S. K. Saksena lives with his family in Mumbai, India and writes occasional blogs about life and experiences. His father was Dr. Sri Krishna Saksena, Professor Emeritus Philosophy, University of Hawai, and was before that Osho’s teacher and mentor at University in Jabalpur, India. Published in ‘merinews’, Mumbai, on July 26, 2017.
S.K. Saksena
Osho was different things to different people. From the media reports, the lay public was scandalised by his seeming encouragement of permissiveness and drugs. His talks were a mix of profanity, spirituality and a generous sprinkling of Mullah Nasruddin’s wit.
The then puritan Prime Minister Morarji Desai (1977-80) used the governmental machinery to stifle him and confine him only to the ashram at Koregaon Park, Pune. Affluent parents in the West watched helplessly as their children deserted the comforts of parental home, to drift starry-eyed and unkempt towards the Pune commune in search of enlightenment. The economy of Pune city and of the restaurants and cafes shot up.
A non-conformer, Osho was different from other spiritual or religious preachers. Others generally focus on their own religion or any other belief system they subscribe to. Theirs is the only way, they proclaim! But Osho had a bewildering assortment of interests and he seemed to appreciate and criticise whichever prophet or philosophy he spoke on. Over 600 books have been published, which are compilations of his lectures, subject wise. The catholicity of his views can be realised from his lectures from just one compilation, viz. ‘Books I have loved’.
‘Books I have loved’ is a series of lectures on his 168 favourite books. As a self confessed bookworm, I was suitably impressed. They range from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, to lesser known obtuse sects. A sampling of just 20 books he lectured on is:
Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Book of Mirdad by Mikhail Naimy
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
The Parables of Chuang Tzu
The Sermon on the Mount
Bhagavad-Gita by Krishna
Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
The Book of the Sufis
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The Book of Lieh Tzu
Dialogue on Socrates by Plato
The Notes of the Disciples of Bodhidarma
The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam
Masnavi by Jalaluddin Rumi
The Isa Upanishad
All and Everything by George Gurdjieff
In Search of the Miraculous by P. D. Ouspensky
His ashram claims, that “Having read more than 150,000 of the world’s greatest books on every conceivable subject, Osho shares the fragrance of some of his favourites, in these spontaneous and intimate talks. From the very first book, ‘Thus Spake Zarathustra’ by Friedrich Nietzsche, to the 167th entry, a book by Alan Watts, he takes us on a journey of discovery, sampling gifts from authors we have known, along with some surprises from mystics and poets never heard of before.”
Generalisations are odious, but if I were, to do so:
He was in tune with philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti and encouraged others not to get into the groove, by adopting blindly the belief systems and life styles, handed down to us. But to test the principles oneself and tread ‘the road less travelled’, if need be!
My father had concluded an article in ‘Philosophy East West’ by saying, “More harm is done to a religion, by its followers rather than by its worst enemies!” Osho echoed this repeatedly. In a book on Kabir and other mystics, he wrote:
“I will speak for Christ, not on Christianity. Christianity has nothing to do with Christ. In fact, Christianity is anti-Christ, just as Buddhism is anti-Buddha and Jainism anti-Mahavir. […] I am all for Christ, but not even a small part of me is for Christianity. If you want Christ, you have to go beyond Christianity. If you cling too much to Christianity, you will not be able to understand Christ. Christ is beyond all churches. Christ is the very principle of religion. In Christ all the aspirations of humanity are fulfilled.
“That’s the beauty of Christ…. Buddha is beautiful, superb…. Krishna is lovable!”
The inimitable writer Kushwant Singh, after meeting Osho wrote: “Soon after meeting him I began to read his books. I was very impressed that there is one teacher who is highly erudite. He could talk about any subjects – religion, psychology etc. His range and vision was enormous and unmatchable. The strong point is his lucidity. There is no confusion about what he said. Also he impressed me as he liberated people from their preconceived notions, superstitions and beliefs. So I got more books to read. I kept reading. I have written an introduction to one of his books based on whatever I have read. He wrote so much that it is difficult to say that I have read everything. I have not. I wrote this introduction because of a genuine admiration for the man who had the courage to speak his mind.”
