Osho going to Prostitute and Smoking

Once, I wanted to go to visit a prostitute. I was only fifteen years old and had heard that a prostitute had come to the village. My grandmother asked me, "Do you know what a prostitute means?"

I said, "I don't know exactly."

Then she said, "You must go and see, but first only go to see her sing and dance."

In India prostitutes sing and dance first, but the singing and the dancing was so third rate and the woman was so ugly that I vomited! I returned home in the middle, before the dancing and singing had finished, and before the prostituting had begun. My Nani asked, "Why have you come home so early?"

I replied, "It was nauseating."

Only later when I read Jean-Paul Sartre's book, NAUSEA, did I understand what had happened to me that night. But my grandmother even allowed me to go to a prostitute. I don't remember her ever saying no to me. I wanted to smoke; she said, "Remember one thing: smoking is okay, but always smoke in the house."

I said, "Why?"

She said, "Others may object, so you can smoke in the house. I will provide you with cigarettes."

She continued to provide me with cigarettes until I said, "Enough! I don't need any more."

Osho 

Glimpse of golden childhood

Chapter 4

Ma Taru & OSHO

Talk with Taru after discourse. She’s the jovial Indian lady who sings the sutras at the beginning of the Hindi lectures. She lives in ‘my’ guest room; an extra-large force of nature; funny, clever, full of life. She first came to Osho in 1963. We sit cross-legged opposite each other and she starts talking about the old days. Osho had left his family already at the age of seventeen. He was never much of a family-oriented person. Apparently, his sister looked after him and worked as a teacher to finance his studies.

Taru first met Osho at a panel of public lectures given by different teachers. She was drawn to him from the first moment when she heard him speak – he was so very different from the other panel-members. Among the gurus and pundits, Osho was exceptional.

She said that she had once met him on the street in Bombay, just before the Indian New Year celebration. He was carrying bags in each hand, with bottles of gin and whisky, and he asked her to come and see him later that day, at five. Together with her daughter, she sat before Osho.

“He pulled me closer and put his thumb on my third eye and I was gone… I was seeing green meadows and flowers, a blue river – I was in paradise! When it was over and I was so shaken up, Osho just smiled. ‘You will be with me for always, this is not the first time that you are with me.’ After that, I was looking after his household. My husband supported me, and he himself became Osho’s doctor.”

At that time, Osho was physically very active. “He didn’t declare his enlightenment to us and even though we knew that we were spending time with someone special, we never imagined that he was enlightened.”

She’s an imposing phenomenon, Taru, as she sits there on the bed. When she wants to emphasise something, she whacks me on the thigh, and when she tells of how Vivek took over her job as housekeeper when Osho came to Poona, the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

Osho never had any money with him, she told me, but he always expected that we would bring him only the best of the best. He wore the finest cloth, the priciest shoes and loved exquisite food. Rich followers used to finance his constant travels all over India, and the apartment in Bombay, and his enormous collection of books, crates of which were often sent along with him on his journeys.

Taru swore that all rumours about Osho and sex were pure imagi- nation.

“I’ve met a few women who insist that they have slept with Osho. It’s not that they are consciously lying, more like they are fantasising about Osho when they are actually in bed with their own husbands!”

Tamo San and OSHO

When she reached the age of twenty two, when she was to be ordained by the Nishi Honganji head temple of the Jodo-Shinshuu sect. While waiting in the room before the ceremony, the scroll on the wall said, “Seeing the Truth”, suddenly broke into millions of golden particle, and streamed into her body.

She saw the birth of the universe, everything in the universe and how things appeared to be separated from one another, where they are actually inseparable. Everything is essentially light and light is inseparable.

She saw that it is an illusion to think of ourselves as separate human beings, when in truth, we are born of the same life force. All of the information that poured into her mind, was so huge that it took her about ten days to assimilate.

After that experience, she understood her calling. In order to bring about everlasting peace on earth, all of mankind needs to be awakened. There is no other way! She knew that the experience she had, must be shared by every man on earth, otherwise suffering of all the living beings including the planet will never cease.

Tamo-san said, that it will take time for all of mankind to be awakened, but when it happens, it happens to all of us simultaneously. The darkest time of the day is right before dawn. Now is the dark time, so the dawn is near.

==============================================================================================================================================

Reverend Ryoju Kikuchi, a Japanese woman also known as Tamo-san, visited Pune and on the 29th of November 1989, during the meeting of the White Robe Brotherhood in Buddha Hall, Osho showered rose petals on her, acknowledging her enlightenment. Osho also gave her a copy of The Zen Manifesto, with a certificate which read, "I, Osho, as a buddha in my own right, recognise and rejoice in your enlightenment. I know, and you must be knowing, that there is one step more - going beyond enlightenment, and being nothing."

Tamo-san came to Poona because she heard Osho′s health was in danger. "I came to give my energy to Osho so that his strength would come back. He can make a big change in the world. I want to make sure that he will be well," she said.

Long time ago (1957), Tamo-san published a book, called Moor The Boat, giving her view on the world situation we are facing right now.

==============================================================================================================================================

We were sewing peacefully in the sewing room in Lao Tzu House when there was a call for Japanese Geeta to come to Neelam’s office. Someone had arrived and translating help was need. On her return Geeta told us that an old Japanese lady called Tamo–San, a priestess from a temple near Kamakura, south of Tokyo, had arrived with three disciples. She explained that she had come to visit Osho to give all her energy to him as he could reach people worldwide in a way that she could not. We were awed to hear this amazing story and were very curious to see how Osho would respond. In Buddha hall that evening I could see the exquisite tiny lady sitting in the front row with her disciples. She seemed so light and so full of light and so very still. When Osho walked on to the podium, unusually Anando came with him. I saw that she was carrying a beautifully carved brass bowl.

Osho walked to the edge of the podium and gestured to Tamo–San to come to him. She gracefully got up and stood in front of him, smiling up at him. He took the bowl from Anando, picked up a handfuls of rose petals and gently showered Tamo–San with the petals. When they were finished he namasted to her, she bowed in the Japanese way to him and they both returned to their seats. I was transfixed. What was I witnessing? There seemed to be a transmission without words, a conveying of knowing and understanding – and an exchange of infinite love.

Tamo–San left the next day without saying a word of what had transpired.

--Veena

==============================================================================================================================================

Veena remembers Tamo San’s visit to Pune and her own visit to her house in Japan

I was recently discussing climate change with my brother and suddenly started telling him about the mysterious visit of an enlightened Japanese woman to Osho in Poona in 1989 and my subsequent visits to her in her beautiful little temple in Enoshima, near Kamakura, where I lived for 5 years. He was uncharacteristically silent when I finished and then said, ‘You must write that down. It is such a beautiful story, it should not be lost!’

So, here is the story…

We were sewing peacefully in the sewing room in Lao Tzu House when there was a call for Japanese Geeta to come immediately to Neelam’s office. Someone had arrived and her translating help was need.

On her return, Geeta told us that an old Japanese lady called Tamo-San, a priestess from a temple near Kamakura, south of Tokyo, had arrived with three disciples. She had explained that she had come to visit Osho to give all her energy to him as he could reach people worldwide in a way that she could not. We were awed to hear this amazing story and were very curious to see how Osho would respond.

In Buddha Hall that evening, waiting for Osho to arrive, I could see the exquisite tiny lady sitting in the front row with her disciples. She seemed so light and so full of light and so very still. After Osho had greeted us he walked to the edge of the podium and gestured to Tamo-San to come close. She gracefully got up and stood smiling up at him. Anando quietly stood up too and I could see she was holding a beautifully decorated brass bowl.

Osho took the bowl from Anando, picked up a handful of the rose petals it contained, and gently showered Tamo-San with the petals. He then namasted to her, she bowed in the Japanese way to him, and they both returned to their seats.

I was transfixed. What was I witnessing? There seemed to be a transmission without words, a conveying of knowing and understanding – and an exchange of infinite love.
Tamo-San left the next day without saying a word of what had transpired.

I never forgot the wonder of that moment and when I went to Japan a few years later and heard that Tamo-San was living in a small temple in a nearby village, I of course went to see her. Three western sannyasins who were also living in Kamakura – we were all teaching English – came with me.

