On Basic Human Rights: A New Narrative
On Basic Human Rights: A New Narrative
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Osho examines the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, created in part as a response to the nightmare of Nazi Germany that led to the Second World War - and declares it to be little more than an expression of the hypocrisy of a barbarous society. When Osho takes on issues of social or political relevance, one can expect to be confronted with something that disturbs the cozy belief systems, and self-righteous convictions that support the notion that as civilized human beings, of course we know what is right and what is wrong. Others find it offensive that a “spiritual” person would even venture into a conversation about politics or social issues. But Osho is a man of his own category, and has said:
“I look at life in its totality, and that total vision is what I call spirituality. Politics is one of the subjects, and so is mathematics, and human rights.
Spirituality is not a single category; spirituality means life in its totality. Spirituality means knowing and living life in its totality.…
I am neither a promoter nor a preacher. I want to shatter everyone's sleep. I want to shake people out of their unconsciousness, so they can see and think for themselves…of course, people become angry if they are woken up, but I am happy with that – because it is the beginning of their awakening.”
“My declaration of human rights consists of ten fundamental things.
The first is life…
My second consideration is for love…
The third most fundamental right…because these are the three most important things in life: life, love, and death.
Everybody should be given the fundamental right that after a certain age, when he has lived enough and does not want to go on dragging unnecessarily, he has the right to leave his body.
The fourth: the search for truth…
Fifth: all education systems will create a certain atmosphere for meditation.
Meditation does not belong to any religion, and meditation is not a belief. It is a pure science of the inner.
The sixth: freedom in all dimensions…
Seventh: one earth, one humanity…
Eighth: uniqueness of every individual…
Ninth: a world government…
And tenth: meritocracy. Democracy has failed…”
Chapter Titles
Introduction
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: What Does it Mean?
#1: Celebrating the UN Declaration: An Exercise in Hypocrisy
#2: Universal Human Rights for the New Humanity
#3: The UN and the “Scourge of War”
Starting Over: Roadmaps for a Revolution in Consciousness
#4: Bravo America?
#5: Now or Never
#6: Every Woman Should Try to Prevent War
#7: A More Human Technology
#8: From Revenge to Compassion
#9: Public Servants, Missionaries, and Their Kind
#10: Whatever the Consequence, Be True
#11: The Genius Creates, the Meditator Discovers
#12: The Bell Tolls for Thee
#13: Every Crowd Is a Motley Crowd
#14: Terrorism Is in Your Unconsciousness
#15: Freedom and Love, Tthe Center and Circumference
#16: The Journey from Hope to Hopelessness
#17: Epilogue: A Very Valuable Time
Appendix
#18: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
#19: United Nations Charter: Preamble
Details
Every human being is a category unto himself. And unless we recognize the uniqueness of each individual, there are not going to be any human rights, and there is not going to be a civilized world—human, loving, rejoicing.
Excerpt From : On Basic Human Rights : A New Narrative
One of the struggles we face as human beings is how to cope with, how to bring light to, how to dissolve the roots of the perverse and incomprehensible horrors — physical, psychological, spiritual — that we seem capable of inflicting on one another. What are the roots of wars, of torture, of murder and hatred and our all-too-easy dehumanization of the “other”?
He quotes the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to expose the hollowness of the words.
Why is our human reality on this planet so far off from these beautifully worded declarations?
Osho exposes the hypocrisy and the vested interests that underlie the core of that document and so many others like it. But he doesn’t stop there. He challenges us to create a new language, a new narrative, a transformative and liberating vision of what it means to treat one another with awareness, with love, and with respect.
In our individual lives, as in the lives and generations of our society, there is a revolution, a transformation that happens alongside each change that happens in consciousness — individual and collective — as our technology continues to bring us (potentially) all together into a “global village.” And alongside it, the change in consciousness that is now required of us, as a common humanity living on a smallish and rather beautiful, sacred planet. To see ourselves as God’s creation, if you will. Or Gaia, or whatever term of oneness most appeals to you.
This small volume is an opening to the revolution in consciousness that is so urgently needed for our times.
Details
More Information
Type Compilations
Publisher Osho Media International
ISBN 1938755855
ISBN-13 978-1938755859
Dimensions (size) 5 x 0.6 x 8 inches
Number of Pages 192
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