The New Man for The New Decade: Zorba The Buddha

Zorba The Greek is the iconic role played by theearth without the sky will be dead. Both together - and
famous Hollywood actor the late Anthony Quinn. In hisa dance comes into existence. The earth and the sky
most memorable role, Quinn played a middle-ageddancing together - and there is laughter, there is joy,
rough guide who celebrates life in film during the Sixtiesthere is celebration. You have to be whole: rich in the
- 'Zorba The Greek' - that won three Oscars. Basedbody, rich in science; rich in meditation, rich in
on the novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis,consciousness. Only a whole person is a holy person,
the main character, Zorba eats, drinks, sings, dances;according to me."
he lives, loves and laughs passionately, totally. EnjoyingAfter what we have suffered in the last decade, for
all his senses, he relishes every moment of his life thatthe new decade, a new man is needed - Zorba and
is just a game for him.Buddha . Zorba alone is hollow. His dance has not an
In Gautama the Buddha, the world knows an Indianeternal significance, it is momentary pleasure. Soon he
prince who abandons his luxurious life – his palaces,will be tired of it. Unless you have inexhaustible
his pleasures, his princess and even his infant son - tosources, available to you from the cosmos itself...
search his true self in the forest. He starves himself,unless you become existential, you cannot become
denies himself until he becomes quiet, calm, still,whole. The whole person can achieve goals, targets,
peaceful, silent, and serene. Finally, he becomesresults, deadlines and all it entails and yet live, love and
enlightened.laugh.
Can Zorba be combined with Buddha?If we want a whole man — and a whole man is the
Naah! One cannot imagine a Buddha who celebratesonly holy man — then Zorba has to be absorbed into
life, who dances and sings and laughs or a Zorba whoBuddha. They have to be accepted totally as one.
sits still, seriously, silently, unsmilingly - and yet this is theBuddha cannot laugh, cannot dance, cannot sing,
combination of two polar opposites Osho presents uscannot love. Now what kind of life will it be? Hollow!
as the only alternative to our current madness of theZorba can sing, dance, enjoy food, drink, love. He will
marketplace. The two opposites can never meet untilhave a life, but he will not know who he is. He will not
Osho declared that not only they should but they must,know the meaning of existence.
if the modern man is to survive.Zorba the Buddha will create a unity in you; your body
Says Osho, "Zorba is the roots in the earth, and theand soul will have a unity. You will not have to fight
Buddha is a longing to fly into ultimate freedom, toagainst your nature, you can use it as a stepping
reach to the space, which is unbounded. I would likestone. There is no need to fight, there is no need to
you to be Zorba the Greek and Gautama the Buddharepress. If you are one, you would like to dance in the
together, simultaneously. Less than that won't do.open air under the sun. That will be your real prayer.
Zorba represents the earth with all its flowers andNothing is said, nothing is asked, but you are showing
greenery and mountains and rivers and oceans.your gratitude to existence. Zorba the Buddha will not
Buddha represents the sky with all its stars and clouds,only destroy the split in man, it will destroy the split in
and the rainbows. The sky without the earth will besociety. He meditates in the marketplace.
empty. The sky cannot laugh without the earth. The