GodisDead,NowZenistheOnlyLivingTruthTalksgivenfrom06/02/89pmto12/02/89pmEnglishDiscourseseries7ChaptersYearpublished:1989GodisDead,NowZenistheOnlyLivingTruthChapter#1Chaptertitle:Godisapuppeteer6February1989pminGautamtheBuddhaAuditoriumArchivecode:8902065ShortTitle:GDEAD01Audio:YesVideo:YesLength:195minsOURBELOVEDMASTER,ONTHEIRFIRSTMEETING,SEIGENASKEDSEKITO,"WHEREDOYOUCOMEFROM?"ANDSEKITOREPLIED,"ICOMEFROMSOKEI."SEIGENHELDUPAWHISKANDSAID,"DIDYOUFINDTHISOVERTHERE?"SEKITOREPLIED,"NO,NOTONLYWASITNOTOVERTHERE,BUTITWASALSONOTINTHEWESTLAND."SEIGENASKED,"YOUREACHEDTHEWESTLAND,DIDN'TYOU?"TOWHICHSEKITOREPLIED,"IFIHADREACHED,ICOULDHAVEFOUNDIT."SEIGENSAID,"NOTYETENOUGH--SPEAKFURTHER."SEKITOREPLIED,"YOUSHOULDALSOSPEAKFROMYOURSIDE.HOWISITYOUURGEONLYME?"SEIGENSAID,"THERE'SNOPROBLEMFORMEINANSWERINGYOU,BUTNOBODYWOULDAGREEWITHIT."SEIGENCONTINUED,"WHENYOUWEREATSOKEI,WHATDIDYOUGETTHERE?"SEKITOREPLIED,"EVENBEFOREGOINGTOSOKEI,IHADN'TLOSTATHING."THENSEKITOASKED,"WHENYOUWEREINSOKEI,DIDYOUKNOWYOURSELF?"SEIGENSAID,"HOWABOUTYOU?DOYOUKNOWMENOW?"SEKITOANSWERED,"YES,IDO.HOWCANIKNOWYOUANYFURTHER?"HECONTINUED,"OSHO,SINCEYOULEFTSOKEI,HOWLONGHAVEYOUBEENSTAYINGHERE?"SEIGENREPLIED,"IDONOTKNOWEITHER.ANDYOU,WHENDIDYOULEAVESOKEI?"SEKITOSAID,"IDON'TCOMEFROMSOKEI."SEIGENRESPONDED,"ALLRIGHT--NOWIKNOWWHEREYOUCOMEFROM."SEKITOSAID,"OSHO,YOUAREAGREATONE--DONOTWASTETIME."Friends,anewseriesoftalksbeginstoday:GODISDEAD,NOWZENISTHEONLYLIVINGTRUTH.TheseriesisdedicatedtoFriedrichNietzsche,whowasthefirstmaninthehistoryofmankindtodeclare,"Godisdead,thereforemanisfree."Itwasatremendousstatement;itsimplicationsaremany.FirstIwouldliketodiscussNietzsche'sstatement.AllthereligionsbelievethatGodcreatedtheworldandalsomankind.Butifyouarecreatedbysomeone,youareonlyapuppet,youdon'thaveyourownsoul.Andifyouarecreatedbysomebody,hecanuncreateyouanymoment.Heneitheraskedyouwhetheryouwantedtobecreated,norishegoingtoaskyou,"Doyouwanttobeuncreated?"Godisthegreatestdictator,ifyouacceptthefictionthathecreatedtheworldandalsocreatedmankind.IfGodisareality,thenmanisaslave,apuppet.Allthestringsareinhishands,evenyourlife.Thenthereisnoquestionofanyenlightenment.ThenthereisnoquestionoftherebeinganyGautamtheBuddha,becausethereisnofreedomatall.Hepullsthestrings,youdance;hepullsthestrings,youcry;hepullsthestrings,youstartmurders,suicide,war.Youarejustapuppetandheisthepuppeteer.Thenthereisnoquestionofsinorvirtue,noquestionofsinnersandsaints.Nothingisgoodandnothingisbad,becauseyouareonlyapuppet.Apuppetcannotberesponsibleforitsactions.Responsibilitybelongstosomeonewhohasthefreedomtoact.EitherGodcanexistorfreedom,bothcannotexisttogether.ThatisthebasicimplicationofFriedrichNietzsche'sstatement:Godisdead,thereforemanisfree.Notheologian,nofounderofreligionsthoughtaboutthis,thatifyouacceptGodasthecreator,youaredestroyingthewholedignityofconsciousness,offreedom,oflove.Youaretakingallresponsibilityfromman,andyouaretakingallhisfreedomaway.YouarereducingthewholeofexistencetojustthewhimofastrangefellowcalledGod.ButNietzsche'sstatementisboundtobeonlyonesideofthecoin.Heisperfectlyright,butonlyaboutonesideofthecoin.Hehasmadeaverysignificantandmeaningfulstatement,buthehasforgottenonething,whichwasboundtohappenbecausehisstatementisbasedonrationality,logicandintellect.Itisnotbasedonmeditation.Manisfree,butfreeforwhat?IfthereisnoGodandmanisfree,thatwillsimplymeanmanisnowca...