It was a wintery afternoon when we arrived at the beautiful, old, thatched building set in a Japanese garden. The entrance was in the traditional style: one took off one’s shoes on one level and then stepped up to another level which was covered in tatami mats and slipped one’s feet into the slippers offered to guests. We were then welcomed by Tamo-San’s daughter who spoke quite good English.

First we went into the temple where people were meditating. A faint fragrance of Japanese incense hung in the air and Tamo-San was – it is hard to explain – kind of singing a chant, creating sounds unfamiliar to my western ears. She was, apparently, famous for this kind of chanting. Sitting there I felt the same kind of energy that I had felt when sitting with Osho –although it was lighter and softer, maybe because she was a woman and older.

After the short ceremony, Tamo-San got up and welcomed us by giving us all an incredibly strong hug, surprising for its strength considering her size and age. This, we learnt later, was how she transmitted energy to people, as well as with her singing.

She gave us water to drink which, she told us, came from a sacred well in the temple grounds and contained healing properties. She then took us into her inner sanctuary to show us her shrine. In the centre was a statue of Buddha. On his left was a Christian crucifix and on his right was a picture of Osho. She touched each one gently and told us that these were the three most important beings the world had ever known and that she meditated on them every day.

I was stunned. I felt I was getting a tiny glimpse of a great mystery – particularly where Osho was concerned. How was this eight-five year old lady, who spoke no English and who lived in comparative isolation in a tiny village in Japan, so clear and sure about Osho’s importance in this world, equating him with Buddha and Christ? And what existential force or knowledge directed her to leave her sanctuary, get on a plane and go to Poona to see Osho for an evening and then leave? It was a huge journey for such a frail old lady. This was all far beyond my understanding.

We also learnt something quite unexpected. It seemed that after getting a university degree in ecology, Tamo-San had spent much of her life campaigning tirelessly in Japan and many other countries for people and their leaders to wake up and do something about the damage we were causing to the environment. We were shown some albums of photos and newspaper clippings of her as a young woman leading rallies to raise awareness about saving the planet. She had also written a small book, the title of which, translated into English, was ‘Stop the Boat!’ On the cover there was a sketch of people in a boat sailing towards a weir. The people in the boat were facing the other way, unaware that disaster was only a few minutes away.

Then the daughter, who did not seem to share Tamo-San’s love for Osho and was rather abrupt with us, made it clear that she felt we had had enough attention and should now leave. Tamo-San, however, had other ideas and created considerable consternation when she told her disciples that she wanted us all to stay for dinner. Not only that, she wanted to make us a treat called mulchi, which is a Japanese sweet tasting rather strange but quite delicious.

I can’t find the words to express how incredibly sweet Tamo-San was – playful, childlike, delicate, gentle – but incredibly strong. She delighted in cooking for us and watching us eat the food she prepared for us.

Then it really was time to go so once more she gave each one of us her incredible hug and we were ushered to the front entrance where we took off the slippers and stepped down onto the ground to put on our shoes. Our state of gentle bliss was further increased by the sight of snowflakes silently falling. We gazed in awe at the now altered garden and trees, all powdered with glistening new snow.

Then there was a call. We turned back to look at the entrance and Tamo-San was there, gesturing us to wait. She then disappeared and we stood for a while in the falling snow. We heard her softly singing before she re-appeared in the entrance – as if on a stage – and proceeded to dance a delicate stately dance for us, accompanying herself with her own song. She ended by kneeling down and bowing to us, then got up and waved as she floated back into the house.

Needless to say we were all in tears at the incredible beauty and energy we had just been part of. We, too, floated back home.

Text by Veena – first published in OSHOinUK in January 2008 and soon to be published as a chapter in Veena’s upcoming new book Glimpses of my Master

========================================================================================

Ma Anand Sarita

Later, I visited her in Japan. She had an altar with pictures of Buddha and Osho. Her way of working was very interesting. She was a tiny woman but with superhuman strength. She would pick up a huge grown man, give him a powerful blow on the back and put him back down. She did this to me and I was reeling from the lightning bolt of energy that ran through my body for days afterwards! Tamo san left her body on 21^st November 2001.

Tamo san says:

“In the old days, evil things spread rapidly, but now good things spread rapidly. If you understand…everything begins to appear wonderful and beautiful, and it naturally makes people stop wasting or stop desiring unnecessary things. This awakening is contagious and it will be transmitted to everybody soon.”

https://www.oshonews.com/2011/08/19/tamo-san-2/

https://oshoonline.blogspot.com/2014/08/enlightened-japanese-priestess-and.html

https://www.sannyas.wiki/index.php?title=Tamo-San

http://www.iii.ne.jp/kikuchi/essei-201208-1.pdf

http://moortheboat.wholelifewholeworld.com/

http://www.tantra-essence.com/2018/04/saritas-blog-an-enlightened-history-of-humanity/

Osho Jaw Bone Operation without Anesthetic

Various small operations on his teeth were done and also two bigger operations, one of which I was involved in indirectly because I was a good friend of the doctor who operated. 

Dr Modi was a specialist who operated on the bones of the jaw. He had studied in London and was specialized in surgery on the face, working

for many years in England. In Pune he had a private clinic and was considered one of the great Indian surgeons. His wife Zareen had become a disciple of Osho many years before and between us a very deep friendship was born, which continues up to the present, decades later. So I got to know him through her. His mentality was very Western, and his English sounded more like Oxford than Pune. He had never accepted Osho as a Master, unlike Zareen, who left the family and came to live in the commune.

Dr Modi loved horses, and had a sizeable mansion in the city in the colonial style of the English, with a beautiful garden. Being with him nourished me a lot due to his great culture and intelligence. We often talked for hours, passing on information about anything from pharmaceutical drugs to Indian philosophy and gardening.

He had the face of a North Indian, with a wide forehead and small lips that were clearly articulated and often bathed in a glass of whiskey, then busy with a cigarette, and very big black eyes that shone with the light of an intelligence that separated him from the rest of the world. Modi was out of place in India and in his depths he felt like a Westerner who was forced to live there. He didn't like all the poverty or the religious aspects that characterized the continent. In his soul, he was much closer to European existentialism than to the Hinduism of the Indian masses.

Since Osho's time in American prisons, the infections that had begun in his ear and jawbone were spreading dangerously toward the cerebral cavity. So Amrito decided to call Dr Modi. After

a medical visit, he decided to operate as soon as possible. That morning, before entering Lao Tzu, Modi came to see me and shared the tension he felt in having to operate on a man like Osho. After a brief exchange he asked me where he could find me after the surgery was over, because he wanted spend a little time with me before leaving the ashram.

He came to see in my office after about three hours. He was very shaky and vulnerable, as I had never seen him before. After all, he was a surgeon with a firm hand and an iron will. He hugged me, breaking out in tears in my arms. He wasn't able to understand how it was possible, what he had experienced in that small operating theatre. He told me that when everything was ready, he told Osho that he would give him an anaesthetic injection

and that after a few moments he wouldn't feel anything, and then he would start operating. But Osho refused to receive the injection.

Modi responded with all the authority of a famous surgeon and said to him: "Here I am the surgeon and I say we have to give you the anaesthetic and it is not a matter of discussion." But Osho looked at him and answered: "You are the surgeon but I am the Master and I am telling you to operate without an anaesthetic, starting when I give you the signal with my finger."

Modi felt cornered. From one side he knew that surgery on the face was extremely painful and that it wasn't practical to do it without anaesthetic, but from the other side he couldn't refuse because, after all, Osho was the master of his own body and also a spiritual Master who knew what

was happening beyond the physical body and the mind. Modi was petrified by the idea of operating without an anaesthetic on open bones, but he followed Osho's orders and performed the whole operation without a drop of anaesthetic.

Osho, shortly after closing his eyes, made a movement with his finger, giving the okay to start the operation, leaving his physical body in the hands of Dr Modi. After the operation, Osho re-entered his body and calmly opened his eyes. Modi was shaken, knowing that what had just happened wasn't understandable within the realm of normal science and that Osho's behaviour had put in question all his medical convictions about operating without an anaesthetic.

He continued to repeat to me, like a recording, "It's not possible." He was absolutely shocked at

having operated without an anaesthetic and he continued to be agitated for a long time.

As soon as he managed to relax, we went together for a drink at one of the ashram bars. It was an interesting moment, watching Dr Modi recover from this experience that could have changed his life forever. But instead, his ego reclaimed control with explanations generated by his strong rational mind.

