Excerpt from Chapter 5 of 93 Rolls-Royces by Deva Peter Haykus. (The book is available from Viha) First published in Viha Connection http://www.oshoviha.org/online-magazine.php
This has been my whole life: putting out energy, waiting for something to happen. Waiting without expectation; pure waiting. It’s like, “What now? Which way is the wind blowing?”
The wind this time has blown me toward Patanjali Lake, a small body of water tucked away in a corner of Rancho Rajneesh. It is an idyllic spot, where you can swim and sunbathe in the nude, and where sannyasin workers go when they want to hide out.
It’s an early, warm August morning when Osho’s new speedboat is delivered. Ma Nirupa and I go out to the lake together to prepare for the Master’s arrival. Nirupa, a short, energetic English ma, is the cleaner of his rooms at Lao Tzu House. She brings towels and other equipment to dry the early morning dew from the seats, the dashboard, and the steering wheel, no easy task. She is in charge of the cleaning; I am there to serve as his mechanic and to help him learn to operate the boat.
Osho arrives driving one of the early Rolls-Royces – a two-door Camargue. I watch him step out of the car and walk gracefully down the beautiful wooden dock that has been constructed for him by sannyasin carpenters.
He is dressed in a custom-made robe, socks, and cushioned thongs. I hold his hand as he carefully steps down into the 16-foot boat, bobbing in the water a foot below the dock. I lament the fact that no one has thought to affix bumpers to the dock to steady the boat, but he carefully takes his seat behind the wheel while Vivek sits in the bucket seat beside him.
Since this is all new to Osho, I kneel in the rear- facing seat behind him to assist as he attempts to start the boat. The key ring has a small plastic float attached; he asks me what that is for. I tell him it is to prevent the key from sinking in the event the key is dropped in the water. He asks, “Why would you want to drop the key in the water?” Coming from an enlightened master, this is not a lame joke, it is a Zen koan.
In my youth I had worked on large yachts at a marina on Lake Michigan, so the operation of different kinds of boats is second nature to me. But this is all new to Osho. It appears he doesn’t know how to start the boat! I lean over his shoulder from behind and speak into his ear as he tries to start the motor.
He seems spaced out; he isn’t doing what I am telling him to do: “Push the starter switch in and turn it to the right.”
I repeat that instruction to him two or three times, but it seems like he isn’t taking it in. So I lean forward, put my hand around his, and together we turn on the switch. When the motor engages with a big rumble, and he realizes we are successful, he turns his head and gives me a huge grin. It is amazing – the feeling of being that physically close to him. I wish I could describe what it feels like; I don’t have the words for it.
But as soon as the boat starts up, I realize this is the wrong kind of boat for him. Osho is incredibly sensitive to things in his environment – like smells, for example – and the speedboat has a two-cycle out- board motor which reeks of oily exhaust fumes. My objection to the boat is one of many confrontations I would have with Sheela. I tell her he needs a more car-like boat: one with a four-cycle motor which doesn’t burn oil with the gas, and directs the exhaust into the water. This filters out the smell.
When I tell Osho there are better choices for him, he overrules Sheela. I get permission to fly to Portland in the Ranch’s private Mitsubishi jet to shop for something more suitable. I find a real beauty at a custom boat builder’s shop. It’s a mahogany wood- planked speedboat with a proper engine, a wind- shield, plush padded bench seats, and lots of chrome. I take my recommendation to the powers that be, but the boat is never ordered.
In the meantime, I affix two small oscillating fans to the rear of his speedboat, to blow the motor fumes away from him as he is backing the boat away from the dock. When he goes out in the speedboat – just him and Vivek – he speeds in and around obstacles that protrude through the surface of the water.
I don’t know what those are, but he is definitely swerving around obstacles. It is not a clean lake surface. Navigating the lake at high speed takes quite a bit of maneuvering, which makes it exciting for him. And he is really into the excitement. He has said in his discourses that he is really a good driver, and he truly is – with the boats and, as I would soon find out, with the cars as well.
One morning Osho goes out in the speedboat with Vivek and the motor putters and stalls in the middle of the lake. Now what?! The problem is that I have no way to get out to the boat. There aren’t even any life jackets or life-saving float rings. I have been very concerned with the whole scene anyway because it is an unsafe boating situation. Because of my marina experience I know about boating safety, and none of that is happening. If they aren’t able to get the motor started, what to do?
After six or seven false starts, Osho is finally able to restart the motor and get the boat back to the dock.
