A fable is told of a centipede with arthritis who sought the advice of a wise old owl. “Centipede,” the owl said, “you have a hundred legs, all swollen up. Now if I were you, I would change myself into a stork. With only two legs you will cut your pain by ninety-eight percent, and if you use your wings you can stay off your legs altogether.”

The centipede was elated. “I accept your suggestion without hesitation” He said. “Now just tell me, how do I go about making the change?”

“Oh,” said the owl. “I would not know about the details – I only make general policy.”

Buddhism is not interested in general policy. It is not interested in philosophical speculation. It is interested in the details of life, its sufferings and their causes. It does not give you outlandish solutions. It does not provide you with new dreams. It simply looks face to face into life……

……Many have thought that Buddhism is pessimistic – it is not. It simply wants to face the life as it is, and life IS misery, and life is anguish. The easy way to avoid it is to escape into abstraction, to move into some dreamlands, to start thinking, about something else, to spin and weave theories so that y ou can hide the fact, the wound of life.

Osho from Take it Easy