Indian Journalist Imprisoned for quoting Osho on Shiva

SannyasNews has noticed that an Indian  journalist has been arrested for publishing some words by Osho on the worship of ‘Shivling’. The journalist has been charged under Section 295 A of the IPC (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings). His name is Deepak Aseem, who is in his late 40s. He had his bail request refused a week ago.

On the occasion of Shivratri last month, Aseem published an article headlined “Shivling pooja kyon?” in his weekly magazine, Khajrana Live, reproducing excerpts of Osho’s words. .. After the article was circulated on WhatsApp, religious extremists of Patidar Samaj, a Hindu group, filed a complaint at the Khajrana Police Station and sought Aseem’s arrest.

Did he not know what he was publishing? It is a sensitive issue,’’ said Khajrana Police Station in-charge Kamlesh Sharma.

Aseem’s lawyer, Vijay Sharma, argued that he had merely reproduced Osho’s words, which had been printed in the past. “There was no reason for his immediate arrest, it was done under political pressure,’’ said Sharma.

This poor man, is now languishing in an Indian jail.  It says absolutely nothing for the present Indian government, and its crazy Hindu nationalist sentiments,  and discloses them for the bigots they are.  SN will keep readers appraised of this poor man’s plight.

We think this extract from Osho might have been the cause of this travesty of justice.

From “Bondage to Freedom” by Osho:

“Shiva’s son was sitting at the door, watching. He was told that nobody was to be allowed in, but he had never thought that Vishnu and Brahma, were included, and he was at a loss: how to prevent these gods? That will be insulting. So he allowed them in. Shiva was making love to Parvati. These two gentlemen came and stood there for six hours, and the love went on, and Shiva and Parvati did not take any note of the two gentlemen standing there.

Frustrated and angry they left and cursed Shiva, “You have insulted us badly, and we curse you that you will be remembered by your sex organs.” That’s why Shiva’s statue is just a phallic symbol resting in Parvati’s vagina. And all over India that statue is worshipped, and nobody bothers what they are worshipping! And they are great spiritual people worshipping genitalia, and that too, in a state of making love!

It is ugly. But religious people are blind, everywhere. No Hindu ever thinks, “What is this shivalinga?” Even the name, shivalinga, means the genitalia of Shiva. They go on calling it shivalinga without understanding even the meaning of the word. There are no statues of Shiva, only these phallic symbols — because of the curse.

Only Brahma is without a wife — obviously, because he is the creator god. From where will he find a wife? But what he did is even worse. He created a woman and became so infatuated that he started running after the woman to catch hold of her and rape her! His own daughter! But gods are allowed every crime. And the woman, afraid that he would rape her, became a cow.

Brahma became a bull; you cannot deceive Brahma, the god, the creator — and that’s how the whole creation has come into being. That’s why there are so many species of animals, man, insects. The reason is: the woman goes on changing and Brahma goes on following, changing himself into the male. It is still continuing.

It is not just a short affair like the Christian God, who made the whole world in six days, and was so tired on the seventh that he rested; and since then he has been resting. Nothing has been heard about him. Monday never came again; he has never been back on the job. Just in six days he got spent, finished!

Brahma is still continuing, chasing the woman. He has not yet caught her because she goes on changing her form, he has to change his form; by the time he reaches closer she changes her form. And the creation goes on and on in different species. This idea looks closer to evolution; otherwise, why so many species? What is the need? So many mosquitoes — what is the need? So many bedbugs — what is the need?

The Christian God cannot answer that he created bedbugs to suck the blood of Christians; and created mosquitoes, created snakes and scorpions — for poor Christians! But what can Brahma do? The woman is certainly a mystery: she goes on becoming things which even Brahma may think is not right, but what can he do? — he is infatuated.

She becomes a scorpion so he has to become a scorpion. She becomes a bedbug; feeling that now Brahma will stop. But he is not going to stop — he becomes a bigger bedbug. And the story continues; the creation is continuous. But the reason for this continuity is that the father is trying to rape his own daughter.