I lift up the outboard motor and see the problem
– seaweed is caught around the prop. I remove the stuff and tell Osho that appears to be why the boat is stalling.
Then he wants to take the speedboat out for another spin. He invites me and Nirupa onto the boat with him and Vivek. He begins whizzing around like a nut (speed racer type guy, weaving, speeding back and forth, and having a good old time). He leans back and yells, “Yeah, Peter, I think that was it – the seaweed.” (He has to yell because the outboard motor is so loud.)
I am leaning over his shoulder so I can hear him and talk to him, and his hair and beard are flying inthe wind back into my face. The experience blows me away.
Mischievousness is a big part of our relationship and something we have in common. He often asks me what kind of trouble I’m getting into. He chuckles, seeming to enjoy the comic relief of what I am going through. He’s a kibitzer. That’s who he is. I dearly love these conversations because that’s my trip, too – just to stir the pot up a little to see what will happen.
One time, I tell him there isn’t enough safety equipment at the lake, such as dock bumper pads, life jackets, fire extinguishers, etc., that should have been there from day one and are not. I am giving him this whole list and he asks what else I think I need. I say a vehicle to get out there in the morning with Nirupa. He asks, “How about a motorcycle with a side car?” I think to myself, how am I supposed to get Nirupa out there with her cleaning gear? Her mop. Her buckets. In a side car?
I tell him I don’t want a motorcycle because they’re too dangerous. He looks at me like I’m crazy. (Doesn’t Osho says at one point: everyone want a motorcycle? I say no. So he says, “Well, pick any vehicle you want and you can use it.” Later that day I go to Jesus Grove to arrange for a vehicle. Sheela asks me which vehicle I want, because she knows Osho asked me to pick one.
I say, with a straight face, “I’ll take your Mercedes, Sheela.” If looks could kill! She is outraged that I would have the balls to say that.
The truth is, that just came out of me. From the very get-go, from the time I became involved with Osho, I always felt I was an instrument of his. For me to blurt out those words to Sheela had to do with that feeling. Why the hell would I say something like that? It is conscious, but it is also like being a channel for his teachings.
She is so pissed off, with steam coming out of her ears and eyes bulging out of her head, that she says flat out, “No!” I’d have to choose another one. [...]
The next day Osho asks me, “What vehicle did you pick?” I say I picked Sheela’s Mercedes. The Buddha belly laugh that follows is really something. I don’t know if I ever remember him having such a reaction to anything. Just him and me standing there at the end of the dock; nobody else is around. He is really enjoying the moment and so am I.
I liked this account by Deva Peter Haykus.
And though not the main point of the story I like his account of his run-ins with Sheela, and how ‘brave’ he must have been, maybe braver than he knew, given her later behaviours.
I especially liked Osho’s reaction to his story about asking for Sheela’s Mercedes…showed up Sheela, and also showed Osho in a great moment with his reaction to the story.
Parmartha´s world view is very simple. He has found one villain in Sannyas. Her name is Sheela.
After her, there are only heroes.
This is daft, Shantam.
Sannyas is not an organisation, and for prcisely that reason is indestructable.
Those attracted to “organise” things are actually politicans, and they all have flaws, though of different types and amounts!
Parmartha, if given a chance, you may add Sannyas as a word originating from Latin. What you say about Sannyas, Hindus as believers of Sanatana Dharma (google this term) say the same thing.
Basically, Sannyas is a stolen word from Hindutva.
Technically, Sannyas as cult went into garbage bin the day Osho threw the ugly obscene title of Bhagwan in the garbage. God´s grace, I was watching the new history unfolding at Buddha Hall.
With Bhagwan, the whole past of Shree Rajneesh, including Rajneeshpuram, was trashed out.
Never liked too much theatrics around spirituality. Very theatrical – too much influence of Hollywood & Bollywood.
I subscribe, Big P.
Unlike Shunyo on RR (‘My Diamond Days with Osho’) I would accept a passage by speedboat from Him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6I3yBeIvug
Have a good day (sunny day off in Holland!),
VF
An interesting read, perhaps not always for obvious reasons.
Take the following as a primary example:
“The key ring has a small plastic float attached; he asks me what that is for. I tell him it is to prevent the key from sinking in the event the key is dropped in the water. He asks, “Why would you want to drop the key in the water?” Coming from an enlightened master, this is not a lame joke, it is a Zen koan.”
