Nieva21's Reviews > Love, Freedom, Aloneness: The Koan of Relationships

I am keeping this book as a primary source in my library that I may re-read and reference from time to time. I feel it's the kind of book that is necessary to read in different phases in one's life and still be able to gather new information from. It isn't stuffy either. It's written in a simplistic style that relates to all ages and across all lifestyles. This book doesn't preach, which is why I love it and put it in my favorite section. It instead, gives you some food for thought. There is really nothing written that can be argued with, but instead, there are concepts that we all deal with on a daily basis. Of course, we don't look at them from Osho's perspective all the time, or nearly at all if ever. If we intend to we fall short, but he doesn't penalize us either, he gives us the quality of who we are, so we can know ourselves better, so that we don't have to keep feeling an overwhelming nagging emptiness, that can only can only be filled with the dependence on someone else. Instead he tells us how to enrich our lives with being authentic in ourselves, with delighting in who we are, which in itself is accepting ourself and allowing ourselves to be free. By doing this, we achieve the ultimate practice of self-discipline which is necessary to know ourselves when we're alone, instead of always seeking the answers in others. In this way, we can be valuable to others. He gives us the chance to question our motives, see our strengths and turn our weaknesses into a thing of the past, but only to view vulnerability as a weakness is one-sided-- so in this book we learn how to recognize that as a huge strength to help others.
I recommend this book to everybody that is stuck! I think that is most people from time to time in life. Even if you feel you are too proud to read this book and don't need help-- don't look at this book as a self-help book, it's so much more than that, it's a transcendental experience. It will force you to look at yourself in a whole new way that you never did before every time you read it. It will force you to consider and construct a new you as you read. It may not feel like it's okay or fair to be alone-- it may feel like it's lonely or makes you sad. You may remember the terrible times, or feel incredibly unstable when you find yourself alone with nothing whatsoever to do to fill in the lapse of time... Ohso, questions your mind-- he asks you what makes your boredom, what fills your heart with joy, what is fleeting happiness, what makes you want to be the best you can be-- even if you aren't there right now, he will connect you to your true inner joy and remove animosity, hatred, sarcasm, materialism, negaitivity and need for wealth. This book is simple, but so many things which are simple when they are phrased in the easiest ways have a hard and a deep intention... that is what 'koan' means.