“Truth is one … But man approach this truth in two ways … the first path is Via Affirmativa, Jesus, Mohammed, Krishna followed the path of the affirmation … in modern times Gurdieff and Ramakrishna followed the path … the second is Via Negativa, through negation … Lao Tzu, Buddha, Nagarjuna – they followed the path of negation. In modern times Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti – they followed the path of the no.”
I’m nearing the end of the Book by Osho on Taoism. It is absolutely fantastic. I just reached a very interesting discussion: of the Two paths to the Truth.
The idea is there are two basic approaches to reachign the Truth (or englightenment or god or whatever name one may choose to put on it). These two approaches are as valid as one another, it is a matter of a person’s taste or way of going on his/her path. The first path is yang, the second is yin.
The first path is the path of affirmation, or the way of the ascetic. It is a positive approach to ‘God’. You actively seek it, search for it. The second path is the path of negation, the path of the mystic. You do not seek God, but rather wait for God, you keep the door open and are receptive.
“On the first path, the greatest danger is of the ego, because you have to do much, and if you are too egoistic, you will become a doer and then the ego will become a problem. One has to do, yet not to strengthen the ego. On the second path, lethargy is the problem. You are not to do anything; one can become lethargic, one can become dull and dead …
On the path of affirmation, God is always with you, you are never alone. You can always talk to God, pray to God, you can always hope that he is with you … On the path of the ascetic you are never alone, you can always pray … On the mystic path you have to be alone – no possiblity of ‘being together’. It is a deep inactivity, so deep that the very idea of action has to be dropped and renounced. No desire, no action; one has just to be. Aloneness has to be experienced. Solitude has to be experienced.
On the negative path prayer is not possible … “prayer means that you are still not capable of being alone; you are still attached to the other” …
That is why on the negative path meditation is more significant than prayer.
He then goes on to say that all the religions can be devided into these two paths: Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity are all on the path of Via Affirmativa; whereas Buddhism, Taoism and Zen are on the path of Via Negativa.
Hinduism and Islam have reached their utmost in Sufism, which is like a child of the two which has transcended both, making it the “peak of the affirmative”.
On the other side is a meeting of Buddhism and Taoism which has given birth to Zen which once again transcends it’s parents.
These he says are the two highest crescendos, Sufism of Affirmative, ‘nothing but pure prayer, zikr’, and Zen is ‘nothing but meditation’.
This is quite the fascinating discussion. I really find, that at least for me, it struck a rather deep cord, and really brought together alot of many strands of thought.
