The Book of Secrets became an Osho “classic” shortly after it was first published. And no wonder – it contains not only a comprehensive overview of Osho’s unique, contemporary take on the eternal human quest for meaning, but also the most comprehensive set of meditation techniques available to help find that meaning within our own lives. As Osho explains in the first chapter: These are the oldest, most ancient techniques. But you can call them the latest, also, because nothing can be added to them. They have taken in all the possibilities, all the ways of cleaning the mind, transcending the mind. Not a single method could be added to [these] one hundred and twelve methods. It is the most ancient and yet the latest, yet the newest. Old like old hills – the methods seem eternal – and they are new like a dewdrop before the sun, because they are so fresh. These one hundred and twelve methods constitute the whole science of transforming mind. A few things will help the reader’s understanding: Each chapter of The Book of Secrets was originally delivered as an extemporaneous talk, addressed to a gathering of seekers from all over the world, from all walks of life. This gives the text an immediacy and fluidity that is hard to achieve in “written” texts, and the reader is encouraged to approach the book (and all Osho books, for that matter) in that spirit – like taking a walk on the beach, not in search of a specific seashell but with an openness to the unfamiliar and unexpected. In the opening chapter, Osho urges the reader to experiment with each of the meditation techniques he will be talking about – “just play with it for three days,” he suggests. And he emphasizes the word play. Not to be serious, not to make strenuous efforts or discipline yourself, but play. And when you find a technique that really seems to “click” with you, one that you enjoy and that seems to bring something new and fresh into your life, then you can explore it more deeply. Each chapter that focuses on describing specific meditation techniques is followed by a chapter of questions from those who were present during the talks. In most cases, their questions relate to the techniques given in the previous chapter. So, as you start to experiment with a technique, it will be helpful to look into these chapters for some extra hint, some greater depth of understanding, or response to a question that might have arisen for you in your experiments. Finally, remember not to mistake the map for the destination. The Book of Secrets is not a series of answers, it’s a set of keys. Osho promises at the very beginning that this set of keys is complete, not missing even one pattern for even a single door. The key to your own door is in here somewhere. All you have to do is try the keys, one after the other, until you find the one that fits. Then open the door and see for yourself what lies within. —Sarito Carol Neiman