A Zen koan? I doubt it. I suspect it was quite an ordinary, fun, question. That is the thing about Osho, there is a tendency to read too much into his every action. You think Osho never accidentally dropped a set of keys, broke a tea cup, or threw a shoe at Vivek, because she disturbed him while watching television? If you do not believe Osho was capable of human error and action you must be a wee bit stupid.
In the previous thread we have Osho declaring that one does not need anything. Yet here we have a report about how Osho liked to have lots of things to play with. A smelly exhaust! Nip out and buy another expensive toy to keep the Zen master happy. Typical Osho, in the sense that it is all so contradictory and ridiculous.
Peter says, “It is amazing – the feeling of being that physically close to him. I wish I could describe what it feels like; I don’t have the words for it.” Yes, I can relate to that. To this day I have no idea how or why Osho generated such an incredible field of energy. All I know is that he did and I witnessed it. Truly remarkable.
“I’ll take your Mercedes, Sheela.” Peter knew his cars. Much better ride than a Roller.
You can’t fool a fooler, Lokeshji. I see what you did there! Pretending to be more unenlightened than you really are, out of compassion, lest others feel bad.
Your egoless humility shines through when you say, “To this day I have no idea how or why Osho generated such an incredible field of energy. All I know is that he did and I witnessed it. Truly remarkable.”
Very funny, what a joker! I know you know that You Are That. No guru, no witness, no “incredible field of energy” sourced from outside, only consciousness at play. Ha ha ha… nice one
Deep bow.
Do you fancy Lokesh, do you?
Yeah! He is a handsome guy, but not gay!
Of course I do Tan! I’d be mad not to, he’s a self-realized DJ living in Ibiza for chrissakes!
How do you know he’s not gay, have you had some ‘sharing’ or intercourse (communication)?
What I really like about him is that, he writes a sentence, followed by another one, then another, and pretty soon he’s got a whole paragraph! Then he repeats the process, and before you know it, he’s actually written something maybe worth reading. But before he clicks on ‘post comment’, he also makes sure it’s intelligible to other people. I know! It’s radical and revolutionary! You should try it some time!
He’s also a bit of a ‘kibitzer’, though not like me.
See you later, when you next ‘hit and run’
Go on, Dominic, read again your post to Lokesh…
How do I know Lokesh is not gay? I just know, I got the gift…
Cheers and keep cool….
The keyring scenario is both a ‘lame joke’ and a lame comment. If it’s a zen koan, the author fails to enlighten us what that might be.
All these cars, speedboats, motorbikes, planes at ‘his majesty’s service’ – was Osho going through a male mid-life crisis or an Indian guy coming to the West, infatuated with all the new flashy material opportunities?
Haykuss the hagiographer imagines himself to be a channel for his teachings, by picking out Sheela’s Mercedes. But she says “No”, and he backs down. Given that Osho gave him authority “to pick any vehicle”, why is he brave to back down?
Anyway, the two boys have a laugh about it, but given what is about to unfold, it tastes like bitter fruit.
The dynamic of sticking it to the mother superior/crazy bitch/wicked witch whatever you want to call her, reflects a souring relationship between the Boss and his manageress. Allowing such an unstable personality to wield so much power reflects poorly on him. They may be enjoying the moment, but it foreshadows troubled times ahead.
One other impression I have of Osho is that his love of cars and such meant less exercise. Even in Poona he used a Roller to drive the 100 yards to Buddha Hall. Would I be right in saying he sat around most of the day for many years and all the physical work was done for him? Unsurprisingly, perhaps, he died of heart failure at 59.
Dominic, you sound a bit strange in my ears.
I guess you are a sannyasin or an ex-sannyasin with an unfinished business. Need help?
Funny, I was thinking the same about you.
Obviously your business must be all wrapped up, with a pretty bow on it.
So why are you here? Oh yes, to teach.
Need disciples?
Dominic, or should I say Swami Dominic, you seem to be a great Osho critic. This he has not done according to your idea, that he has not done.
Sorry, I cannot tell you why I am here because you would only parrot me.
Thanks for the compliment, Satchit. I like it! “a GREAT Osho critic” – well, that’s how I read it anyway!
If the conversation does not interest you, why are you bothered?
When all is said and done, I take the best and leave the rest, as with everything in the Oshosphere.
I’m not a ‘true believer’ devotee type, clearly, and I like sorting out the BS, the illusions and propaganda for myself, as much as is possible. I put out so-called ‘negative’ comments, to clarify my own thinking or in the hope that someone might add something. It’s a conversation really.
