Minor Arcana
9 of Fire
Exhaustion
Osho's Words
A man who lives through conscience becomes hard. A man who lives through consciousness remains soft. Why? because a man who has some ideas about how to live, naturally becomes hard. He has continuously to carry his character around himself. That character is like an armor; his protection, his security; his whole life is invested in that character. And he always reacts to situations through the character, not directly. If you ask him a question, his answer is ready-mead. That is the sign of a hard person - he is dull, stupid, mechanical. He may be a good computer, but he is not a man. You do something and he reacts in a well-established way. His reaction is predictable; he is a robot.
The real man acts spontaneously. If you ask him a question, your question get a response, not a reaction. He opens his heart to your question, exposes himself to your question, responds to it.
Commentary-Reading
This is the portrait of one whose whole life energy has been depleted in his efforts to keep fueling the enormous and ridiculous machine of self-importance and productivity. He has been so busy "keeping it all together" and "making sure everything runs smoothly", that he has forgotten to really rest. No doubt he can't allow himself to be playful. To abandon his duty for a trip to the beach could mean the whole structure might come tumbling down.
The message of this card is not just about being a workaholic, though. It is about all the way in which we set up safe but unnatural routines for ourselves and, by doing so, keep the chaotic and spontaneous away from our doors. Life isn't a business to be managed, it's a mystery to be lived. It's time to tear up the timecard, break out of the factory, and take a little trip into the uncharted. Your work can flow more smoothly from a relaxed state of mind.
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Commentary and Osho's Words are from the book
Osho Zen Tarot
The Transcendental Game of Zen
© 1994 by Osho International Foundation.
© 2001, 2002, 2003 Lady J's Artistic Creations
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