The truth is, Osho was always a Master, not only when he came to speak with us and share his state of meditation. Osho was permanently in a state of total disconnection from the false reality of the ego and he took advantage of every situation in order to be able to teach something to people who came near him, even to the detriment of his body.

Osho respected Dr Modi very much and privately told Zareen a few times he would be happy if her husband took sannyas. But in spite of all these doors being opened in front of him, Modi never became a disciple. Because of his intellectual ego, he never could make the jump from the mind to the heart, the jump from the outsider to the disciple, the jump of a lover who lets go into existence, without any resistance.

Osho's body was sick and weak and his consciousness had a lot of difficulty staying in his body. This, as he told us on more than one occasion, is a difficulty that faces many Masters. The process of enlightenment breaks identification with the body, as well as the mind, and few have the capacity to remain in the body after such an experience. The physical body is heavy, gross and difficult to manage once you have entered into divine consciousness. There, the experience of bliss is so great there is no other choice but to stay in that state, not having any interest in physical activity.

Neelam Osho's Secretary's Diamond gift

Neelam, Osho's Indian secretary after Sheela. This is what I remember of her story: Before Neelam became a disciple in the '60s, her husband knew Osho and participated in meditation retreats with him.

 After a while, he tried to persuade his wife to come and meet the guru with whom he was infatuated. She wasn't interested. She only wanted to be a wife and mother. For Westerners who will read this account, it is worth mentioning that almost everyone in India has a guru to consult or worship. Whatever your caste or social status, rich or poor, businessman or farmer, you had access to some kind of guru.Even today, though India has evolved socially and economically, Indian families all have their guru, with whom they consult when it's time for the daughter to marry, or for advice on investment decisions or other important matters. 

The First Door that I mentioned in this book, the door of devotion, is an experience grounded in centuries of understanding for Indians, who don't have a problem with kneeling on the ground and touching the feet of a person in whom they recognize a spiritual quality. 

So Neelam assumed Osho was just one of the many gurus who went around India giving advice to people, with no special quality, and she didn't feel attracted to this world. But, after many months of persistence on the part of her husband, she agreed to go and see Osho. 

At that time Osho used to lead meditation camps, experimenting with various meditation techniques that he subsequently developed and perfected, and which were ultimately used in the commune from 1974 onwards. During breaks between his discourses and the meditations, many Indians got in line to receive his blessings, including not only those participating in the meditation camp but also people passing by, who, realising a guru was available, would stop to touch his feet. 

Neelam got in line with her husband. When it was her turn, she fell at Osho's feet, almost fainting, and remained there for a long time. She was utterly stunned by the force of the Master and from that moment stayed close to him. Even after Osho's death, Neelam stayed in the Pune commune for nine more years, then left to construct a new meditation centre close to Dharamshala, in the Himalayas.

In India, it is a tradition that when you find a Master you bring him a gift as a symbol of your recognition. Neelam and her husband spent days thinking what they could give him, and in the end they decided to bring him a diamond ring that had belonged to her mother and her mother's mother. It was the most valuable and precious thing she had, and she wanted to send a signal to Osho that her devotion was total. 

So at the next meditation camp they brought the famous family diamond. Neelam got in line with the others and when her turn came she kneeled down to touch the feet of the Master, then gave him the box with the diamond in it. Osho looked at it, brought it near to him and blessed Neelam by touching her head. She moved away in order to give space to the next person in line, who was a passer-by, like many others who were taking advantage of the situation in order to receive blessings from the guru. This man was not one of his followers. 

Osho also blessed him, and then gave him the diamond he had just received from Neelam!The man was there only by lucky coincidence, and he was given her precious diamond! Neelam was very shocked by this incident but nevertheless continued in her devotion to the Master. About twenty years after the ring incident, Osho reminded Neelam of the gift of the diamond.

He told her, "If you give an object to someone as a sign of love, you need to totally let go of it, otherwise it is just an attempt to tie that person to you." He had waited almost twenty years to make sure the teaching was understood, then closed the circle by explaining the message behind his act.

For thousands of people – whether they had money or not – the Ranch experience was one huge opportunity to see their attachments and their desires. It was another chance to be total in giving, in love, without expecting anything in return. 

Real love is in fact a gesture that manifests naturally in the fullness of the heart –the heart full of nectar, full of joy in sharing, full of divine energy that isn't personal, a heart that overflows and shares with everyone without discrimination.

 The Master, by the simple fact of his being, like the sun or the stars, lights the way for those who open their hearts to this light. His giving is not an intentional act; he's not thinking, "Now I will work on Tom, Dick and Harry because they need to change their attitude toward life, or because they need to open up to love." Osho simply let the energy flow, interfering in the stream of events as little as possible. 

With this in mind, it becomes clear that all the criticisms that were levelled at Osho after the Ranch were just hollow words blowing in the wind. From the standpoint of the growth of human consciousness, it didn't matter that Osho committed practical errors, because, as he himself said: "I am not God! I am a human being with his limits."

This needs to be remembered, because many people expected Osho to be infallible, that he should have seen the future and interfered to save his commune. But all these ideas were just a projection of the mind of individual disciples who imagined that their Master was a special being like God, mainly because it satisfied their egos. 

Osho perhaps made errors in calculating and anticipating events, but this doesn't take anything away from his message, his teachings and his energetic presence. The change that is experienced with a Master happens through work done by the individual, by the lone disciple, on himself. It is for this reason that the spiritual path is a solitary path, because it depends totally on us – how much energy and awareness we put into the process of transformation. 

If the disciple is closed, a real Master cannot do anything, while a false master may try to persuade or push the student toward change according to the direction he thinks is right. Osho, Lao Tzu, Krishnamurti, Gurdjieff, Chuang Tzu, Socrates, Saint Francis, Buddha, Mahakashyapa and all authentic Masters have never forced anyone. They never promised anything to their disciples; they simply remained available, and whoever was alert enough could feel the fragrance of their spirit.

 Of course, disciples who lived through the events that took place in the commune while remaining identified with their own vested interests, their own ego attachments, could only suffer feelings of betrayal. But the Master, in his compassion, never compromises.

 In August, 1986 at Juhu Beach, Mumbai, when he started talking again, after having flown the skies of the planet and been in half-a-dozen jails, Osho declared: "Now I finally have my disciples. I have had to dirty my hands working in the mud for decades, looking for my real disciples. Now that the base of the temple has been built I will raise the temple for all myreal disciples, those alive now and those coming in future generations. Like a fisherman who throws his net, I am now pulling it up, and I find myself with the people that remain with me because they are my real disciples." 

When he pronounced these words we were crammed in the living room of the Indian disciple who offered his house to the Master. We were about forty people, of which only five or six were Westerners, and the rest Indians. In the following days, slowly, day after day, many old sannyasins arrived, and in the space of six months hundreds of devotees came back to the feet of the Buddha, having passed through one of the most intense spiritual devices ever to take place on such a scale.

On January 4th of 1987, we returned to the old commune in Pune in order to live with him the last three years of his stay in the physical body.

Prem Azima: Death Of Ego , Straying from path

On the path of meditation, initially it is

important to clean the layers of the normal mind and the personal unconscious, so that repressed emotions and negative attitudes don't block the flow of energy. 

When the mind is relatively clean, the second stage starts. This is the true state of meditation in which we begin to enter the space of No Mind. After experiencing short gaps – moments in which the thinking process stops – we gradually find that we can spend longer and longer periods in the state of meditation and its accompanying states of bliss and peace. 

According to Osho, these spaces of awareness can be of two kinds: implosive or explosive. In the first, we begin to feel the body getting smaller and smaller, finally disappearing and dissolving into nothingness, imploding into an experience of emptiness. 

In the second case, we experience the body expanding in space and continuing to spread and grow until it loses all definition, melting and dissolving into a vast emptiness. These are two ways of experiencing the same thing. Either way, emptiness is the final destination.

 I don't want to seem discouraging, but the possibilities and opportunities for giving up on the path of meditation are infinite. The ego, the personality structure with which we are identified, will do everything in its power to divert our consciousness from the path that leads inside to our being.

In these 35 years that I have continued to walk the path of inner exploration, I have seen thousands of people abandon the path with a wide range of excuses. For example, many who become curious about meditation are not open

to changing their lives. They cling to the security of a steady job or a settled love relationship. The problem is that, sooner or later, spiritual growth requires radical change, often in the spheres of work and relationships. This is not always the case, but as a general rule it's true.