Too often, as with any cult or movement, some people are going to get triggered and start ganging up on you. It’s to be expected really. All I can say is, don’t attack the person, attack the argument. Say why you disagree or if you don’t care, ignore and move along.
We may also be coming from different places. Issues of integrity, trust, ethics etc, may not matter much to you, as you have suggested.
I am also not the true-believer type.
Certainly we can have a little conversation:
You have to consider the fact that your duck argument does not fit in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world a duck can be a tiger and a tiger can be a duck.
Ever heard of something Osho called “device”?
Yes, I’m surprised nobody’s been referencing the old get-out-of-jail-free-card, to explain away every act of mismanagement and vanity.
Although you’d have to be a zealot, with your head in the sand, not to hear the groans when you try and pull that trick on discerning folk.
I thought Parmartha was going to mention it in defence of the Rollers, as people used to, but I don’t think anyone can even be assed anymore and retain credibility. We know too much or we should.
“Device” or cult mind-control and gaslighting? Decide for yourself. Quack Quack!
Love’s Anatomy:
“He died of heart failure at 59″, but at least he will not have to answer to all these questions about the period that he had stopped responding to all those questions.
In Italy we have an idiom for those who are overly precise and punctilious, contained in this Koan:
How many hairs on his ass has a Master?
And if someone likes Koans I would have a couple more:
The heart transplant would save you from poisoning by thallium?
A Master with an artificial heart still loves His RR?
Maybe a Master is also his RR, also his heart, also even his hair…just like all of us a “conglomerate of properties or components with functional value” working for “an autonomous dynamic entity” (H . Maturana), but also someone so precise and punctilious to fathom his own nature to look for what does not die, with the emergence of donating it, the only exception to his autonomy.
Then the last Koan could be:
How much are we autonomous in killing again a Buddha who was killed by someone who did not see the Buddhahood in Him?
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/09/24/ronald-reagan-pope-john-paul-ii-and-the-alliance-that-won-the-cold-war
Ciao,
VF
“In Italy we have an idiom for those who are overly precise and punctilious, contained in this Koan:
How many hairs on his ass has a Master?”
Thanks, VF, that helps to explain the approach of Italian politics to me – ‘Look the other way!’
Funny, your political links and posts have a lot of hairs on their ass (which is ok with me). I guess it all depends on which ass you’re looking at!
I struggle to understand what points you’re making, but I get it you love your ‘Master’, no questions asked. Great be happy.
Allegria,
D
Dominic is writing with fluent English some politically incorrect statements, therefore seems to be closer to Osho´s spirit than those Living in Lala Land, “We Love you Osho, always kind!”
Many times unconditional loyalty means, boss kills the pedestrian and driver on sick leave accepts the blame.
Thank God, there are CCTV cameras nowadays. Religion says, Law of Nature has installed such cameras over all, even under the toilet seats!
SP, if you ignore the content of Dominic’s questions, you can ignore the content of my (our?) answers.
As for the way I express myself in English, let others judge, and go re-read the way you wrote in the comments of a few years ago, although I have to recognise in you some consistency, that of a vane exposed to the wind blowing between the two ears.
I do not know if telling you “shut up your mouth!” I would have your admiration for my politically incorrect style or your gratitude for not exposing you to other intracranial perturbations.
With all the energy that you express with your sterile polemics you could do many other things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onVk1r1LGqg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG04fbXqOuA
Ciao,
VF
You can write anything, Sw. Veet, it does not ring any bells in my ears.
What to do?
May be generation gap.
I am used to chit-chat with Lokesh, Satyadeva, Parmartha kind.
If I’m talking to you, which might be the ass?
If you tell me in which country you live I will also explain why you had better not look the other way, towards mine.
If you put quotation marks around “Master”, for the statute of who created this website and by logic you should not welcomed here.
I say this only because you are struggeling in understanding how, unlike SP, I do not appreciate your provocative fluent English style and, instead, I dwell on your use of quotation marks.
It seems to me that to treat or compare Osho as a political is equivalent to insult him or to disown him, or to not recognize him (his work) at all.
In the years in question, he doid not hold a public office, he had no duties apart from the law of his country or of others when travelling, no one paid him a salary to share his inner treasure, he was free to collect, or let others believed he was doing it, all the cars, watches, fancy dress, speedboats, infidel secretaries, bottles of vallium and nitrous oxide cylinders etc. he wanted.
