Power of Music!

A very famous story about the power of Music told by Osho.

There is a very famous story about a Lucknow king. He was a great lover of music, and he invited a very great musician to the court. But the musician was an eccentric person. 

He said, ’I will play on my sitar but with only one condition – that nobody should be allowed to shake his head. People have to remain like statues. If somebody shakes his head, the head has to be cut.’

The king was surprised but he was also a madman; he said, ’Okay.’ He informed the whole town that only those should come who were perfectly in control, otherwise they would be playing with their life. 

Many thousands of people wanted to come but they were afraid – but a few people came; a few hundred people came. And the musician started playing. 

Half an hour passed and ten, twelve persons were just drunk with the music, shaking their heads; their energy moving. 

The king was surprised – ’Can music be so powerful? These people are risking their lives!’

After the programme those ten, twelve persons were caught, brought before the musician, and the king said, ’Now what do you say? Should we cut their heads?’ The musician said, ’No. These are the real people for whom I would like to give a special programme. 

I wanted to know the real people. A person who can risk his life – I would like to play before him. These are the real drunkards!’

People were sitting so stiff because even sometimes you might move for some other reason, and there might be some misunderstanding. People were sitting just like stone statues, but ten, twelve persons....

The king asked those twelve persons, ’Were you not aware? Why did you shake? Why did you move? Why were you influenced by the music when your life was in danger?’ They said, ’We don’t know. We tried to keep ourselves completely in control to a certain moment – beyond it, we were not there. So we cannot say that we moved our bodies. The bodies moved, that is certain, but we have not moved. We tried everything that we could do not to move, but then a moment came and we were helpless.... The music was so beautiful and so penetrating, that in that moment all idea of life and death disappeared. In fact the idea of self disappeared, so there was nobody to control. It happened on its own accord. We are ready – if we are to be killed, we are ready.’

Music has a tremendous power. It is alcoholic; through sound it intoxicates you. Through subtle vibrations of sound it makes you abandon yourself.

Enjoy other interesting Stories HERE!