Mustard Seed

I read this book way back in the day when I was struggling to find the true meaning of Christ, and trying desperately to reconcile the adversity between all the supposed "great world religions." Baghwan Rajneesh's straight-forward and enlightened enterpretations of the quotes of Jesus helped me understand the correlation between Buddha and Jesus, made clear the underlying principles of true spiritual aspiration no matter what recognized (or unrecognized) path you are on.

You don't have to be a follower of Osho Rajneesh to appreciate his literary talents and masterful communication. In Mustard Seed, Osho made the supposedly secret teaching according to St. Thomas come alive in modern times. If you've never read any of Osho's books, you may begin with this one. If you're a Christian, after reading this book, you may feel like Jesus Christ has come back in person and was speaking directly to you through Osho's book. You'll feel like smiling and crying at the same time at the genius of Osho. He is without any doubt the greatest writer, author and communicator in modern times. A towering literary titan who breathes life, love and light into the most obscure philosphical and mystic teachings of all ages. In this book, Osho entertains you with his exceptional wit, insight, humor and friendliness. Tasting the words of Osho through his books is like drinking from the water of life. It will seduce and titillate you. It will make you rock with laughter and go mad with joy. It is difficult putting an Osho book down, once you begin reading one. He is like a cool breeze during the hot summer months that caresses not only your body but your soul as well. In Mustard Seed, he proves that he is the Guru Of all Gurus, a limitless ocean of wisdom, knowledge, insight, humor and literary brilliance. Ikey Benney, New York City

Over the course of a lifetime, only a handful of books truly changes the way one perceives the world. For me, this is one of those books. With wit and deep insight, Osho traverses the border of Western and Eastern thought drawing on the commonalities of both. The book rationalized some of the teachings of Jesus and put them in context-- some his most difficult parables were given clarity. Osho's words are sharp, and cut deep. Though I bought this book in 2000, I lost it soon after I finished it. Even now I still wrestle with some of his ideas. I won't go so far and say that this book is for everyone. It is quite long, and the reader must be open to Osho's ideas, which at times can seem black and white. But if you can get by that, the book is extremely deep. And satisfying.

No one holds up a mirror to his reader more effectively than OSHO. Pick up any of his books and read one page, and you will forget you are reading, and will realize that you are observing your own life, and your own character. If Krishnamurti is right, that to deeply observe oneself is to solve one's conflicts, than OSHO brings me closer to this than any other author. But that is not all: his writing brims with love and honesty. And in this book he is approaching the greatest advocate for love and honesty that the world has seen: Jesus. It is typical that OSHO studied Jesus; he considered him one the most important enlightened persons in history. He has no need to deify him, just as he does not need to deify anyone. That is not the point for OSHO; the point is, rather, for the person to achieve wholeness, peace, and love. He knows that Jesus is a master who can bring those things to you. He is without peer in having no apparent prejudices whatsoever, in favor of any established institution. He is all about the individual, living in the world. His books have had a major positive impact on my life. The only limitation on this impact is my own fear of or reluctance to change. But these books are beautifully written, and will challenge you to move beyond stereotypes, to become who you should be. And The Mustard Seed is absolutely my favorite book of his. I feel I should address a point brought up by another reviewer, who was very angry about the "anti-semitic" comments, in which OSHO suggests that the Nazis were a punisher that appeared for the Jewish people. It is true that OSHO sometimes strayed a little too far in his analysis. He occasionally is a bit out there, such as in one of his books when he suggests that the trees become scared if you walk into the woods with an axe. But it is important to note that he was not uttering anti-Semitic statements per se; he does not hate Jewish people. Rather, he was attempting to describe (albeit in a very unfortunate manner) the universal nature of the law, that if one sins, somehow one ends up being punished for it. These occasional excesses should not be seen as diminshing his work. These books are transcripts of extemporaneous talks he gave; anyone, talking for hours on end will say a goofy thing here and there. Take my word for it, though, read his books with an open mind, and you will feel your mind opening up and your world expanding. This is not b.s. new-agey stuff; it is the essence of great spiritual writing.

Osho introduces us not to Jesus the 'good man' or 'moral teacher' but to an alive, rebellious Master who can help us discover the innermost secrets of our being. He eats, drinks, laughs with his friends, and becomes a tremendous magnetic force for many who fall in love with him. If you thought you knew who Jesus was, read this book and think again.