What do you call it? — perversion or spirituality?

Hinduism has all the perversion that Christianity has, and much more.”

Parmartha

This entry was posted in Discussion, News, Osho. Bookmark the permalink.

22 Responses to Indian Journalist Imprisoned for quoting Osho on Shiva

  1. madhu dagmar frantzen says:

    “We think this extract from Osho might have been the cause of this travesty of justice.”
    Who is “we” in the thinking, Parmartha? But anyway…easy to imagine that such one of accurate journalist´s quoting could be possible.

    Those, like me, who have been present,when it was presented for an audience, a Sangha, who understood the ´satyricon´- to – go, had a good belly laugh and maybe later then remembering the innumerable perversions and killings in the name of religion.

    Or simply have just been affected by the utter bright, open-mind-space for the flicker of a precious moment of consciousness, and after that went to enjoy one of Sarjano´s good pizzas from the commune kitchen.

    However, sure enough, a clear mirror about the whole disaster of madness, “religious bigotry” in action is included in that story about that journalist.

    Every now and then, I would say, very rarely (!) one comes to know who´s taken hostage for such, is tortured because of such, or is killed because of such.

    And this madness continues. Just to this very day and to this very moment, where and when I am writing here, in March 2017.

    I would say though, that it is very difficult to quote a Living Presence´s Response like Osho’s of a living present moment (of the past) without having any clue about him (or her) who is quoting such NOW.

    I would also say, to have a gap of understanding of freedom and to be realised in freedom AND stay human might not be the same.

    Beautiful, Parmartha, that you and your SN-team have so much compassion for Deepak Aseem in his late forties. Strongly seconded at my place, as I know what is conferred with that topic story of the whole barbarous political event in India.

    And the Osho quote (out of context) is really SOMETHING, that´s TRUE.

    Madhu

  2. shantam prem says:

    Quoting Osho, feeling superior, humiliating others.

    Path of Sannyas is so full of self-righteous ones.

    • Simond says:

      No, Shantam. He isn’t feeling superior. He’s just quoting Osho. It’s just that in India, like in many places, the wealthy and the influential can say what they like – as Osho mostly did – and get away with it.

      Whereas a poorer, or less connected journalist gets put in gaol.

      Perhaps too, when Osho was alive the Hindu extremists weren’t quite so embedded in the government as they are now.

      So, Shantam it’s ok for an Osho to insult Hinduism or Sikhism or whatever stupid religion he likes, but not for the rest of us.

      Doesn’t this example itself provide an insight into just how crazy religion is? That he should be gaoled for this? Is India going to turn into a Saudi or Pakistan, where blasphemy is punishable by death?

    • anand yogi says:

      Perfectly correct Shantam!

      You are right to be utterly humiliated along with all the pure believers of mighty Bhorat who do not want to hear about Shiva and Parvati out dogging in heaven using spiritual sex-toys!

      Zorba the Buddha Modi has made it clear that the hindu right to rape must be upheld at all times!

      These absurd, self-righteous, homosexual, snowflake, feminazi leftists do not deserve you in their country, bhai!

      Shantambhai, you are wasted in West, scrounging social security, your time would be better back with turban on in Golden Temple, sucking cock with lingam assplug stuck up ass in time-honoured fashion!

      Yahoo!
      Hari Om!

  3. swamishanti says:

    It is an old Indian story…in one version they spend ten-thousand years at it whilst Brahma and Vishnu are kept waiting:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfaKPo05ISU

  4. Lokesh says:

    Osho in good provocative form. That anyone could take any of his malarkey seriously is a joke unto itself.

    Recently watched a film called ‘Silence’. It is a good study of Christian faith, which comes across as turbo-charged belief. People are willing to die for their beliefs.

