The man was saying, “Let me come close to you my God. my Lord, and I promise that I will clean your body when it is dirty. Even if lice are there, I will take them away…. And I am a good shoe-maker, I will make you perfect shoes. You are moving in such ancient shoes — dirty, gone completely dirty…. And nobody looks after you, my Lord. I will look after you. When you are ill, I will serve and give you medicine. And I am a good cook also!”

This type of prayer he was doing! So Moses said, “Stop! Stop your nonsense! What are you saying? To whom are. you talking — to God? And He has lice on His body? And His clothes are dirty and you will clean them? And nobody is there to look after Him, and you will be His cook? From whom have you learned this prayer?”

The man said, “I have not learned it from anywhere. I am a very poor and uneducated man, and I don’t know how to pray. I have made it up myself and these are the things that I know. Lice trouble me very much, so He must be in trouble. And sometimes the food is not good — my wife is not a good cook — and my stomach aches. He must be also suffering. This is just my own experience that has become my prayer. But if you know the right prayer, you teach me.”

So Moses taught him the right prayer. The man bowed down to Moses, thanked him, tears of deep gratitude flowing, and he went away. Moses was very happy. He thought that he had done a good deed. He looked at the sky to see what God thought about it.

And God was very angry! He said, “I have sent you there to bring people closer to me, but you have thrown away one of my greatest lovers. Now he will be doing the right prayer, but it won’t be a prayer at all — because prayer has nothing to do with the law. It is LOVE. Love is a law unto itself; it needs no other law.”

But Moses is the lawgiver. He founded the society: he brought the Ten Commandments. Those Ten Commandments have remained the foundation of the whole Western world: Judaic, Christian, Mohammedan — all three religions depend on the law of Moses.

So the whole world has known only two lawgivers: the East knows Manu and the West knows Moses. Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, they have been supplied the law by Manu, the law has been given by Manu, and Moses has given to Mohammedans, Christians, Jews.

These two lawgivers have created the whole world. And there must be something — both are `M’: Manu and Moses. Then comes Marx who is the third `M’. China, Russia — he has given the law to them. These are the three great `M’s’ — lawgivers.

Osho – “Come Follow To You”

The post Absurd Prayer – A Spiritual Story by Osho appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

David protested. There is no such thing as Jewish shoes. There is a Jewish hat called a yarmukah, and there is a Jewish shawl called a tallit, but there are no Jewish shoes.

Yes there are insisted the messenger. The king knows there are jewish shoes. You can wear them for more than 40 years and the soles do not wear out.

That is impossible David replied. I make very good shoes but they only last for a few years, unless you only wear them a few times a year. If the king wants shoes that he can wear daily for 40 years I will have to make soles out of iron.

No good said the messenger. Iron shoes are to heavy.

David said he could make them out of aluminum.

No good! They would be lite, but too stiff.

I could make them with six inch thick rubber soles.

No good! The king would be too tall. He would fall over if he walked to fast.

Then I can't make them.

The messenger insisted that David make a pair of long lasting, 40 year, Jewish shoes for the king or David would find himself in jail for 40 years.

David began to cry. I do not know how to make shoes that do not wear out.

Arn't you a jew asked the messenger. David nodded. Then you should know how to make Jewish shoes said the messenger. The king says it is written in the jewish torah. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and read, “The book of Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 5″.

David cried louder. I don't know what is written in the torah. I only studied torah for a few years when I was a small child . I never studied torah when I was an adult. Does the torah explain how to make shoes that do not wear out?

The messenger shook his head; no

Then it is a miracle said David. That is not good. I also don't know how to explain miracles. I need a rabbi. Please let me get a rabbi to help me.

The king's messenger said the shoemaker should come to the the king's court in three days with the rabbi, or the Jewish shoes. Or else he could go directly to jail.

As soon as the messenger left, David started seeking a rabbi. However, since David didn't belong to a congregation it took him two days until he found a rabbi to accompany him to the king's court.

The rabbi praised the king for studying the torah. Moses did indeed tell the Jewish people that during the 40 years that their parents were in the sinai desert their shoes did not wear out.

Those are the kind of shoes I want the king said.

O.K. Replied the rabbi. But first we have to prepare your feet so that they do not wear out before the soles do. You are a king so why should you have to walk so much. For the next two months when ever you are sitting, instead of getting up and walking someplace, you should command your servants to pick up your chair and carry you to the place you want to go. We will return in two months and your Jewish shoes will be 50% ready.

When they returned two months later the rabbi asked the king to walk together with him in the garden. After a few minuets the king complained that his feet hurt. His leg muscles had gotten weak because he hadn't been using them.

The rabbi nodded wisely and said that for the next month the king should exercise each day. In the second month the king should carry sick or very old people to any place they need to go. If you do this, when we meet again you will have your Jewish shoes.

When the rabbi returned he asked the king how his feet were. My feet are great replied the king. They are stronger than they have ever been.

The rabbi smiled and said to the king,” now you can understand what Moses said in the torah. Some things ware out when they are used a lot. Other things get stronger the more you use them. Muscles get stronger with more use. The more you love the more you can love. The same is true for faith and trust. The old shoes that you love, that fit you so well, you keep. The ones you don't wear much, are the ones you throw away. The well read, worn out book you keep. The one that is untouched you give away. If you want Jewish shoes or a Jewish soul for your feet: give more to others. With giving, the more you give, the more you have.

I understand said the king and he smiled. I too understand said David the shoemaker. I am proud of our torah, and I am going to study torah every day. I will make less shoes and soles on my last, and through torah study and doing mitsvot for other people, I will make my own soul last longer.

Rabbi Maller's web site is rabbimaller.Com

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