Here was a man, who delivered to you a recipe, within your own faith. However, not as your religion dictated it. But as Buddha, Mahavir, Christ and other founders had directly experienced it themselves!
I gave a copy of his Hindi book on Kabir, to my mother-in-law with some trepidation, not knowing how a deeply pious lady would react to it. To my relief, she said, that the book had helped her to understand Kabir even better, though from childhood we have been reading and reciting, ‘Kabir ke dohe’ – ‘Kahat Kabir suno bhai saadho…
‘Kabira jab hum paida huay,
Jag hanse, hum roay.
Aisi karni kar chalo,
Hum hanse, jag roay!’
Excerpts by Osho from
Come Follow to You, Vol 1, Ch 1
I wonder why mentor professor did not advise laborious student like Rajneesh to apply for Oxford or Cambridge scholarship for doctoral study.
I am sure, Sannyas and its rise and fall would have been different if Osho had first-hand experience of real West.
People who came to Osho were not at all specimen of western civilisation. These were the people looking for repair!
“I wonder why mentor professor did not advise laborious student like Rajneesh to apply for Oxford or Cambridge scholarship for doctoral study.”
That’s probably because the professor was very patriotic & didn’t want India to have a brain drain!
Unlike you, Shantam, who, when you were generously allowed to take sannyas, already embodied the new man and were ready to take Osho’s work to a new level. (Could you be any more lacking in self-awareness if you tried?).
What a beautiful, beautiful family-line – from father to son, in this case. Full of integrity. Quite rare, I guess, this way.
Thanks again, Sannyas News, to post again some of this. Would love if Kavita could translate these last lines into English, if that is possible?
Madhu
And a P.S. for Satchit, who posted such a wise comment – witty, if not wise – as two flies disappeared (for the moment) in one stroke, gentle – as if with a fan of fresh air. Thank you, Satchit.
Madhu, ‘Doha’ means couplet. Kabir ke dohe = Kabir’s couplets.
“Kabira jab hum paida huay – Kabira when we are born,
Jag hanse, hum roay – The world laughs, we cry.
Aisi karni kar chalo – Manifest something before dying (so that)
Hum hanse, jag roay!” – We laugh, world cries!
Actually, Shantam, please make correction if I have understood wrongly.
That`s a good poem. Thanks for the translation.
Don`t forget that other famous doha by the mystic poet Kebab:
“Punjabi born and Punjabi bred
Strong in the arm but thick in the `ead.”
I love Kebab, so I will translate this masterpiece for all the Punjabis in SN:
“Panjabi paida hua aur Panjabi raha
Aslah men mazzboot, magar motta dimagh.”
Cheers!
Wow, thank you for taking the effort, Kavita.
I don´t know if one needs to be born in your hemisphere to second the last one: “Hum hanse, jag roay!”
Maybe it´s the child in me and romanticism to fantasise that the world is one and not separated in those who laugh and those who cry?
Otherwise – don´t these kind of ´visions´ (the latter mentioned) come also out of the culture of the hemisphere you are born into?
“Take it easy” – a Master like Osho and also others of His calibre suggested.
Nice to remember that, isn´t it?
Madhu
First of all, Madhu, it was not an effort, I tend to avoid if it’s an effort.
“I don´t know if one needs to be born in your hemisphere to second the last one: “Hum hanse, jag roay!”
Maybe it´s the child in me and romanticism to fantasise that the world is one and not separated in those who laugh and those who cry?
Otherwise – don´t these kind of ´visions´ (the latter mentioned) come also out of the culture of the hemisphere you are born into?”
Actually, geography has very little to do with human psyche, I guess.
Btw, according me & many who know me closely, my problem, if any, is I “take it too easy”!
Thanks, Kavita.