The true spiritual path is a path of death;

death of the person whom we think ourselves to be; death of the ego structure that seems to protect us but in reality keeps us insulated from life; death of all that is false as it burns in the flame of consciousness; death of relationships to which we cling when love has gone, out of a fear of being alone; death of the past and future as we embrace the present moment.

Death of the ego and the rebirth of the 'I,' the real 'I,' the 'I' that none of us yet knows because we haven't asked the fundamental question in this life: "Who am I?"

Prem Azima on Meditation

Only through meditation can he begin to have experiences of 'No Mind.' In the process of meditation, when we first sit down and close our eyes, the rational layer of our mind continues to be very active. Then, after a certain period of time, which will vary from person to person, the thinking mind begins to slow down. According to Osho, it takes about forty minutes before the mind enters a relaxed state and the production of thoughts starts to diminish. When this happens, if we remain centred in the observer,

or witness, we begin to observe the space of inner emptiness that brings peace. We become less aware of the body, more detached from our emotions, less preoccupied by thought.

It is an interesting fact that the chattering mind cannot easily exist in the present moment. It needs to focus on either past memories or future expectations in order to continue. When we enter meditation, the present moment begins to manifest, allowing us to experience that it is beyond both time and space.

The physical location of the meditator begins to lose its boundaries and it becomes easier to access images and dimensions which are beyond the current time-space continuum. From this perspective, people who engage in channelling are simply connecting with these other levels and allowing

themselves to be used as vehicles to bring news and messages from these dimensions. When we speak of No Mind it indicates a state of consciousness in which the intermediate layer, the thinking mind, is no longer so active – or is altogether absent. This allows us to experience higher levels of mind, gaining confidence in spaces and dimensions to which we are not accustomed and which might otherwise scare us.

The more we let go of the ego and the identity we have borrowed from society, the closer we come to our centre and our authentic self. It's a paradox. The ego promises to give us a clear sense of who we are, but fails because everything it claims for itself is borrowed. The dissolution of the ego looks like the end of the 'I' but in reality gives us a deeper more authentic sense of who we really are.

If there is an effort to control, then the state of No Mind is absent. If No Mind manifests, there is no control; we simply keep the flame of the observer burning without choice, ready to reflect whatever experience manifests before us. This attitude of non-interference is a far cry from conventional Western culture, which is based on self-determination, making plans, creating change and generally trying to manipulate the world that surrounds us as much as possible.

To decide to begin a spiritual journey of self-discovery is to go against the current of our mainstream culture. It is a journey that few initiate and even fewer pursue to a conclusion. The path of dis-identification is arduous, not least because our families, our friends, our teachers, our priests and politicians are all dedicated to the task of keeping us identified with the values of the society in which we find ourselves. They don't want us to change because this might cause them to question their own values and this, in turn, creates fear. So we are, in fact, swimming against the current of the collective mind of all human beings that surround us.

Transcript Osho’s last words: He was so relaxed, as if He were going for the week-end.

Transcript Osho’s last words

This is the transcript of the message Osho’s doctor, Amrito, gave in Buddha Hall after Osho left his body. In it, he describes Osho’s final moments and words.

As you know, over these last few days Osho’s body has been becoming noticeably weaker. What you may not know is that He has also been in considerable pain. By the night of the 18th, the pain in His legs was so severe that He was not able even to come stand on the podium and be with us.

Over that night He became weaker and weaker. Every movement of the body was obviously agonizing. Yesterday morning I noticed that His pulse was also weak and slightly irregular. I said I thought He was dying. He nodded. I asked Him if we could call in the cardiologists and prepare for cardiac resuscitation. He said, ‘No, just let me go. Existence decides its timing.’

I was helping him to the bathroom when he said, ‘And you put wall-to-wall carpet in here, just like this bath mat.’ Then He insisted on walking over to His chair. He sat down and made arrangements for the few items that He has in His room.

‘Who should this go to?’ He said, pointing to His small stereo. ‘It is audio? Nirupa would like it?’ He asked. Nirupa has cleaned His room for so many years.

And then He went carefully around the room and left instructions for every item. ‘Those you take out,’ He said, pointing to the dehumidifiers which he had found too noisy recently. ‘And always make sure one air conditioner is on,’ He continued.

It was incredible. Very simply, in a very matter-of-fact and precise way, He looked at everything. He was so relaxed, as if He were going for the week-end.

He sat on the bed and I asked what we should do for His Samadhi. ‘You just put my ashes in Chuang Tzu, under the bed. And then people can come in and meditate there.’ ‘And what about this room?’ I asked.

‘This would be good for the Samadhi?’ He asked. ‘No,’ I said, ‘Chuang Tzu will be beautiful.’ I said we would like to keep His present bedroom as it is. ‘So you make it nice,’ He said. And then He said He would like it marbled.

‘And what about the celebration?’ I asked.

‘Just take me to Buddha Hall for ten minutes,’ He said, ‘and then take me to the burning ghats – and put my hat and socks on me before you take my body.’

I asked Him what I should say to you all. He said to tell you that since His days in the marshal’s cell in Charlotte, North Carolina, in America, His body has been deteriorating. He said that in the Oklahoma jail they poisoned Him with thallium and exposed Him to radiation, which we only came to know when the medical experts were consulted.

He said they had poisoned Him in such a way that would leave no proof . ‘My crippled body is the work of the Christian fundamentalists in the United States government.’ He said that He had kept His pain to Himself, but ‘living in this body has become a hell’.

He lay down and rested again. I went and told Jayesh what was happening and that Osho was obviously leaving His body.

When Osho called again, I told Him Jayesh was here and He said for Jayesh to come in. We sat on the bed and Osho gave us His final words.

‘Never speak of me in the past tense,’ He said. ‘My presence here will be many times greater without the burden of my tortured body. Remind my people that they will feel much more, they will know immediately.’

At one point I was holding His hand and I started to cry. He looked at me, almost sternly. ‘No, no,’ He said, ‘that is not the way.’ I immediately stopped and He just smiled beautifully.

Osho then spoke to Jayesh and talked about how He wanted the expansion of the work to continue. He said that now that He was leaving His body, many more people would come; many more people’s interest would show, and His Work would expand incredibly beyond our ideas.

Then He said, ‘I leave you my dream.’

Then He whispered so quietly that Jayesh had to put his ear very close to Him. Osho said, ‘And remember, Anando is my messenger.’ Then He paused, and said, ‘No, Anando will be my medium.’ At that point Jayesh moved to one side, and Osho said to me, ‘Medium will be the right word?’ I hadn’t heard what had preceded it so I didn’t understand. ‘Meeting?’ I said. ‘No,’ He replied, ‘for Anando, medium – she will be my medium.’

He lay back quietly and we sat with Him while I held His pulse. Slowly it faded. When I could hardly feel it, I said, ‘Osho, I think this is it.’

He just nodded gently, and closed His eyes for the last time

Source: https://osholifeandvision.com/transcript-oshos-last-words/

Osho on Rajneeshpuram commune, Sheela, American Press and its Politicians

MOST HUMBLY, MY FIRST QUESTION: WE WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT YOUR EXPERIMENT IN RAJNEESHPURAM. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT FAILED. KEEPING ASIDE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND CHRISTIAN BLACKMAIL WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAILURE?

You, and your kind.

First, the experiment never failed. The experiment has been absolutely successful. That was the problem, that it was successful.

Who cares about experiments which should have failed? Why should the American government or Christianity or anybody be interested in an experiment which has failed? It was absolutely successful, beyond their comprehension. Its success was the problem, so please drop that word `failure'; it does not exist in my vocabulary.

Whatever we wanted to do, we did it! A small commune of five thousand people against the greatest world power in history survived for five years and created the commune. And the commune was created in a desert which had never been cultivated, had never seen flowers, had never seen birds.

Within five years it became an oasis; we made houses for five thousand people with every modern comfort. We made roads which are better than any government's, America included.

The desert blossomed, it became green. We cultivated it, we made dams, created lakes; thousands of birds started coming. It was a miracle to see that thousands of deer from all over Oregon assembled in that desert of one hundred and twenty-six square miles.

