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.’