“And a P.S. for Satchit, who posted such a wise comment – witty, if not wise – as two flies disappeared (for the moment) in one stroke, gentle – as if with a fan of fresh air. Thank you, Satchit.”
You surprise me, Madhu – good.
“Over 600 books have been published, which are compilations of his lectures, subject wise.”
Was it his idea to publish books “subject wise” or the idea of the Resort?
“Excerpts by Osho from ‘Come Follow to You’, Vol 1, Ch 1.”
And I don’t like changing titles: ‘Come Follow Me’ still feels more flowing.
We could not follow your comment easily, Sachit.
But for clarity’s sake, yes, it was the present management of the organisation that decided to do compilations, etc. of Osho’s enormous output. Presumably with some publishers, who may have recommended this as a selling point, and also with, apparently in some places, quite severe editing.
As far as we know, this was never an Osho idea, or the way he wanted his books presented. Sometimes the adage “This discourse is complete unto itself” was added, which one assumes was something Osho requested.
On the question of what sells, we don’t ourselves remember the books of Poona 1, which were very carefully produced and worked on, even the covers, with much industry and love, ever NOT selling!
One certainly felt like one had received a gift when someone gave one.
I have enjoyed reading S.K.Saksena’s comments on Osho.
Since Mr. Saksena has been so favourably impressed with Osho’s great erudition and articulateness, he should have come to Osho in person to feel the power of His total presence – and not just His intellect and speaking style.
The beauty of Osho’s mind was and is just the beginning!
Ramakumar
Yes, Mr. Rama Kumar, you´ve made a point here. As the feeling echoing of a Truth in one´s own Heart while reading is one thing, to come closer to the source to embody such is quite another process. With a lot of trial and error, to say the least.
However, if it is Love recognisable that´s driving the engine of moving, Beauty – and maybe more important, Peace – can come into existence.
Such is a fragile flower, a living one, easy to be destroyed over and over again. With a lot of resilience though, coming up as a yearning again and again. Maybe the best stuff we – as human Beings – have to offer.
Mr. Saksena was right and was not right when stating a quote from his father´s article: “My father had concluded an article in ‘Philosophy East West’ by saying, “More harm is done to a religion by its followers rather than by its worst enemies!”
I know such kind of statements in abundance by those who just have a Pundit´s interest in Osho´s talks – and, when I am lost in bitterness, as a participant – I also know this kind of stance. By grace, I´d say, I am ever again taken out of this ´cul de sac´, seeing that it leads nowhere but to despair and more confusion.
Re ´Merinews´ (this fabulous Indian Web Portal for people) – and not only Merinews, SN/UK too : So how to create by sharing an Invitation as a living thing, as a flower of HERE-NOW for living people, will still be a challenge. Any moment to moment, I feel.
Takes the work of a good gardener – better, of good gardening – I guess.
With Love,
Madhu
It is a good point.
Many stayed away from Osho when he was alive, even though attracted in some way, from both east and west; basically, though rationally defended by all sorts of excuses, it was cowardice that stopped them.
Maybe*, but it’s not from that cowardice that Sheela’s team has founded their own power.
*In my case, ignoring the existence of the team of gardeners in charge, cowardice was linked to resistance in defending my belief system, including “honouring the father and mother”.
We are not sure what you mean, Veet.
The cowardice mentioned is about those who simply ‘admired’ Osho from afar, or through his books, etc., or within their safe middle-class homes and subject to wives and husbands who would not even allow them to visit the ashram and a living Master.
The first act of ‘exposing’ oneself to a Master and a Master’s energy field, is an act of courage. The author of this piece, now safely many years after Osho’s death, and at a great distance in many ways, praises Osho, without there being any evidence that he actually walked in that energy field, and even took the first step to be open to it when Osho was alive.
Some did take this step, and also many of those never experienced any exposure to Sheela. They either just ignored her and her trips, or in much greater numbers, never tried to be commune members, etc., but still continued their relationship with Osho, which after a while did not need to have a physical dimension.
