Pativratā

Osho, the scriptures lavishly praise the glory of great devoted wives such as Sati Sakkubai, Sati Anasuya, and Sati Savitri. In your view, what does pativratā mean?

These mahatmas you see—they are runaway husbands. Their wives reformed them so well, carried out the pativratā-dharma so thoroughly, made them keep such vows, such headstands, made such a mess of them, that they thought, “Better to become a saint—at least I’ll be worshiped.” Their wives worshiped them—worshiped them in the real sense, in another sense—so they thought, “Better to become a saint.” If women stopped reforming their husbands, I tell you: the numbers of priests, pundits, mahatmas, sadhus would drop at once. Women sustain religion in two ways. First they harass people so much in the name of being religious that one has to become religious—for self-defense if nothing else. And when they do become religious, then women serve them, wash their feet, drink the water of their foot-washing. In every way the honors due to a mahatma—women bestow them. Men don’t. Men know: Arrey, this one’s a deserter!…

Osho, yesterday you said that when anger is watched consciously, it dissolves. But why is it that when sexual desire arises, even in awareness its intensity persists? Why is it so?

There is no entanglement in the breath. If you try to practice on anger… Anger is not happening every moment; it happens sometimes. And when it happens, it happens with such intensity that you are already going deep into it; so much is at stake in those moments that you may think, “We will look into awareness later; first let’s settle this now.” Lust is very deep, because existence has made it so deep; life depends on it. If lust were so easy that you decided and were freed, perhaps you would not even have been born—because many before you would have become free, and the possibility of your being would have been almost nil. But your parents, and their parents, did not become free; therefore you are. You too will not get free so easily, because your children are also to be—they are waiting: “Do not run away midway.”…

Osho, is it impossible to attain godliness without sannyas, or is sannyas only the gateway to Truth? Please explain.

Harsh Kumar! What on earth can I explain? And even if I do, will you understand? Your very question is sheer non-understanding. Do you think godliness and Truth are two different things? Just reconsider your question. You ask: “Is it impossible to attain godliness without sannyas, or is sannyas only the gateway to Truth?” Call it the gateway to Truth or to godliness—same thing. Truth and godliness are one. In your eyes it seems godliness is something far beyond, very lofty—and sannyas is merely the door to Truth! What remains after Truth? Godliness is contained in Truth. And you ask as if, if it’s “only a door,” then perhaps we can manage without sannyas. But how will you enter without a door? You ask: “Or is it only a door?” Then do you intend to walk through the wall? By your name you don’t seem like a Sardar—Harsh Kumar! But…

Osho! I have been listening to you for years, and I listened again yesterday. It seems that in general you honor women with deep compassion and appreciation. But when you speak of a woman in the role of a wife, you scold her and depict a very different image. Why is that?

An hour later, when he came out and walked back toward the ship with his friends, the friends began telling him what all they had done. They asked Gandhi what had happened. Poor fellow—what could he say! He kept it hidden. Later, years later, he wrote in his autobiography that nothing happened—nothing could have happened; he just sat there with eyes lowered. The woman took so much pity on him that she even returned his money. “Brother, take your money back. If the loss of the money grieves you, then at least take it back. And if you need anything, say so.” She felt such compassion: “What kind of man is this!” The ways women have always used in their behavior, rebellion, revenge—those are precisely what Gandhi used. He gave them sweet names—ahimsa, nonviolence; satyagraha, the force of truth. If a man gets angry, he will beat the woman; if…