I recently asked a very close buddy of mine, who earlier used to follow Osho, not so much nowadays though, his priorities having been changed in life, and that was exactly the reason for putting across this query, anyway: What essence did Osho hold for him? I have spoken to many other Oshoites on this subject as well – they are well versed with Osho’s influence, his communes and his legacy – and tried to know their minds on this subject. The most they ever spoke of was Osho’s counseling and his ability to decondition you – but no one ever debated one key point, that Osho emphasized on meditation, Dhyan, which according to this author is THE ESSENCE of Osho’s whole teaching. Yes, meditation is the key to understanding what Osho Rajneesh stands for.

Osho asked his own listeners and followers to meditate. All his spoken words and procedures ended with a request to meditate. It is another thing that very few take it seriously, may be since they are too overwhelmed to act initially. But, unless one sat to observe, or became a SAKSHI of their inner selves, they could not hope to follow Osho beyond his face value. Unless one saw a fusion of their body and mind and started understanding the unconscious part of the latter, even for a snip of a moment – Osho’s deconditioning being the first stage, and one’s own travels inside, the second and more significant one of this procedure - Osho’s discourses will have little value.

Initially you may try to justify the way you live by citing Osho’s words. Man/ womankind has lived with this fallacy since time immortal – that is by defining and bending the set of rules that might influence your life, as per the need of any hour. But, there is no other way around but to be the courageous self to start sitting quietly and be within, before making any significance inroads into the bation held by Osho and his well-wishers.  It may take you onto a different level, into an altogether different experience. It may take you into a totally unknown world hitherto, once followed the exercise as stated above. This experience may completely transform you over a period of time. It may show you newer ways to live life more vigorously, deeply and with a sense of deep contentment.

And the unthinkable might then take place! Osho might cease to be your driving force thereafter, and your life-line for a transformation. You may start being your own master, your own guide once having realized even a bit of your own inner-self. Osho stated it bluntly on many occasions that he did not intend going beyond a certain degree, where his role as a Guru should end. And that stage is when you would have reached atop the cliff and start backtrack and will need to be pushed down. It is then Osho will do his bit, clean up his hands, and leave you to your own destiny. The journey thereafter will have to be taken care by yourself. Nobody can ever rescue or guide you from that free-fall – once you started smelling your own roots, your infinite self. You may have to find out your own truth, be your own guide, be your own master and be your own BUDDHA once having begun that journey to sea-waters! This is what any true master, any true guru, should do anyway. Lead you until you began realizing your own prowess.

This won’t be easy to implement in action, no doubt. Meditation may lead you into a myriad of experiences. You may become overconfident and start carrying misconceptions about your own persona, just like a toddler would after learning to walk for the first time. He needs watchful eyes to stop from being tossed over, you, a GURU’s numerous words and warnings. The very first sign of awareness might lead you into carrying far more hazy ideas than before, if not tread on this path carefully. This author has been through some sharp downfalls, hence this caution.

And if you ever fell-down badly inside that gorge, please do not start with a tirade against Osho. For it wasn’t he who had asked to try diving first of all. You had ventured to ask him for a transformation. The conditions were clear for the very beginning. He cautioned you, trained you and warned in advance before finally doing his bit when you started trembling at the final moment…none of his faults after you dived! I have found people abusing Osho, once having had taken a bad fall. I have seen Oshites fighting amongst themselves (if not against Osho) and carrying a bad nuisance around. I have even found people who might have never listened to, read or experienced Osho’s teachings, denouncing him. The choice is yours. Start the journey now and be your own master, or keep fiddling with faults that you might perceive in life and Osho and here or there.

I was recently reading these excerpts about Osho Rajneesh, which supposedly have taken a wide range of opinions into their account. Although none of the controversies, Osho is spoken about, has been listed there, the Indian born guru was a controversial figure indeed in the eyes of many. As a keen listener and reader of Osho’s discourses, I would say though, the controversies only made his persona sound more colorful and easier and better to comprehend.

Wasn’t Osho Himself The Face Behind Mulla Nasruddin?!

There is one gentleman called Christopher Calder, who claims of having witnessed – to what he terms as – Osho’s fall from grace. Those visiting his site should remember, he is among the strongest of Osho’s critics. If you were to know Osho at length for the first time, please be warned not to rush to any quick and macro udgments. The best way to know about Osho Rajneesh would be to listen him and follow up with some Dhyan (meditation) efforts. Once you began inhaling inner peace, be eager to know what Calder said and you might pick up some of Osho’s missing links.

It is but obvious that Osho’s followers were not among the next door usual human beings. They couldn’t have, anyway. Why would any happily living human being decide to visit Osho’s communes? Only those who had major issues to be tackled in life might think of consulting him. I say this based on my own experience – the circumstances in which I myself started experimenting with Osho, as well as the general observation I made over the years about Osho’s Sanyasins.

So, what do you expect Osho to be like to run this circus? He couldn’t afford being a simpleton contrary to what many of us might think of him. Amazingly good and enlightened he must have been on one hand, and highly dubious and controversial on the other. While Calder and hardcore Oshoites might  choose to describe Osho in two totally different shades, many like this author do not see it improper in accepting both of them together, thus allowing a more colorful and rational Osho to emerge up.

And if you ever wondered whose fallacies did Osho expose through his Mulla tales, then be assured, it was no one but Osho himself. A more actual depiction of Osho’s persona can be seen emerging the moment we decide to merge him with Mulla tales. It is much easier to comprehend and be connected with.

Btw, I had had a brief conversation with Calder in the recent past, and the image I developed of him during that course was that of a bitter ex-Oshoite. He said, “call me by whichever name, but there is no better way to describe about Osho honestly.” Calder can be seen arguing with other Oshoites here just for record. In the end, the anti-Osho voice hasn’t succeeded in doing anything new by debating the master. They too spend time brainstorming about Osho like his other disciples!

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UPDATE

Check out my latest post on Osho Rajneesh here:

Continuing With The Debate On Osho’s Controversies