Was Mr Saxena a “coward” who bottled throwing his lot in with an enlightened master or did he just have another life to live?
As you point out, “exposing” yourself to a master didn`t work out too well for a lot of people anyway. Maybe for Saxena, living in fear of being nagged by his mother-in-law was a better life choice than ending up in the nick!
Who knows?
Osho didn`t seem to berate him, quite the opposite.
And Saxena`s observation of the embarrassing cultish Elvis /Beatles mob-mind fan type behaviour of sannyasins towards him in Kathmandu was a home truth that even the master couldn`t deliver.
Frank said:
“And Saxena`s observation of the embarrassing cultish Elvis/Beatles mob-mind fan type behaviour of sannyasins towards him in Kathmandu was a home truth that even the master couldn`t deliver.”
Bit of projecting going on there, Frank.
You ran off to Greece to be near him, as I recall.
Arpana,
I was referring to Saxena’s account of meeting Osho in a satsang in Kathmandu that was published on SN in January:
“Much to everyone’s surprise, he headed straight for me and caught hold of my hands and looked lovingly into my eyes. Minutes passed and no word was exchanged between us. We just looked at each other and in silence spoke so much. His hands were so soft and I did manage to notice his diamond-studded watch. After what appeared like eternity, he folded his hands in Namaste and walked on. Bhagwan had disappeared into silence again.
But that was not the end of the evening. Hell broke loose. His disciples crowded around me. Each wanted to hug me and had tears in their eyes, exclaiming, “Oh, Bhagwan knows you!” “Oh, Bhagwan touched you!” It was getting more than I could handle. The melee felt like a riot of Elvis Presley fans. I would have lost my shirt and it would have been torn to shreds by souvenir seekers. My wife and I made a quick exit.”
Of course, the “coward” Saxena should have allowed himself to be stripped by the mob so as he could have “exposed” himself to Osho and then had his ego buggered senseless or whatever and thus achieved surrender/enlightenment.
But no.
Another middle-class coward ‘missed’.
Tut tut!
Meanwhile, the working-on-themselves-class heroes of SN exposed themselves, and with ganglions gangling, swung into nirvana with not even a thread of ego on….
Oh, ok! My bad, Frank.
When you talk about “many stopped by cowardice”, to stay in the topic to me is not to talk about my heroism.
Even to me as Faceless that “cowardice” has sounded a bit moralistic. But unlike him I was not so heroic to swim up to Greece.
So while I exposed my working-class cowardice he could show off his heroism by defending the middle-class through Saxena and implicitly accusing you of bourgeois paternalism.
Of course, he did it with the grace that distinguishes him, as usual without even suspecting a thread of ego on….
The only thing I didn’t understand/approve in this article is this choice of Kabir’s doha: -
“Kabira jab hum paida huay,
Jag hanse, hum roay.
Aisi karni kar chalo,
Hum hanse, jag roay!”
After some thought, I thought why not ask him directly, if possible, so I searched for the article on Merinews and shall be waiting for his reply.
P.S: http://www.merinews.com/article/osho-a-man-for-all-seasons/15926362.shtml
Did you receive a reply, Kavita?
Also, one assumes Kabir had many couplets; which one would you have approved of?
No, SN, not yet, let’s wait & see if Mr. Saksena has the courage to respond to this query in writing.
This is one Kabir couplet I can relate to the most:
Buraa jo dekhan mein chala, – Looked for flaws in others,
buraa na milya koi, – couldn’t find any,
jo man khoja aapnaa, – when finally intospected,
toh mujshe buraa na koi. – there’s no one more fallible than me.
If it is true that “Osho was different things to different people” despite (or thanks to?) “the catholicity of his views” I do not see it likely to repeat what happened to Christ or Buddha.
This universally constant disagreement (except faceless and his boss) leads to gibberish, a golden bridge to silence, the foundation of an authentic religion, which excludes any fundamentalism.
Ciao,
VF
Maybe she will beat the record number of read books:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylfIHpvBujo
Whose “faceless and his boss”, VF?
