Gurus

Question: BELOVED MASTER, WHY ARE ALL THE SO-CALLED INDIAN GURUS RUSHING TO AMERICA? Nirmal, in the very ancient scriptures there is a story. Meditate over it. This is the story: that when destiny was being planned, the archetypal representatives of various peoples and schools were offered their choice of gifts. The Japanese asked to be given the Zen koan so that people would always be attached to the power of perplexity. The Hindu guru asked for the mantram and the assertion that everything was derived from his philosophy. Then an American-to-be was asked for his choice. Since he was to be one of the last peoples to emerge, most of the more attractive things had been handed out. But he was not long in asking: "Give me the dollar -- then they all will come to me, sooner or later!" Enough for today.

Beloved Osho, I don't understand why enlightened masters are critical of each other. Are they not all working towards the higher good? Are they not different flavors of the same truth?

"My wife, Bridget," Sean confided to Paddy, "is an angel." "You are lucky," said Paddy, "my wife Maureen is still alive." Hymie Goldberg was having his first session with the psychoanalyst. "Do you cheat on your wife?" asked the shrink. "My God," said Hymie, "who else could I cheat on?" A Californian psychiatrist was driving along in his car, when he saw a man lying on the sidewalk. He stopped his car and got out. It turned out the man had been mugged and left for dead. "Quick," said the shrink, "tell me who did this to you; he needs help immediately!" An Indian businessman who had made millions after a childhood of poverty was on his deathbed giving advice to his son. "Listen, son," he said, "I owe my success to two principles -- honesty and wisdom. Honesty is if you promise to deliver some goods, no matter what…

Osho, why does there seem to be so much conflict between the world and God?

It is as if someone were sleeping deeply in this garden. The cuckoo comes and sings, birds are chattering, the sun rises, breezes dance through the trees; but someone is fast asleep. The breezes touch him, the birds’ songs echo at his ears, the sun’s rays play on his face, but he knows nothing. Then someone comes and shakes him awake. His eyes open—the glory of the sun is revealed, the song of the passing breeze is heard, suddenly the cuckoo’s call, the fragrance of flowers. Do you think something new has happened? Everything was already there, just as it is. Only this man has become new—nothing else has changed. The same garden, the same sun, the same flowers, the same birds—everything the same; only a small difference: he was asleep; he is awake. The meaning of “world” is: you are asleep in God. The meaning of “God” is: you…

Osho, you can read in the bible that jesus warned about other masters coming in the future. Do you think his warnings were also including you? Your message is very different from important parts of the teachings of jesus. How is it possible that enlightened masters can say so many contrary things?

ONE THING of great import has to be understood first. Jesus became enlightened only at the last moment on the cross. Hence his statements that he has made before that experience are not of an enlightened person -- close, very close, approximate, but as far as truth is concerned there is nothing like approximate truth. This thing has not been told to Christians at all, that Jesus became enlightened at the very last moment. On the cross he became enlightened, on the cross he became a Christ. To me the cross is important not for the same reasons as it is for Christians. To them the cross is important because Jesus was crucified, and the cross has become the symbol of crucifixion. To me that is absolutely wrong -- that is a kind of life-negation, that is worshipping death, that is making too much fuss about crucifixion. I call Christianity…