OSHO Zen Study Group: I Existence

Indigo Rose

"This naked figure sits on the lotus leaf of perfection, gazing at the beauty of the night sky. She knows that 'home' is not a physical place in the outside world, but an inner quality of relaxation and acceptance. The stars, the rocks, the trees, the flowers, fish and birds---all are our brothers and sisters in this dance of life."Osho Zen Tarot by Osho

This card is so calming. As I look at her, I imagine she is me...sitting naked and free in the Universe, being all that I am....all that I was made to be...existing and being at peace. A theme carrying over from the Fool....freedom and peace with one's existence. Truly a unique card!
 

Rabbit

When my cats were dying I pulled this card twice, two different ocassions. Once in February (cancer), and then again in June (kidney failure). It wasn't until I pulled this card the second time for my second cat, that it came to me that this card meant they were ok. They were ok with what was happening, they were going to be at peace, without pain. I do not really know how to explain it. I just knew they were ok, although I knew I would be grieving and miss them dearly.
 

Judith D

It is a very peaceful card, isn't it - sorry about the cats, Rabbit, I lost two very recently too and it really is hard.
She sits on a lotus leaf: in buddhism the lotus is a sign of purity, that beauty and purity can come from mud (the lotus roots in mud, and flowers in the air) and deities and bodhisattvas are very often pictured sitting on or holding lotus flowers. She looks as if she is sitting in lotus position and meditating deeply. She is one with the whole universe - indistinguishable although a unique part.
Existence .... do we exist at all, or are we projections of our own incredible minds. If I am not, then you are not because we are all so closely intertwined and only have meaning as part of the whole.
I like the shooting star - supposed to be good luck isn't it? For me it does not look so much like the night sky (as in the commentary of the book) as like deep space.
I have been trying to correlate the images here with the more traditional majors. Existence would be as the Magician, but I see our figure more as being one with all, rather than having or exercising power over all. But the power of the mind is common to both.
I find this a peacefull, calming card, wonderful to use for meditation, or just losing yourself in the image for a brief rest for your mind.
 

fyreflye

The Existence card reflects a viewpoint quite opposite to that of the traditional card it replaces. The Magician is a manipulator, someone who deals with existence by asserting power over it, someone dissatisfied with the world and his place in it. The Magician wants to harness dangerous, even demonic forces to his will in order to create a world that reflects his own ego. The person on the Existence card contemplates the world, filled with awe at its majesty, content to be no more than a small part of it and with no desire to change it. While The Fool dances into the world, the person on the Existence card sits in meditation upon it.
 

brenmck

Is this the pure dumb luck of the Fool, to take one step and learn immediately that sitting is the goal, that manipulative grasping and ego- desire are the seat of suffering?
I think it has to be grace - an item not discussed much in Buddhism, and that is a great sticking point for me.
The ego-free Self already knows its worth and begins the journey there, having to return to the still point over and again. The still point is home.
The seat of Being is always open to us, when we are mindful of it.
We don't need to "go outside" - Being is always there and is the "only" thing we need to realize.

I project into this card that the "lotus leaf of perfection" also implies a support, a grounding, something provided for us in this vast emptiness, outside space and time. I don't always get this notion of support in Buddhist sources, but I am where I am, and this is what I see.

I have also had the experience of visitations by deceased animals (one actually played a very clever practical joke) - sentient beings who are nothing else but love. It was a great honor. Grace? :cool4:

brenmck
 

fyreflye

In my view it would be a mistake to view the sequencing of the cards in this deck as meant to reflect the Fool's Journey theme projected onto other tarots. When The Fool dances off that cliff he's already Enlightened. There is no overarching theory behind the OZT, just a collection of values. It would also be a mistake to assume that this deck has anything to do with the theory called "Buddhism." Though he respected the Buddha and some so-called "Zen" teachers, Osho was the consistent enemy of all religions.
 

Indigo Rose

fyreflye said:
... Though he respected the Buddha and some so-called "Zen" teachers, Osho was the consistent enemy of all religions.

Yes, he seems to respect the teachings of Masters or Teachers from which the various religions were started....Christ, Buddha. From this, I get the notion that it is NOT the teachings he is an enemy of....BUT the perversion of these teachings that occurs when these Great Ones are shrunk down into a controlled entity called "religion". It is the "religion" that morphs into something so unlike the Masters it was inspired by and often becomes nothing more than a means to control the masses. I see Osho inspiring independent thought in terms of spirituality; but not denying the wonderful teachings of Enlightened Ones through history.

:heart:
 

Indigo Rose

brenmck said:
I think it has to be grace - an item not discussed much in Buddhism, and that is a great sticking point for me......
I have also had the experience of visitations by deceased animals (one actually played a very clever practical joke) - sentient beings who are nothing else but love. It was a great honor. Grace? :cool4:
brenmck

Grace is something I see here also. It feels very much like the freedom found in my existence is the result of grace....Divine mercy....unmerited by me; but given freely out of the Divine's love. This is very unlike what we are told all too often in the "World"; especially as we seek spiritual understanding. More than not, we are told we have to "do" something to realize such great freedom in the Universe....here is a message that all we have to "do" is just be! Our freedom is a gift from the Creator...given out of great love; IMHO. Acceptance of LOVE is perhaps the biggest action step needed to receive the Freedom and PEACE waiting for us; as we learn the beauty of EXISTENCE.

:heart:
 

Indigo Rose

Rabbit said:
When my cats were dying I pulled this card twice, two different ocassions. Once in February (cancer), and then again in June (kidney failure). It wasn't until I pulled this card the second time for my second cat, that it came to me that this card meant they were ok. They were ok with what was happening, they were going to be at peace, without pain. I do not really know how to explain it. I just knew they were ok, although I knew I would be grieving and miss them dearly.

(((Rabbit))) I am glad you see that your cats are at peace. I have 5 of my own cats, so I know how deep the love goes for these beautiful spirits. I'm sorry for your loss....but thankful that you are finding comfort.

Judith D said:
...
I have been trying to correlate the images here with the more traditional majors. Existence would be as the Magician, but I see our figure more as being one with all, rather than having or exercising power over all. But the power of the mind is common to both.
I find this a peacefull, calming card, wonderful to use for meditation, or just losing yourself in the image for a brief rest for your mind.

These cards don't correlate so well to the traditional majors...at least not this one, for sure. I like your comments, and brenmck's comments also...they ring true. There is no EGO manipulaiton here....just a state of being.

:heart:
 

Judith D

I agree that Osho seems to be 'inspiring independent thought' which is after all exactly what we are doing here!
I also agree we will not be able to compare all cards directly with a traditional RWS deck, but for myself, I find working deeply on the Osho Zen is helping me immeasurably on the other side too.
I think this world could be a much more pleasant place if, like the figure in Existence, we could just sit and BE, and let the worlds around us unfold before us in their own truth.