Superman

Osho, he became Nietzsche’s Superman, didn’t he? Or could he not become Nietzsche’s Superman? I myself become Brahman!

It is hard to call it “Superman.” When we say, “I become Brahman,” then the “man” doesn’t remain at all—the human being disappears. When I become Brahman, only Brahman remains; the man does not remain. That is sheer transcendence; after that nothing is left. It is simply transcendence. So, regarding Rama, it is possible. The joke is deep. But we are very serious people, and those who ponder over Rama and the like are heavily serious people; they cannot understand a joke. The poor fellows keep offering grave interpretations. The joke is simply this: “Rama, you are such a man that the poet Valmiki can write your story in advance.” That’s all—there is nothing more to it; there is no greater difficulty in you than this.

Osho, isn't the vision of the new man somehow similar to the idea of the superman?

Now he himself was not an athlete, he was not a soldier. I don't think he would have been able to hold a sword rightly, or know how to keep hold of it. He was a man who knew how to hold a fountain pen, not a sword. For his whole life he was simply writing; fighting he had never done. But he started projecting the idea of the superman. Nietzsche started condemning the old man without ever thinking that he belonged to the old. It happens... one can set oneself apart, and put the old man on this side and the superman on that side; and then you think you are not part of the old man. But because you are creating the idea of the superman, you start believing yourself that superman is your projection, your idea: you are giving birth to superman -- then of course you…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, PROLOGUE PART 3 WHEN ZARATHUSTRA ARRIVED AT THE NEAREST OF THE TOWNS LYING AGAINST THE FOREST, HE FOUND IN THAT VERY PLACE MANY PEOPLE ASSEMBLED IN THE MARKET SQUARE: FOR IT HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT A TIGHT-ROPE WALKER WOULD BE APPEARING. AND ZARATHUSTRA SPOKE THUS TO THE PEOPLE: I TEACH YOU THE SUPERMAN. MAN IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE OVERCOME. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO OVERCOME HIM? ALL CREATURES HITHERTO HAVE CREATED SOMETHING BEYOND THEMSELVES: AND DO YOU WANT TO BE THE EBB OF THIS GREAT TIDE, AND RETURN TO THE ANIMALS RATHER THAN OVERCOME MAN? WHAT IS THE APE TO MEN? A LAUGHING-STOCK OR A PAINFUL EMBARRASSMENT. AND JUST SO SHALL MAN BE TO THE SUPERMAN: A LAUGHING-STOCK OR A PAINFUL EMBARRASSMENT. YOU HAVE MADE YOUR WAY FROM WORM TO MAN, AND MUCH IN YOU IS STILL WORM.

Question: BELOVED OSHO, PROLOGUE PART 4 WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING YOU CAN EXPERIENCE? IT IS THE HOUR OF THE GREAT CONTEMPT. THE HOUR IN WHICH EVEN YOUR HAPPINESS GROWS LOATHSOME TO YOU, AND YOUR REASON AND YOUR VIRTUE ALSO. THE HOUR WHEN YOU SAY: `WHAT GOOD IS MY HAPPINESS? IT IS POVERTY AND DIRT AND A MISERABLE EASE. BUT MY HAPPINESS SHOULD JUSTIFY EXISTENCE ITSELF!' THE HOUR WHEN YOU SAY: `WHAT GOOD IS MY REASON? DOES IT LONG FOR KNOWLEDGE AS THE LION FOR ITS FOOD? IT IS POVERTY AND DIRT AND A MISERABLE EASE!' THE HOUR WHEN YOU SAY: `WHAT GOOD IS MY VIRTUE? IT HAS NOT YET DRIVEN ME MAD! HOW TIRED I AM OF MY GOOD AND MY EVIL! IT IS ALL POVERTY AND DIRT AND MISERABLE EASE!.... THE HOUR WHEN YOU SAY, `WHAT GOOD IS MY PITY?