    The more I think about it, the more I realise what a load of shite organised religion is. Osho always enjoyed poking his Zen stick into the rotten mess that is organised religion. He managed to get away with it for the most part, although he was always more careful when approaching Islam – he saw the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and obviously sensed the danger in such a movement.

    As for the journalist ending up in the slammer – he should have known better. He must have been looking for big trouble in little India.

  5. Parmartha says:

    Osho himself in Pune 1 was attacked by a Hindu fanatic, and a knife thrown in his direction whilst he was discoursing. I can’t remember much more about the story, maybe someone else can. I know the assailant never went to prison!

    In those days, Hinduism mainly seemed harmless enough, but it did feel very strange to me also.

    Today, Hinduism has grown to be a massive political force, and the ruling party in India is Hindu Nationalist.

    Silly quick comment from Shantam, who seems unable to think at any level beyond propaganda for his cause. I rarely quote Osho, and am not quoting here. I just wanted others to know this journalist is in jail, and why.

    He may want to take on the Hindu establishment, and should be able to do so without ending up, in his late forties, behind prison bars, just for his opinion.

  6. shantam prem says:

    Mr. Editor,

    Are you interested to see the photo of the above-mentioned journalist? Search facebook to see the man and the people and politics behind.

    If you cannot find, I can share the link and shed light on his friends too.

    Moreover, other than Indian Express no national daily or news-hungry TV channels have taken this news.

    Why?

    In a religiously sensitive country which is famous for its diversity in unity, nobody wants to highlight such news.

    As per the facebook report, Muslims are hailing this hero. He is released on bail.

    • madhu dagmar frantzen says:

      You say, Shantam Prem: “If you cannot find, I can share the link and shed light on his friends too.”

      That you are allowed in here in the caravanserai for Sannyas and Sannyas Friends, Shantam, I conceive as a very fatal error.

      Besides spying in the most cowardly way possible on people you don´t know at all and spreading some garbage for rumours of all kinds as well as fake social-bot-tings, as so called ´news´here in the UK/SN chat, I haven’t found much of a glimpse these years, reading your contributions, that you are a friend of Sannyas or meditation.

      That you made Freiburg, Germany, your home base, doesn´t make that easier; on the contrary.

      Madhu

  7. dominic says:

    It’s a little sanctimonious isn’t it? Lucky he was in a hindu country being deliberately provocative, weaponising Osho quotes for Shivaratri. In a muslim country he would be dead by now.

    In the West we also have increasing curbs on free speech and new draconian, 1984-style, hate speech laws, that can result in jail, fines and job loss. Is cultural Marxist indoctrination and bigotry any better than Hindu nationalism?

    Here’s the bbc network openly discussing “what is the correct punishment for blasphemy?”
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4326322/Muslim-BBC-presenter-sparks-uproar.html

    As for Osho, did he ever encourage a free press or open debate and criticism in his ashram? Of course not. There was no jail for transgressions, but you would be booted out or ‘ghosted’, so you kept quiet. Double standards, methinks.

  8. shantam prem says:

    I am deeply touched by the story of one young British girl raped and murdered in Goa by local chap. This story is over all in British newspapers, sadly not given that much coverage in Indian media.

    To be true, I feel more secured and protected in non-meditative West than even in my own country and I am not a woman! This is one reason I have deep deep love and respect for Christianity.

    It is pity many westerns have forgotten their roots. It is fucking fashion to blame organised religions, I think other than one or two, most of them are holding hands and consoling humanity whenever need arises.

    Let me say in this way, most of the sannyasins too in their old age will find comfort in the old people´s home built by Christian missionaries!

    One can ask, where Osho´s Mukta has spent her last years? This is the woman who financed first property in Pune and honoured by Osho to be one of twenty-one in his last act of fair trade and balance of power.

