Is Krishna a devotee, and if so, who is he devoted to?

Osho, you spoke of the devotee and God, and you called Krishna God. That reminded me to ask: Was Krishna a devotee? If yes, whose devotee was he? If not, then why did he sing the glory of devotion so much?

A small point has gone amiss here, and because we don’t catch it, the question keeps returning in another form. If you remember what I said about prayer, it will become clear. As I said: not prayer, but prayerfulness. Likewise, devotion does not mean devotion to someone; devotion means a devotional attitude. Devotion means the heart of a devotee. For that, it is not necessary that there be a God. Devotion can be without God. In truth, God is nowhere first; he is born out of devotion. It is not that devotion exists because of God; rather, God begins to appear because of devotion. For those whose hearts are filled with devotion, this world becomes divine. Those whose hearts are not filled with devotion will ask, “Where is God?” And they will keep asking. You cannot show it to them, because that is a world seen through the heart of…

Questioner: as you talk about god and his devotee, and you call krishna "bhagwan", the blessed one, a question arises in my mind if krishna is a devotee. If so, who is the blessed one he is devoted to? And if he is not a devotee why does he sing hymns of praise to devotion?

We have already discussed this matter, but because you could not get it you raise it again and again. What I said about prayer is relevant to this question. I said prayerfulness, not prayer is my word. Similarly, a devotional attitude, not devotion to some god or deity is my word. Devotion is a name for the feeling, the psychological climate, the heart of a devotee. God is not essential to it. Devotion can exist without God; there is no difficulty in it. The truth is that there is no God; it is because of devotion that he came into being. It is not that devotion is dependent on God; it is because of devotion that God, came into being. For those whose hearts are filled with devotion the whole world turns into God. And people devoid of devotion ask, "Where is God?" -- they are bound to raise this…

For the Hindu, Krishna is God. None greater. Called a complete avatara. Rama is incomplete, Buddha incomplete; Krishna is whole. There is sense in this too. Buddha does seem one-sided—he fled, renouncing the world. No balance in life. Krishna’s life is beautifully balanced. He is in the marketplace and yet not of it—this is balance. He stands in war and within is vast peace—this is balance. No escapism. Not this choosing, that rejecting—rather total acceptance of life. Because of this acceptance he is the complete avatara. Good and bad, all accepted. None inside who says no; no ego to select, hence choiceless. Let what happens, happen. This is the ultimate state of the theist—that whatever the Lord is having happen, that is what will happen. So Hindus elevate Krishna. It is a matter of one’s love; there is no room for quarrel.

Osho, through what atheism did Krishna pass to attain such profound theism?

I have heard that Mark Twain used to tell a joke. He would joke that once it was decided by all the people of the earth that if we all, together, shout loudly at the same instant, the sound could reach the moon. And if anyone were on the moon, they would hear and might answer together. Human eyes have been fixed on the moon for ages. The urge to connect with the moon is very old. A child is not even born and already begins to relate to the moon. So a special day was set for all the people of the earth, and at exactly twelve noon everyone would roar together—make a great “Hooo” sound, in unison. The sound would reach the moon; perhaps a reply might come; if anyone were there, they would hear. The day came. And at twelve, with great eagerness, people gathered on roads…

Osho, in the previous verse Krishna speaks of four kinds of devotees: the artha-arthi—one who worships for worldly gains; the art—one who worships for relief from distress; the jijnasu—the inquisitive; and the jnani—the wise devotee. Please explain their meanings briefly, and also say why the first two are called devotees at all.

First: whoever becomes desire-ridden, sense-obsessed, falls from wisdom. The inner current of knowing—at the very moment the mind runs even slightly toward an object, that current is degraded, it slips. For even a moment if the mind is stirred by any object—“Let me get it, let it be mine, let me enjoy it”—the very instant the thought of enjoyment arises, the inner current of consciousness, the living voltage of awareness, totters and begins a descent. Every attachment to objects debases the current of awareness. This is worth noting. Even the slightest thought! You are walking down the road; something in a shop catches your eye and the thought flashes, “If only I could have it—it should be mine—I should own it.” Just that tiny glimmer, a thin ray of desire—and if you pause and watch, you will see that within you ignorance has thickened and knowing has dimmed. If you…