Inequality

Osho, in a country like India, where inequality and poverty have deep roots, don’t your teachings help maintain the status quo? Religion in the past offered no effective challenge to feudal injustice. How are you dealing with the apparatus that sustains poverty, unemployment, and corruption?

On the other hand, in my ashram, talent is coming from the West—and you won’t let them come. Scientists, engineers, doctors, physicians, professors want to come and live here, but Morarji Desai doesn’t want to let them in. All Indian embassies abroad have been instructed: if anyone wishes to come to my ashram, do not grant entry. And you know Indian “efficiency”... such foolishness that they even write such things in official letters. A famous dentist wanted to come and live in India. He wrote to apply, and the Indian embassy in America replied: if you wish to go to Shri Rajneesh Ashram, Poona, permission cannot be granted. They wrote that outright. What to say of Indian efficiency! At least keep it hidden. If you wish to go to any other ashram, permission can be granted. But he doesn’t wish to go to any other ashram. I could gather the…

Osho: in one of your lectures on socialism, answering sarjano's question, you indicated that the proletariat were 'the lowest'. Is this contradictory to christ's teachings on the poor as being the children of god and the rich as being 'the lowest'? During years of rural development work with poor peasants in latin america, I found them to be 'higher' spiritually than the rich landlords.

Half of the Indians eat only once a day, and the whole country is undernourished. Millions of people go to sleep with a hungry stomach. Now, do you think these people can commit suicide? They have not even been able to be alive, how can they commit suicide? First you have to be alive! Even if you want to commit suicide that much has to be fulfilled first. When all your physical needs are fulfilled, then suddenly a question arises, a new challenge: "Why am I trying to survive?" It is philosophical, psychological: one searches for the meaning of life. Then one can go mad one can commit suicide, one can start being creative. Then all the doors open, good and bad. One can be either lower than the animals or can rise higher than the angels. When all psychological needs are fulfilled -- when you have learnt the most…

A friend has asked: You say spirituality is only for a few wealthy people. Why don’t you think it could also become a means of religious liberation for the poor masses?

Around the world, the greatest support for the capitalist system comes from so‑called religion. The rich want the poor to be indoctrinated. That is why the rich build temples. A Birla does not build temples for nothing. Across India, the Birlas have built temples and churches. It is not without reason. Perhaps even they do not fully know why they are doing it, but deep down the capitalist consciousness builds temples, dharmashalas, opens hospitals—devising all arrangements to keep the poor content while remaining poor. And they support sannyasins, preachers, monks to teach the poor that contentment is a great virtue, that tolerance is noble; that you are poor because of sins from your past lives; do good deeds now and you too will be rich in the future. The rich are rich because of merits from past lives. They tie every kind of blindfold over the poor man’s eyes. It…

Osho, in one discourse you said that India is declining in its spiritual values. Please tell us whether any ray of hope is visible ahead?

Love! Do not be in opposition to the naturalness of life; do not deny life. Embrace life, with a great yes. For through that embrace one day you will be able to embrace God too. God is hidden here—in these trees, in these people, in these hills, in these mountains. Learn to love this existence. Your so-called religion teaches you to hate existence—teaches you to hate the nature outside and the nature within you. Love nature, for nature is God’s veil. Love nature, and you will be able to lift the veil. There is certainly a ray of hope. The ray of hope is never destroyed. However dark the new-moon night becomes, the morning will come. Morning is bound to come. However long the night of new moon, and however deeply this country has sunk into wrong notions, still there are some who are thinking, reflecting, meditating. It is precisely…