That said everything, because anywhere except Rajneeshpuram their life was in danger, they were going to be hunted. In America, for ten days each year, people are given total freedom to kill deer. In Rajneeshpuram they were standing on the road; you could go on honking your horn and they would not move. They knew you, that you were not going to harm them; you would have to come down and push them to the side.

Swans appeared, in a desert. There were three hundred peacocks from all over America. It seems that birds and animals are more intelligent than journalists. There was a tremendous harmony between the animals, the birds, the trees, the flowers. We created an ecological system.

We were self-sufficient and we never begged a single dollar from America. We never asked for any help from America.

You cannot live as a country without American help. You are a failure, you are beggars. Your country was at one time a golden bird and you have brought it to this condition.

American politicians were tremendously hurt that their help was not needed, because that is their way to create slavery. Help is simply a cover-up. If you take help in money you become enslaved, without knowing. We never asked for anything.

This was hurting the American politicians -- the success. And each year there was a world festival; twenty thousand sannyasins were coming from all over the world. That time was a golden dream come true: twenty thousand people meditating, singing, playing on their musical instruments, dancing, rejoicing. Twenty thousand people had one kitchen! Just conceive of twenty thousand people eating together, while there was dancing, singing, rejoicing, because that is my basic message: not renunciation, but rejoicing.

Sannyas became degraded because it became associated with renunciation. It was not so in the beginning. In the days of Upanishad, the days of Vedas, sannyas was not a renunciation. All your seers had their communes in forests, rich communes. Poverty has never been praised in the Vedas or in the Upanishads.

And renunciation is against God. The Sanskrit word for god is `ishwar', and ishwar means richness, abundance.

Just look at Ram without Sita and you will see something is missing, something tremendously important is missing. Perhaps the heart is missing, only the dead corpse of Ram is there. Just think of Krishna without those beautiful girls dancing around him. His flute will lose its song.

I was trying, in the commune, to bring back the original sannyas. Not of renouncing the world, but living the world as a gift of god; it is a gift.

This became a problem because American spectators, American television, American news media started coming every day -- planes started coming to see the commune, to see what is happening. And the whole of America was agog to see that these people have turned the desert into a paradise.

We were not politicians. There was no political party, no political ideology. We were neither communists nor capitalists, and yet we were living the best life possible -- of love, of friendship.

We became a wound to the American politician. The only way was to destroy the commune, so that the very question would be removed and there would be no need to answer. The commune was destroyed by the American government and fanatic Christians because it was the first time that Christians had moved out of their fold without getting into another fold.

A Hindu becomes a Christian: he leaves one prison and enters another. A Christian becomes a Hindu: he leaves one bondage and accepts another. For the first time they saw that you can leave the prison and there is no need to enter another prison. You can be a free man.

A sannyasin is religious but has no religion. A sannyasin is a spiritualist but he is not a Hindu, not a Mohammedan, not a Christian. And by coincidence the American president, Ronald Reagan, is both a third-rate politician and a fundamentalist Christian.

They tried every means to destroy us. Poor Sheela had nothing to do with it. She certainly became a victim; I have all compassion for her. It has to be understood how you can become entangled. All the telephones from the commune were taped. I was in isolation and silence; Sheela was my secretary and the president of the foundation. Seeing that all the telephones were taped , she started taping the incoming calls to find that the government, F.B.I., C.I.A.,and other government agencies, had their agents in the commune hiding as sannyasins, who went on giving information.

Sheela was not a criminal. When I chose her as my secretary she was an innocent woman of great intelligence, but the American politicians destroyed her innocence. Whatever they were doing, she had to do as a counterattack, as a defence. All her crimes are basically the crimes of American politicians which she repeated -- just to save the commune.

I have nothing but compassion and sadness for her. She is not a criminal and whatever she did, there was no bad intention in it. She even bugged my own room; she bugged two hundred houses. Naturally, logically, it seems that she was even trying to find out what I do in my privacy, what I say in my privacy. That is not true. The truth is that she wanted to be alert because I lived in a house alone. If in the night anybody opened the doors, which were of glass, her bugging would inform her immediately and she could reach there. It was for my protection, not against me. She never did anything against me or against the commune.

I know she would have died for me, she loved me -- not the kind of love that you have shown me. Your love is simply cunning. You say you are my lover, old lover, but all these years you have been writing articles so ugly and obscene that you should be behind the bars, not asking questions to me.

So drop the idea of failure. We succeeded -- it was the first commune in the whole history of man which succeeded. And remember one thing about human jealousy: it is never jealous of failure. Have you seen anybody jealous of failure? Jealousy is always of success. Seeing a beggar on the street, do you feel jealous? But seeing a rich man's skyscraper you feel jealous.

It is a strange mind, undeveloped, retarded. If the same building catches fire you will feel sympathetic, you will say to the man, "We all have sympathy for you. It was bad, it should not have happened." And all the time, when the building was there, every day you had thoughts against the building and against the man who had made it.

Who is jealous of India? I have been around the world, I have not found anybody jealous of India. But I have found people who are jealous of Gautam Buddha, who are jealous of Krishna, who are jealous of Nanak, who are jealous of Kabir. Because these diamonds that we created, their countries have not been able to produce, even to imitate. In all the languages of the world there are not words which can be compared to Nanak or Kabir. There are not scriptures which can be compared to Dhammapada and Gita.

If the commune was a failure it would have been still alive, but it became a success and nobody can tolerate a success.

OSHO

The Last Testament, Vol 6

Interviews with the World Press

Talks given from 31/07/86 am to 13/08/86 pm

Osho Challenging

Everyone who came near Osho, realized many times that Osho never let anyone stay and settle anywhere, at any stage in his or her spiritual journey. Wherever you hide, He reached there to shake and wake you lovingly from your sleep. He was capable of shaking thousands of sleepy people simultaneously. In all His discourses, He shook each and everyone in the audience individually. He went on inspiring us from death to eternal life. In His presence, there remained no way for the mind to survive.

In April 1971, during the meditation camp at Mount Abu, Osho spoke on ‘Ishavasya Upnishad’. He explains, “There are two kinds of people in the world. One: self-destructive, the other: self-creative. And self-creative people are rare-one in lacs. Mostly people are self-destructive. But we are not aware of it.”

Osho explained further, ‘Whatever we do or live, if it takes us away from our soul, if it helps the self to sleep, then we are self-destructive. And if it is to awaken us then we are self creative. However, the difficulty becomes multiple when self-destructive people are in an illusion of being self-creative. And we all carry such illusions.”

As Osho said, immediately I said to myself, “Bhagwan, I clearly accept that I am self destructive.”

Osho responded immediately, “But we are dead to such an extent that we do not even get hurt. We are such cowards that we console ourselves and accept to be self-destructive. How long shall we remain dead? Infinite lives have passed like this.”

And I realized that He leaves no space for us to hide.

Ageh Bharti. Blessed Days with OSHO . 

Osho Tratak Meditation & Suppressed Feelings

Then one evening, during ‘Tratak’ meditation, Osho stood up and made gesture with hands to put our energy in meditation.

 In those moments, it seemed that Osho was the ocean of compassion itself. In the depth of my heart, I felt like dying. The ecstasy was too much to bear with. 

After meditation, many friends shared their experiences. They also had the same feeling. There were many who felt that Krishna, Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus Christ and all the enlightened masters had joined to become one Osho. 

On another evening during ‘Tratak’ meditation, many meditators were seen in a strange state of being. Their faces looked angry as if they wanted to swallow Osho. So, some friends stood up and joined their hands to prevent them from coming closer to Osho for the sake of safety. 

Next evening before the ‘Tratak’ Meditation, Osho iterpreted, “Yesterday some people started to take care of me. They do not know how much harm they do by preventing the meditators from advancing towards me. The whole of meditation is to give an outlet to the suppressed feelings. And if they are prevented here in the camp also then what harm we cause is not known to us. You have come here to meditate, not to guard me. And if even one person attains to meditation and my body is left, there can be no greater happiness to me than this.” (Hearing this, there was sudden outburst of cries, sobs, and screams.)

He added, ‘All my effort is towards this. Moreover, those who move towards me are fully aware. They are not mad. To you, they may appear to be dangerous but the depth of their sublime feelings and love in moving towards me is not known to us. However, if you prevent them, then certainly you are creating a situation for them to go mad. Therefore, it is my request that from today onwards nobody should bother about my safely. Each of you will concentrate on meditation for which you have come here.’ From that day, every one tried to put lot of energy in meditation. It had been the most beautiful camp attended by me ever in which the participants were euphoric that they used to walk dancingly and used poetic language while talking.