Who “never miss an opportunity to give a kicking”.
It’s relative to what I read here, it is possible that in real life the hierarchy is reversed or non-existent.
Our sangha seems to have more priests than sheep, in fact an anti-religion.
I presume late Prof. Saxena must have spoken with his student Osho many times about his quintessential, “More harm is done to a religion by its followers rather than by its worst enemies!”
Was he aware that this student has no ambition to be the head of Philosophy Department of any university but has a destiny to create His own Neo-Something.
I try to imagine what prof. must have thought to read in newspapers about fastest growing Neo- Sannyas created by his student.
My deepest admiration for Osho to dare to take a risk fully aware about the maxim craved in stone by the mentor father figure Professor:
Ladies and Gentlemen, is it not true, Masterly creation is not harmed by American President or any pope or any Prime Minister of India but faithful followers following their master´s guidelines.
From Sheela to Jayesh, one thing is common, “Following masterly dictate.”
Dr. Sri Krishna Saksena was mentioned by Osho apparently in a few places in Osho’s own early discourses.
Does anyone have the energy to research? It would be good to see how Osho saw him, from Osho’s point of view.
SN, found this:
http://www.oshonews.com/2017/01/12/osho-speaks-on-professor-dr-s-k-saxena/
Cheers, Kavita. Made it all more interesting.
The reference is a few paragraphs down the page.
http://www.oshosearch.net/Convert/Articles_Osho/Glimpses_of_a_Golden_Childhood/Osho-Glimpses-of-a-Golden-Childhood-00000020.html
“This was the second gate I remember. When I left university I was standing by the gate with my old professor, Sri Krishna Saxena. The poor man died just a few days ago, and he had sent a message saying he wanted to see me. I would have loved to see him, but now nothing can be done unless he is born quickly, and to a sannyasin, so that he can reach me. I will recognize him immediately, that much I can promise.
He was a man of exceptional qualities. He was the only professor out of the whole lot that I came across – teachers, lecturers, readers, professors and whatnot – he was the only one who was able to understand that he had a student who should rather have been his Master.
He was standing at the gate persuading me not to leave the university. He was saying, “You should not leave, particularly when the university has granted you a Ph.D. scholarship. You should not lose
this opportunity.” He was trying in thousands of ways to tell me that I was his most loved student. He said, “I have had many students all over the world, particularly in America” – because he had been teaching in America most of the time – “but I can say,” he said to me, “I would not have bothered to convince any of them to remain. Why should I care? – it had nothing to do with me, it was their future. But as far as you are concerned” – and I remember his words with tears in my eyes – he said, “as far as you are concerned, it is my future.” I cannot forget those words. Let me repeat them.
He said, “Those other students’ future was their own concern; your future is my future.”
I said to him, “Why? Why should my future be your future?”
He said, “That is something I would rather not talk about to you,” and he started crying.
I said, “I understand. Please don’t cry. But I cannot be persuaded to do anything against my own mind, and it is set in a totally different dimension. I am sorry to disappoint you. I know perfectly well how much you had hoped, how happy you were that I topped the whole university. I have seen you, just like a child, so joyous about the gold medal that was given not even to you, but to me.”
I didn’t care a bit about that gold medal. I threw it down a very deep well, so deep that I don’t think anybody is going to find it again; and I did it in front of Doctor Sri Krishna Saxena.
He said, “What are you doing? What have you done?” – because I had already thrown it down the well. And he had been so happy that I had been chosen for a scholarship. It was for an indefinite period, from two to five years.
He said, “Please reconsider again.”
The first gate was the “Elephant Gate,” and I was standing with my father not wanting to enter. And the last gate was also an “Elephant Gate,” and I was standing with my old professor, not wanting to enter again. Once was enough, twice would have been too much.
The argument that had begun at the first gate lasted up till the second gate. The no that I had said to my father was the same no that I had said to my professor, who was really a father to me. I can feel its quality. He cared for me as much as my own father had cared, or perhaps even more. When I was ill he would not sleep; he would sit at my bedside the whole night. I would say to him, “You are old, doctor,” I used to call him doctor, “please go to sleep.”
