An Interview With Carol Neiman, Editor-in-Chief of Osho International - Page 2
© Elizabeth Bissette
We've lost track of the original meaning of the word, I think, and somehow tend to think of it more in the "master-slave" sense than in the "master-apprentice" sense. In the Osho Zen Tarot it represents self-mastery, rather than being a master of others.
We included the Master card in the deck as a reminder that there is a place, ultimately, where the last thing in the world you would think to do is to consult a Tarot deck. If you know yourself, and you're living life moment to moment with authenticity and celebration, why bother?
Q: What does it mean to be a Buddha?
A: I think the answer to that is probably different in the details for everybody. But at its core, as I understand it, it means the capacity to encounter life fresh each moment as it presents itself. Not dragging any preconceived notions from the past into it, nor any hidden agendas for the future. It means to reclaim that childlike innocence I talked about earlier, the spontaneity and authenticity of a child together with the wisdom of experience.
Q: Osho is quoted in the book that accompanies the Tarot as saying, "To be a Buddha transcends all concepts of religions; it is everybody's birthright. Persuade it to come along with you..." Can the Osho Zen Tarot help us to discover the Buddha within each of us?
A: If it's used in the spirit in which it is intended to be used, yes. If you're looking for readymade answers or ten-step formulas, you're likely to be disappointed.
Q: How does the Osho Zen Tarot fit in with Osho's philosophy?
A: The Osho Zen Tarot celebrates life in all its dimensions, and doesn't make moral or ideological judgments about what is "good" and what is "bad." It sees difficulties and problems in human life as basically the products of unawareness. And when they arise, they are reminders to bring more alertness to who we are and what we are doing. Another way of putting it is that if we stumble against the furniture in a dark room, bruise ourselves, knock over a vase and break it, it's not because we are somehow intrinsically evil or wrong; it's because we haven't switched on the light.
It's also experience-based rather than belief-based, which is very important in the Osho perspective. Life is not about learning to follow
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