Ageh Bharti. Blessed Days with OSHO . 

Osho's Feet Touching

Once someone inquired Osho at a gathering, “Acharya ji, People touch your feet, why don’t you prevent them?”

Osho : “I do not have even this insistence that I should ask someone not to touch my feet. If someone wishes so, what right do I have to stop him? If someone puts his head on the feet, it is his will and if someone comes to put his feet on the head, then too it is his wish. I will not stop him too. Who am I to dictate someone ‘to do’ a certain thing or ‘not to do’ a certain thing? No, from my side, there is no insistence at all.”

Osho lived in Bombay for some time. One day, a woman came to see Him. Instead of greeting Him, she gave one slap on His face. Osho felt neither alarmed nor volatile at the unexpected behaviour of the woman.

In a soft and tender voice, Osho asked, “Do you have anything more to say?” Instantly, she gave another slap on the other side of the face. Even at this, He asked the same, “Anything more?” Now that poor woman replied, “I wanted to test whether you are a real saint?”

Osho transcended one and all. That’s why all were attracted towards Him - friends and foes alike.

Osho on Self Respect and Ego Difference

Once I inquired Osho in some other reference, “What is the difference between ego and self-respect?” Osho responded, “Ego is aggressive. Its interest is in attacking others. It feels pleasure in causing pain to others but self-respect is defensive. It is not at all eager to attack. Nor does it have any interest in causing pain to anyone, but if someone attacks him, then he wants to defend himself. Only for this reason, in ethics, self- respect is said to be a lesser evil because at least everyone has the right of self-defence.” “But the difficulty is that everyone thinks that his is the ‘self-respect’ and the other’s is the ‘ego’. This is how ‘ego’ thinks. For him, all others are ‘egoist’. And every one thinks the same way. So, a seeker has to be alert towards self-respect too. A seeker has to go beyond self-respect also, get it?”

Vice Chancellor questions Osho on his beard

May 15, 1970. Time - Evening Hours. Place - Jabalpur. I sat near Osho. Narayan and Kamlesh Sharma (a friend from Raipur) were with me. Osho made a gossip with reference to a beard. Kamlesh described an incident that when he sought the admission in the science college at Raipur, the professor asked him ‘Why have you grown beard?’ and finally, the professor permitted admission only when he got his beard shaved. Osho quipped, ‘So, you shaved the beard because he didn’t like it?’ Kamlesh replied, ‘Yes, because he was not granting admission unless I shaved.’ Osho recollected an incident, ‘Once there was trouble with my beard also. It so happened that I was to get rupees two hundred as scholarship from Sagar University and for the sanction of the scholarship, one had to meet the vice-chancellor and face an interview.’ ‘In those days, I used to wear wooden slippers, which used to make noise. I would wear ‘lungi’ and above all, I grew a beard, I had told my family members that I would not take any money from them for my post graduation rather I would study with the scholarship money. There was a professor named Dr. S. S. Roy. He loved me very much. He took me to see the vice-chancellor. Before going there, he took a promise that I would keep quiet and won’t indulge in any argument. However, when we reached, the first question posed by the vice- chancellor, ‘Why have you grown beard?” Prof.

Roy felt embarrassed and pulled my ‘Lungi’ from behind the chair to keep quiet, but I asked Prof. Roy, “Now you can go, because the purpose for which you brought me here is out of question. Now I have to answer his question.” Prof Roy was in a fix. The vice-chancellor was rather confused to ascertain the topic. He said, ‘I asked it just by the way.’ I replied, ‘I too will answer just by the way. In fact, before coming here, he took a promise that I won’t argue here; but now such question has been asked that I leave my scholarship. The scholarship is out of question. So Prof. Roy’s work is over. Now, I will answer you. Therefore, I asked him to go or sit quietly without any interference.’ Prof. Roy remained on his seat. I told him, ‘You have put a wrong question. In fact, I should ask you; why have you shaved? Because, I have not grown the beard. It has simply grown on its own. I have not done anything directly with it. But you have done something directly with the beard. You have shaved it. So the first question arises as to why have you shaved?’ At this stage, the vice- chancellor felt quite embarrassed. He shut his eyes for sometime. Then he said, ‘In fact, I have never thought over it seriously.’ I intervened, ‘You please think over. Should I come to get reply tomorrow or after a week? When should I come?” He replied, ‘It is not necessary, I may not be able to answer by next week also.” I said, ‘The matter won’t end like this. It will end when you attribute the reason for shaving. In that case, I may think of shaving the beard. If you don’t justify, let your beard grow as it used to.’ At this juncture, he tendered an apology. He was so much impressed that he granted scholarship without any hesitation. Later, he remained a very good friend of mine till I was in Sagar University. He extended, many facilities, which were not accessible to students. He was

daring and upright. To ask for an apology with a student needs courage. He selected only erudite scholars and meritorious students during his tenure.’

Osho and Senior Bacchan - Madhushala

We reached Delhi the next morning i.e., on August 6, Lala Sunderlal and Shantilal are at the railway station to receive Osho. We reached Lalaji’s residence. There were several friends to welcome Osho. After a shower, lunch and little rest, Osho was available to a group of friends to talk. Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan (a poet of international repute and the most popular name as a poet in India) comes to see Osho, at 2.30 p.m., I arranged his meeting with Osho Bachchan greeted Osho with folded hands and said ‘My name is Bachchan’ Osho reciprocated Him with a smile. Bachchan took a seat. He offered a copy of his most popular collection of poems Madhushala. Bachchan explained, ‘Although there may be 50 books in my name but this has been the most popular. I have been doing this play during my life.’ Osho just smiled and before He told something, Shantilal besought Bachchan Ji to recite some of the poems. Bachchan often recited two or three rubaiyats (verses) from Madhushala. Osho appreciated his poems and emphasized, ‘It is good. One should take everything as game. Nothing should be taken seriously. But as long as ‘I’ am playing, the ‘play’ does not happen. The play also, ‘I’ am not playing. The ‘play’ goes on happening, that’s all.” Bachchanji seemed to be looking inside, realizing something and he repeated slowly unto

himself, ‘The play also I am not playing. The play goes on happening, that’s all.’ Osho spoke for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, Dr. Tripathi arrived with some 20-25 girl-students. It was August 6th of that year. Hiroshima was bombed on that day during 1945. The day is being celebrated as the World Peace Day. Dr. Tripathi posed some questions relating to peace and Mahatma Gandhi. Osho asserted, “Peace is not going to take place by shouting ‘peace’, ‘peace’ or by repeating Gandhi’s name. This ought to be understood first. If we can understand the cause of our restlessness then, of course, we can manage peace to reign.’ “Then violence is also of several kinds. I do not consider Mahatma Gandhi to be a non-violent man. It is violence if I command you to accept what I say otherwise I will stab you. And this too is violence if I ask you to accept what I say otherwise I will stab myself In fact, the latter one is more dangerous because when I go to stab you, perhaps you can fight back or at least you can run away, but when I am ready to stab my own self then there is no way for you to escape.” One of the several traditional sanyasins (Osho has not yet begun His Neo-sanyas movement) who were present were volatile and argued with Osho. He went on levelling accusations to Osho but the latter kept smiling. Osho wanted to say something but the sanyasin was enraged and began purring like a bird without allowing Osho to speak. He yelled, ‘Mahatma Gandhi is such a great man that the whole world respects him as a great soul and you criticise him?’

 

Osho replied, ‘I can say only that what I feel is right. It is not necessary that you accept it. My request is only to kindly listen and think over; if it does not seem to be right to you, throw it away.’ The sanyasin challenged angrily, “Buddha, Mahavira, and so many other great beings have been here. Do you want to say that they were all wrong? Osho replied, ‘This is now time for me to leave to catch my train, there is no time left. Some other time, we will discuss the issue in detail but this much I would like to say before I leave that they were all wrong!’ We all stood up with Osho to leave for the railway station. The sanyasin now apologized to Osho that he has hurt Him. Osho wondered smilingly, ‘No, no, you haven’t hurt me’ The sanyasins left the scene. At this point Dr. Tripathi, while taking leave to move with students, regretted over the episode, ‘We liked your thoughts. We wanted to have more of it, but due to those sanyasins our talks got interrupted.’ Osho acknowledged him with a smile. Dr Tripathi left the scene with students. Shantilal ji and I packed the luggage. Now came the crucial moment, the most touching and euphoric one of the journey: We stood ready to leave when Bachchan ji interrupted, ‘I would like to make a prophecy.” ‘Osho welcomed it with a smile.’ Bachchan ji commented, ‘You are a tragic person and you shall be crucified.’

