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!