My point, Dominic, is Love, as you said, it is obvious, such as your paternalism ( “Great, Be Happy. Allegria!”); and your point you pretend to show us would be to imagine better scenarios with a vegan Osho who continues to answer for 40 years more (living a longer life than Jiddu K.) to all the curiosity of his disciples and not, when all his work had already been done.
If you insist with your arrogance hidden behind your fluent English, having some good wind inside (not the outside one, like SP), I will answer you more directly.
On political analysis we could agree, as long as you remember that revolutions are men against other men, and that there is a Robespierre in all of us, to flush before.
Ciao,
VF
Veet, how would you define Osho’s work?
Lokesh, how you will define Osho´s work?
What a silly, silly, (did I mention silly?) post, VF.
Such blind fanaticism is stupido. You have made your “Master” a God and beyond reproach, beyond applying any standards you would reasonably assign to others. Never question, never think! There’s no discussion with such a cultic mindset.
How old are you, btw? Perhaps your age can mitigate your foolishness. As for Italy (which I love), check it out for yourself on the country corruption index (Mafia anyone?).
Who knows if Osho would have lived longer? Perhaps some tough love and push back from people around him, instead of slavish worship, would have helped – “No, Mohan, no more Rollers, drugs and teeth pulling for you! We’re getting you a mountain bike, running shoes and a personal trainer, because that’s what love looks like.”
Perhaps if he’d have had a wife like Lokesh’s to balance his excesses and narcissism….
Quack, quack, D.
Discussion is good for the cunning mind.
You miss the heart.
Why are you here then, and not in your shrine room meditating and listening to discourse?
You miss saying words that aren’t parroted like “cunning mind”.
Since you are interested in my opinion, Lokesh?
You make only rhetorical questions to which no one can answer better than you – but if you’ve decided to try a new perspective while you talk with others, maybe just the time they fix your stilts, I would say:
The work done by someone who “you can not define, contain, prevent”, that speaks about the inner and outer things in the life of every human being who is waiting for the same freedom, from being defined, contained, prevented: a Master of Reality.
Since you’re down I take this opportunity to hug you, just after SP has finished to touch your feet.
Ciao,
VF
Veet, that comes across as not very defined. In other words vague. No surprises there.
Lokesh, they have already adjusted your stilts or you have borrowed from your wife the gala shoes?
Ciao,
VF
Just the opposite, Dominic.
I have not disputed the things that you assign to Osho, I have no evidence for that. You are the one who fanatically defends these charges without proof; in fact I have not asked you to show them.
I only said that Osho is not a politician who must defend a political correctness, and then in his private life does what he fucking wants.
What changes in your life, and what do you expect that should change in mine, if he was a health-conscious guy or a transgressive Zorba?
It would not be obvious, eventually, if he had done the opposite of Lokesh, making trips after enlightenment?
And, in any case, tell me where he spoke for or against things that you claim show that Osho is not a Master, according to his own standards?
Fanaticism could be to assign and defend moral standars, about themselves or others, moralistic in this case.
Mind you, I do not make an apology for vice, an immoral fanaticism in opposition to yours; mine was a reductio to absurdity, by an amoral one.
If yours were not just an intellectual exercise you would have already declared what is for you a Master or a God, and I’m sure (if you are not an algorithm) you would have the same passion in doing it, sharing that, but at least in your last comments you didn’t, you would just like me to ignore these omissions and that I consider only the things you say about Osho, otherwise the fanatical one would be me (?!).
Very reasonable and not at all stupid…
I understand that you like to discuss, but do not confuse passion with fanaticism. Osho has better arguments than mine to laugh at what you say; if you google a while you’ll see it.
Do not you think that if you point the finger at the spiritual authenticity of someone who is loved spiritually by someone else, whom you’ve implicitly defined as an idiot, forgetting to say, in passing, something assertive about your spiritual path (I’d be happy if you had one), then you could be considered an alias of a subtle philosopher like him?
http://nonciclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Hitler_con_piccolo_Ratzinger.jpg
I am happy that my reframe, due to the few things that you share about yourself, your heart, even if well compensated by thoughts, may seem silly to you – it would be silly to expect the opposite; in you could be much more and profound (I hope), but MY_MASTER_WITHOUT_QUOTATION_MARKS (note the modest tone, almost British) taught me to stay with what is there, and, since I am not a Master, I speak only of what I feel, relatively speaking…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU1HbwC71j4
Ciao,
VF
Everyone likes a good speedboat. Perhaps thousands of years of rowing made a permanent akashic impression.