Bachchan’s eyes welled with tears and I also wept simultaneously. Osho put His one hand on my shoulder to console me and told Bachchan with a pause, ‘You are right.’ A deep silence enveloped us for a moment. We left for the railway station in two cars. In one car, Osho sat on the back seat in the middle with Bachchan ji on His right side, Lala ji on the left and I sat next to the driver. Shantilal and other friends sat in the second car. Osho went on talking with Bachchan all the way, but I could not hear. I have plans to stay in Delhi for two more days. I have already shared my plans with Osho which He endorsed. I left Osho at Delhi railway station and went with Bachchan ji to his residence. On the way Bachchan ji suggested, ‘There should be an organisation near Osho to spread His thoughts. He has put His hand on the right pulse of India. When He speaks, there are ripples of energy coming out from Him. I am very much impressed by Him. You are close to such a great man; you should make the best use of it. Why not write an introductory book on Him, like “An introduction to His thoughts.”? Osho should initiate the people. I am engaged until October, but later whenever He was at Jabalpur for eight-ten days, please inform me. I want to come to Jabalpur for ten days. I would like to be with Him for as long a time as He may allow.” I inquired Bachchan ji, “Whatever you have told me, you can directly write to Him.”

Bachchan ji replied, “I have presented my book to Him. If He writes something after seeing it, then I would certainly write.” When I returned to Jabalpur, I told Osho about the aforesaid conversation between Bachchan ji and me. Osho wrote a beautiful letter to Bachchanji. I wrote to inform that Osho would be at Jabalpur between October 7-12 and 19-26, wherein he could join. Later, Bachchan ji slipped in his bathroom, and sustained some injury and could not come. The letter that Osho wrote to Bachchan ji in Hindi on September 8, 1969 from His residence at Kamla Nehru Nagar, Jabalpur is as under: My beloved one,      Love, Where does it happen that two persons meet? At least on this earth, it does not happen, isn’t it? Dialogue seems to be impossible here. But sometimes the impossible also happens. That day, this is what happened. Having met you, I felt that meeting could also happen, and dialogue too, and even without words. And your tears gave the answer. I am very grateful for those tears. Such resonance happens only once in a while. I have gone through “Madhushala” Again and again I have gone through it. If I could sing, then what I would have sung is what is sung in it.

Only such sannyas that can accept the world also happily, I call sannyas. Aren’t really the world and ‘Moksha’ (salvation) one and the same? In ignorance, there is duality, in knowing, there is but only one! Ah! Is that worth calling a religion that cannot sing the song of love And cannot dance in joy? – Rajneesh Ke Pranam 08.09.1969 P. S. Shiv says that you are to come over here. Do come soon. Time has no certainty. See, the morning has happened, The sun has arisen, And now it is not very far that it will set!

Osho on Acceptance

‘Just a few days ago, in Bombay, a girl came to see me. She told me the name of a boy and said that they both had been waiting for me to come so that they could have my consent to get married. I was acquainted with the parents of the girl and the boy both and knew the boy personally. I gave my consent. I told the girl’s father that the boy was very nice. Certainly, it would be good to get them married. Everything was settled, and the marriage was to be solemnised after some time.’

Then recently, I happened to go there again and the girl told me that she would not marry that boy because he says ‘yes’ to everything. Say anything and he says, ‘yes’. He accepts everything. He is not fit to be a husband.’ ‘Now this is human mind! If a husband really becomes a husband, the mind would say that he does not love me, he opposes me at every step. And if the husband loves the wife, then she would say that he is not worthy of being a husband.’ ‘Hove is not possible without acceptance.’ ‘From the same city, another woman met me. She was unhappy because her husband loved her very much and she could not love him as much as she should. Later on, she disclosed that before marriage, she was in love with a young man. I suggested her to tell it to her husband and get unburdened. She did tell it to her husband whose love for her grew even more for her innocence and honesty. And the woman saw that even confessing to him all, made no difference in his love for her. Seeing this, something happened inside her and her love for her husband burst forth. Now both are happy.’ ‘So, the only way is to accept the friend as he or she is. Know it well that he or she is so and just love. Your acceptance may save him from going mad. But your effort to make him like you, even if he was not going to be mad, would turn him mad.’

Osho on Imposing onself on to others in relationships

‘Everyone is imposing oneself on the other or wants to impose. Hardly can one escape from being imposed. I find the whole world going into a wrong direction. The husband is imposing himself on wife. The parents do the same to their children. If parents don’t do, in school the teacher will do. Friend is imposing on a friend. Nobody is anybody’s friend. We do not even know what friendship is. There is no difference between a friend and a foe. The enemy says, ‘Accept what I say otherwise I will beat you.’ The friend says, Accept what I say otherwise I will break off friendship.’ It is all the same. There is no difference.’ ‘The right thing is - one should understand that Mr. A is so and one should accept him being so. If one cannot accept, it is better to leave the person alone. But one must not impose upon somebody. It is straightway a murder. And this is the root cause of neurosis and tension of the whole mankind because the reality is that everyone has one’s own individuality, own personality and own speciality’. ‘Recently, I read a marvellous book. It says that for the past twenty years, an experiment is being carried out on mad people and it has brought wondrous results. The experiment is that of acceptance. The author says that mad house is not the right place for mad people. In fact, that is their last discard by the society. According to that experiment, mad people are to be accepted as they are. If a mad man abuses, it’s O.K. If a mad man dances naked, it’s O.K. too. This way, he is relaxed in 15-20 days and gets cured. The acceptance dissolves the tensions created by denial. Whosoever is psychologically mad, the treatment is only acceptance. Yes, if there is some physical part in the madness, for that medicines can be of help.’

Disagreement with Osho

I went to meet Osho some evening. I thought often that Osho never expects anything from anyone. Not only that He gives total freedom to everyone. I have seen people disagreeing with Him yet receiveing the same love from Him. It is only after meeting Osho, I got the correct interpretation of what Rabindranath Tagore says, ‘I am ‘Able to love God, because he gives me freedom to deny him. ‘ I feel very fortunate that I never found any point about which I could disagree. When I was near Him, I was not; my thought process ceased. Who can then disagree or agree? Just His presence made me meditative.’

HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU ? Osho & Swami Ageh Bharati

One winter evening, feeling the rosy chill of the weather, I reached Osho’s residence. I had the privilege to meet Him without an appointment by His grace. He told during the maiden meet, ‘Whenever there’s anything, whenever you feel like coming, come, doors are open’. Time: Five minutes to 8 p.m. I opened the outer gate and entered the garden. It was laden with various kinds of plants and creepers with fragrant flowers. Osho entered His study room at 8 p.m and sat on a chair. It was His usual time to read or attend to appointments. I could see Him through the glass-door, but I never rang the bell, on its harsh and unpleasant sound. How can I make such sound for Him whom I revere so much. I remain standing in the garden expecting that someone will surely come out. After a little while, four men arrived on scooters. One of them inquired me, ‘Is He there’? I replied, ‘Yes’. ‘Is there some other visitor with Him?’ ‘No.’ ‘We want to see Him. We have taken an appointment.’ ‘If you have an appointment, then go in. I have also come to see Him.’ And one of them rang the bell. Kranti (the then caretaker and cousin of Osho) opened the door. I also entered with the friends unknown.

Osho inquired about their welfare with a smile. He also inquired about mine. Now those friends went on posing questions, ‘Acharya Shri, you claim that when mind is silent, the experience that happens in that state is the Self-realization (God). But why doesn’t that experience become possible?’ 