He used to say, “I’m not going to sleep unless you promise that by tomorrow you will be perfectly well.”
And I had to promise – as if being sick or not depended on my promise – but somehow, once I had promised him, it worked. That’s why I say there is something like magic in the world.”
Thank you, Arpana, for finding this.
The ‘Glimpses’ is a sort of difficult reliable source book re Osho’s actual life – for many – because we understand that it was never recorded, but written down by Devageet, as instructed by Osho, within a short time of him ‘giving the lecture’ to those few in the dental room. And also delivered when under the influence.
Is that your understanding and does your research also indicate that?
I heard that relatively recently, but I recall when I read the book it never occurred to me it wasn’t a transcription of Osho’s words, so if Devageet got that written down he must have had help from a tape recorder (pure conjecture) but he would also have had help in preparation from others who were very familiar with Osho’s speaking style, the established editors, so who knows?
My (pure conjecture) was in fact correct.
Dictated in dental sessions in Lao Tzu Grove, Rajneeshpuram, the sessions were a daily occurrence, sometimes twice daily, and preceded by dental treatment. According to Sw. Devageet, all tapes were destroyed on Osho’s request.
See discussion for an exploration of when talks were given. Dates below are a distillation/best guess from that exploration from ‘Glimpses’.
http://www.sannyas.wiki/index.php?title=Glimpses_of_a_Golden_Childhood
Interesting that what Sannyas is about hangs on an already outdated technology, recording tape. Would not be without that technology.
Thanks, that is very helpful, Arpana.
Thanks, Kavita, for this translation.
We ourselves were going to ask for someone to translate it, so it is good you were so quick out of the blocks. But that line about manifesting before dying is good. We were not fully sure you had cracked the full meaning…so maybe someone else has a go?
‘Doha’ means couplet. Kabir ke dohe = Kabir’s couplets.
“Kabira jab hum paida huay – Kabira, when we are born,
Jag hanse, hum roay – The world laughs, we cry.
Aisi karni kar chalo – Manifest something before dying (so that)
Hum hanse, jag roay!” – We laugh, world cries!
Translations (from Kabir wiki):
“When you were born,
You cried, and the world rejoiced.
Live your life in such a manner that when you die,
The world cries and you rejoice.”
This and close variants of it are also often cited as an “Indian” proverb, a Tibetan Buddhist proverb or a Cherokee proverb.
Variants:
“When you are born,
You cry, and the world rejoices.
Live in such a manner that when you die,
You rejoice, and the world cries.”
“When you are born,
You cry, and the world rejoices.
Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
When you were born in this world.”
(And the more cautionary):
“Everyone laughed while you cried
Conduct not yourself in manner such
That they laugh when you are gone.”
Actually, I think Kavita`s translation is closer than these, as it preserves the brevity and directness of the original.
These translations seem to need to use a lot more words in effort to make sure that all don`t miss the meaning. This can sound a little more like an `explanation` and lose the gnomic brevity and simplicity of the original (which is evident in the form, even to a non-Hindi speaker).
Cheers.
Cool, Frank.
Thanks for your work, if it amounted to work, on this.
Appreciated either way.
Thank you, Frank, for your support.
Ref – sannyasnews says:
18 August, 2017 at 12:04 am
“Cheers, Kavita. Made it all more interesting.”
Cheers, SN, I thought so too!
Somehow I couldn’t relate to “Hum hanse, jag roay!” – We laugh, world cries!
SN, for me, “Hum hanse, jag hanse!” – We laugh, world laughs! is something I can relate to.
You are jealous, Shantam, because Osho recognised and acknowledged Dr. Saksena and didn’t know you existed.
Your spitefulness is thoroughly shameful.
Is there a way to see an alternative to facebook reference, if possible? Not all your readers have facebook as facebook is not yet compulsory for surfing the net!