else.

´I said to you these nine sutras of yoga. These nine sutras can be said in twelve dimensions, can be said in twelve different ways. I said in only one way. These nine sutras can be said in twelve different ways. And when you multiply twelve with nine it becomes one hundred and eight. The malas with one hundred and eight beads that you have seen in the necks of sannyasins are nothing more than a symbol of these nine sutras which can be said in twelve ways. And below those 108 beads you must have also seen the one hundred ninth part which is known as sumeru. Anybody starting from anywhere on these one hundred and eight ways will reach to that same ultimate one. I said these nine sutras of yoga to you only in one dimension. They can be said in twelve ways, thus making for 108 methods of meditation. One method of meditation is developed from each sutra. But from wherever one starts, he definitely reaches the same place. Even if somebody does not start from anywhere, then too, wherever he is standing, he is standing at the same place. The only difference is that he does not come to know where he is standing.´

Simply fascinating this new book, as it came in I sat down to read and it was hard to stop again. 
All about energy…

Energy can be in existence as well as in nonexistence. When energy is in nonexistence, the universe turns into a void. When energy is in existence, the universe comes into creation. Yoga understands that anything that 'is', becomes 'is not'. Whatsoever 'is', ends up as 'is not'. Whatsoever has a birth, has a death. Whatsoever has existence, has nonexistence too. Whatsoever is seen can also become unseen. Yoga understands that in this universe everything has double dimensions. In this universe, nothing is uni-dimensional. We cannot say that a man was born and he did not die. Howsoever much we may prolong his life span, we will have to come back to the same question -- he must have died at some point or he will die some time.

It is impossible to even conceive that one pole of something is birth and the other pole would not be death. It may be far away, far far away, the distance may seem to be endless, but the other pole is a must. Every pole must have its opposite pole just as a coin must have two sides. It seems simply impossible that there can be a coin having only one side. It cannot be. The second side has to be, because for one side to be, the other side is absolutely a must.

The second sutra of the science of Yoga is: Everything is two-dimensional. One dimension is of existence, th e second dimension is of nonexistence. The universe is, it can also become 'is-not'. We are, we can also become 'are not'. All that is, can become 'is-not'. By 'is-not' you do not take the meaning that it will exist in some other forms. No, it may simply become nonexistent. Existence is one side, nonexistence the other. It seems difficult to conceive how existence can come out of nonexistence. How can existence become nonexistence? But if we look at life all around us, we will realize that each moment what is not, will be, and what is -- that will move into 'is-not'. 
Our sun is becoming colder and colder every day. Its rays are getting lost into the void. Scientists say that it can remain hot for four million years more. In four million years, all its rays will have dissipated into the endless space, then it will also become void. If the rays can disappear into the void, they must also be arising from the void, otherwise how will the void come into existence? Science says our sun is dying, but other suns are being born in some other place. From where are they being born? They are being born out of the void.

The Vedas talk about a time when there was nothing; Upanishads also say there was a time when nothing existed and the Bible also talks of the time when there was nothing. Out of that nothingness is born all isness and the isness goes on disappearing into nothingness each moment. If we take the whole existence as one, then too we will have to accept a nonexistence beneath it.

So, the second sutra of Yoga is: Every existence has its nonexistence attached to it.
Energy has two dimensions -- existence and nonexistence. Energy can 'be' and it also can 'not be'. Hence Yoga's understanding is that creation is only one side, the other side is annihilation. It is not that all this will exist for ever! It will disappear, it will be destroyed. It will go on becoming again and again. For instance, if you break a seed and look into it, there is no trace of any tree there. No matter how much you search, you will not find any trace of a tree. But the tree certainly comes from this small seed. You have never thought about what is not found in the seed.

Where does the tree come from then? And such a huge tree was hidden in such a small seed! And then after giving birth to seeds that tree dissolves. Exactly like this, the whole existence comes into being and then dissolves. Energy comes into existence and then merges into nonexistence.
It is very difficult to catch hold of nonexistence. Existence is of course visible to us. Hence, according to Yoga, those who accept only existence, those who understand that existence is all, are seeing only the play. And to know only the play is ignorance.
Ignorance does not mean that one does not know. Ignorance means, one knows only the play. Knowing as such is there. Even if one knows that he does not know, then too the knowing is there. So the knowing is in all of us. So, ignorance does not mean not knowing. The most ignorant of all also knows some things. The meaning of ignorance according to Yoga is to know only half.
And remember, half truth is worse than untruth. Because it is possible to be free of untruth, but to be free from half truth is very difficult. It appears to be the truth and it is not. If it is wholly the untruth, purely the untruth, then it won't take time to be free from it. But if it is a half truth, it is very difficult to be free from it.

There is one more reason, a thing like truth cannot be divided into halves. In dividing it into halves it dies. Can you divide your love into half? Can you say "I love you half" to somebody? Either you love or you do not love, but half love is not possible. Can you say, "I do half stealing?" Maybe you steal half a rupee, but the stealing of half a rupee is also full stealing, and the stealing of half a paisa is also full stealing. Half stealing cannot be done. Half of a thing can be stolen but the stealing cannot be half.
The very meaning of half is that you are in illusion.
Yoga says that those who see only the existence are grasping only the half. And he who grasps only the half, lives in illusion, lives in ignorance.