Osho explained, ‘There are many reasons that it does not happen. I would talk of a few of them that are the main ones’. ‘First, there is a lack of thirst for God in us. A few days ago, I was in Patna city. There were four meetings in a single day. At the end of the last meeting, one friend drove behind my car and reached where I was staying.’ He said, ‘I want to realize God, please guide me.’ I told him, ‘I have already spoken in four meetings and I am tired. Better come tomorrow morning at 7.00 then I will talk to you.’ ‘I wake up at 8 a.m. How I can be here at 7 a.m.?” ‘Come at 10.30 a.m, then.’ At 10.30 A.M. I would be in my office.’ ‘Then come at 5 p.m.’ I have another appointment at 5 p.m. Can’t you be awake for me one night? Don’t you have even that much love?’ I replied, ‘I do have enough love. I can keep awake also but how long can this go on? How long can one love this way? If one has to work, one needs rest also.’

Osho continued, ‘So shallow is our thirst that we cannot even wake up half an hour earlier for God. We are not aware that in this world, one has to pay for everything. Nothing can be gained here without paying for it. And God is the costliest of all. For God, one has to give oneself. But people want it at the cheapest. They are going somewhere in connection with some work, some business and on the way, they expect some saint, some Baba should put God in their pockets.’ ‘They will work hard for trivial things. To have a certificate of matriculation, they will work hard for ten years. If one fails, he will work again for one year. To become a wrestler, one exercises and practices for 15-20 years; And, if he is defeated somewhere, he feels that perhaps there was some shortfall in his practice. But for God, if one meditates for two months and he does not realize God, he stops meditating thinking that it is useless to waste time on this’. ‘Second, someone may be thirsty. He may work hard. Yet he may not be successful.’ ‘The reason for this may be that he is working in a wrong direction. And if direction is right and still he does not succeed, then probably be lacks self confidence. May be the life-long teaching that God can be attained only by somebody’s grace; does not allow him to have self-confidence. And where there is no self-confidence, there the very beginning is impotent.” * * * Another friend inquired, ‘What do you say about the Indian doctrine of Karma (the past actions) and sanskar (the conditionings)?’ Osho responded, ‘Past actions, rituals and fate etc, are useless concepts. It is these concepts that have made India lifeless, impotent, and good-for-nothing. These concepts have rendered the people effortless and worthless. On the whole earth, India is the only country that has remained a slave for 1,000 years. That is because of 

these concepts. Right from Rajaram Mohan Rai to Jawaharlal Nehru, all those who dreamt for freedom, got their inspiration from the west otherwise India would have remained a slave even today’. ‘One gets the fruits of one’s actions instantly. If you put your hand in the fire, the hand will be burnt right now, not in the next life. If I love now, I will be happy now only, not in the next life. If I hate now, I will be unhappy now.’ ‘In short, I would like to say that I do not support any such thing that deprives man of manly effort and courage; that depletes his will-power. I do say that man can accomplish all. If he wills, he can do it; that is all. These monks and so-called sanyasins have made this country incapable. Osho continued, ‘If a man murders someone, he is called a criminal and he is being punished. If someone misguides millions of people (in a wrong direction), propagates wrong things, then the society remains asleep about it. As I see it, monks and so-called sanyasins are far greater criminals, because they have turned the souls of millions of people to be good-for- nothing. These monks and so-called sanyasins have given us these superstitions.’ Osho winded up, ‘It is very strange that whatever little knowledge we have today is contributed by those whom you call irreligious people (scientists). Two hundred years before, we did’nt know that blood keeps on circulating in the body. We believed that it just remains filled in the body. So many things that we know today, that we use today, are all contributions by those individuals whom you call irreligious people.’ * * * Another friend questioned Osho, ‘During your discourse in Indore city, you told that there is no next life. Is there really no re-birth?’ Osho replied, ‘People misunderstand me many a time. There is rebirth certainly. I do not oppose this. When I

say there is no next life, my intention is not to make the next life a basis for any of your actions.’ ‘For example, some one may think that one should follow the maxim - eat, drink and be merry - in this life and search for God in the next, or that one should do good deeds in this life so that one’s next life is good.’ My emphasis is that present is all that is. Present is the only reality. The past is gone. Future has not yet come. What is present is the only truth. When I say there is rebirth then your habit of postponement gains strength. If man’s habit of postponement is broken, he can accomplish a lot. So, when I say there is no rebirth, my meaning is only this. Do not postpone things in the name of rebirth or next life.’ Those friends paid obeisance and parted after listening to His enlightening talk. I too take leave of Him after some time.

Hotel bombing - Osho Oregon commune

While Osho had worked on individuals in the sixties and on groups in the seventies, here in Oregon he was working on the collective unconscious, on the collective habits and patterns of our culture. These are the very impediments that have paralysed humanity and prevented this earth into turning into a living paradise. Osho’s work is precisely to help us make this possible. This miracle visible in Rajneeshpuram, financially however, had been an enormous undertaking. Millions of dollars had been lovingly poured by Osho’s disciples into humanity’s greatest experiment of the twentieth century. The resources, meanwhile, were also applied for developing an economic base in Portland, Oregon. Disciples acquired a hotel there and renovated it into a flourishing commercial enterprise. However, the sannyasins had to pay hugely for this. It was an endless struggle for survival. The efforts in Portland met with similar hurdles and hostility which climaxed in the bombing of the hotel by a religious fundamentalist.

Metaphorically speaking, the bombing of the Portland hotel was the last turning of the other cheek. The Rajneeshpuram administration now turned strict and used their legal rights, as an incorporated city, to create an armed force, normally called a police force but chosen to be called a peace force here. Several sannyasins earned special recognition for their accomplishments at the Oregon Police Academy. 

The idea of ‘religious’ seekers being armed, caused a disconnect in the conventional American mind which incidentally is no different than the traditionalists who were disturbed seeing a neo-sannyasin of Osho living a worldly life. But the effect was dramatic. The armed peace force worked remarkably as a deterrent and not a single violent incident occurred after the hotel bombing.

Swami Anand Vimalkirti - Prince Welf Of Hanover - Osho Disciple Enlightenment and death

The year of 1981 will perhaps be recalled as the most eventful year for the ashram. It began with one more disciple of Osho’s attaining enlightenment. Thirty-three-year old Swami Anand Vimalkirti, formerly Prince Welf of Hanover, reached enlightenment on the evening of 9 January 1981. He died and attained Mahaparinirvana (freedom from birth and death) on 10 January 1981. The story of this event, in brief, is as follows. On 5 January, while Vimalkirti was doing his daily ‘warm-up’ exercises, he collapsed due to a cerebral hemorrhage. He was put on respiratory machines in a Pune hospital for five days. His mother, Princess Sophia, and his brother, Prince Georg, came from Germany to be with him. Osho paid his tribute to Vimalkirti in the morning discourse in the following words: ‘Vimalkirti is blessed. He was one of the few chosen sannyasins who never wavered for a single moment, whose trust has been total the whole time he was here. He never asked a question, he never wrote a letter, he never brought any problem. His trust was such that by and by he absolutely merged with me. He has one of the rarest hearts. That quality of the heart has disappeared from the world. He is really a prince, really royal, really aristocratic. Aristocracy has nothing to do

with birth, it has something to do with the quality of the heart. And I experienced him as one of the rarest, most beautiful souls on the earth.’ Osho wanted Vimalkirti to be kept on the respiratory machines for at least seven days, because, as Osho explains, ‘He was just on the edge—a little push and he would become part of the beyond…Hence I wanted him to hang around a little more. Last night he managed. He crossed the boundary from doing to non-doing…’ Osho also explained that because of his meditative quality, Vimalkirti succeeded in disidentifying from his body and thus attaining consciousness beyond the body. All members of Vimalkirti’s family including his wife, Ma Prem Turiya (formerly Princess Wibke of Hanover, also a sannyasin), daughter, Ma Prem Tania (formerly Princess Tania of Hanover), his father, Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, mother, and brother, joined thousands of sannyasins in carrying his body to the cremation ground. While Vimalkirti’s body was burning on the pyre, everyone danced and sang in celebration. Messages of condolence were received from Queen Elizabeth II of England, H. R. H. Prince Charles of England (Vimalkirti was a nephew of the Queen and so a cousin to Prince Charles), Queen Fredericka of Greece, Mrs Indira Gandhi, and many other prominent people. 8 September was declared Mahaparinirvana Day, to be celebrated annually in memory of Osho’s father and Vimalkirti and all those sannyasins

who have left their bodies (people who have died) and who will be leaving their bodies in the future.