  9. madhu dagmar frantzen says:

    Multiple, multiple standards are happening, Dominic, a multitude of them; no possibility to escape a consciousness about it, if you live, for example, as a woman (targeted and isolated) in a climate where – in times of, not to deny, strong crises – collective unconsciousness and traumata reviving these kind energy(-ies) and also bringing them onto the surface – and their manifestations then! In, for example, ´Honour Killing´, ´Blood Vengeance´, ´Medieval (post-modern) Secret Trials and Executions’, executed Torture ( in our area presumably the ´white torture one´, praised and executed by an unconscious MOB).

    Or – you may experience in some´system constellation procedures the nodding (of a majority) in agreement in hindsight about a real so-called ´Collateral Damage´. And that ´Damage’ then might be ´you´…

    Yes, a multitude of ´standards´, indeed.
    When Osho said “civilisation has not happened yet” and a Mystery School of Meditation was founded, He said what He meant and meant what He said.

    And a multitude of levels of conciousnesses being brought into awareness in such a refugee camp of Meditation is no ´Blasphemy´ ever.

    And about Meditation and what comes up individually in the processings, you cannot have a ´discussion´like in a Scientist´s Lab.

    At the most and at the best, you can share what came up in your very ´you´.

    And if you dare to do that openly, it’s not in your hands nowadays what some multitude of receivers in very uncivilized, precarious times, make out of it, according to their levels of consciousness.

    Taking Refuge in Meditation is one of the most beautiful offers, if not the most beautiful.

    And there is more than ´some meaning´ in learning to understand moment to moment Life´s calamities, as Life´s joys as part of such a mysterious Refugee Camp of a Meditation Mystery-School.

    I am not at all up to annoy you, Dominic.
    The bitter cup you mostly offer is well known to me, also much of the consequences that that has, when drinking too much of a bitter cup.

    Madhu

  10. Parmartha says:

    This string is about Deepak Aseem and him quoting Osho and ending up in jail. It is not, for example, about blasphemy; that might or might not be an interesting topic, but it is not here.

    Shantam thinks that Aseem is actually a Muslim. But has not provided any link to show that. If he is, then any attack in a Muslim culture of Hinduism would not end in jail as one blogger says here!!

    One who joined Osho’s Mystery School was never arraigned and forced to stay in it, if there were disquiet about being within it. The door was always open. Paradoxically enough, some who were encouraged to leave as not being ready for it, or for whatever reason, often stayed! (Example, Swami Sudesh).

    One blogger here seems to be saying he just shut up. But frankly, had I been around anywhere, in or out of an Osho commune, I would have left if I felt that I was buttoning my lip all the time, and as I say, the door was always open.

    • shantam prem says:

      Deepak Aseem has misquoted Osho in a very mischievous way and utterly out of context, and has earned to have jail experience.

    • dominic says:

      In the context of conservative Hinduism and Shivaratri, Aseem’s post is blasphemous and knowingly provocative. And why use Osho to give yourself authority, and not just write what you think?

      You were always free to leave Osho’s place if you didn’t agree with things, as he pointed out.

      It was a binary choice. Stay and shut up, or be kept in the dark or look the other way, because of the goodies you are getting, or leave. Not much middle ground or wiggle room. Works for some, I guess.

      For me, the enlightened dictatorship/guru principle is a fail, and ultimately disempowers people and rots the organisation from within.

      Btw, who is this “one blogger”? Inquiring minds need to know!

  11. Parmartha says:

    Binary choice?
    Surely the writer needs to examine this at a deeper level.

    What character is shown if one is really disturbed/critical of/or whatever, if one just stays around for the “goodies”? And maybe the writer should define these goodies. A good sex life, and plenty of what others would call Buddhafield osmosis..?) Such things were available elsewhere, outside the confines of an Osho commune, and where he had (at the time) such major and silently held misgivings.

    For me, no choice at all if I held such misgivings. I would have left, and in a hurry.
    In my own case, I always felt I was part of something that did not make any sense empirically, etc., but felt without hesitation that “something was going on here” and it touched the shores of ordinary ecstasy.

Leave a Reply to shantam prem Cancel reply