Osho

Among the spiritual philosophers whose thoughts I am familiar with, J Krishnamurti is the one with whom I identify most. Perhaps it is due to a long association with him, since 1977. By the word association, I imply only familiarity with his writings and talks. I have always resisted the temptation to meet or see such people in person, basically because I always see the person and his philosophy as separate. I do not want a further intimacy with them; I do not want to be a devotee or a follower. I do not want to possess them; nor would I let them possess me. They too are humans and sure to have their failings. But their thoughts, like ours, is what they aspire to be, like us. That is why I wrote to my son that he should not assess me by what I am, but what I wanted to be. That, I think, is the yardstick we should apply when we HAVE to judge people.

I have always liked to read Osho. Inside the colourful and controversial exterior, Rajneesh was a great scholar and a sensitive human being. Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic gives a candid portrait of the man behind all the sensations.

In my room, I have displayed two posters of Osho that I bought many years ago. They still adorn the wall; the words still inspire me. One poster is titled ‘Acceptance’ and the other, ‘Awareness’.

Acceptance

My whole message is: Accept the you that you are because God accepts it. God respects it, and you have not respected your being, yet. It is very rare to find a person who respects himself. Why is it so rare? Because you have been taught to imitate. From the very childhood you have always been taught to be somebody else. Nobody has told you: Be yourself and be respectful to your being. It is God’s gift. Never imitate. Be yourself; that much you owe to God.

Awareness

I don’t teach you any morality. I don’t say: “This is good, this is moral, that is immoral”. That is all childish. I teach you a single criterion: Awareness. If in awareness you do something, it has to be right, because in awareness you cannot do something wrong. And without awareness you may be doing something very good, appreciated by everybody but still I say it is wrong, because you are not aware. You must be doing it for the wrong reasons.

Everyday, I see these words; everyday, every time I read Osho’s words, it is like wiping my mind clean and fresh. As a tip to living and surviving, there is nothing like Osho’s words.

Balachandran V, Trivandrum, 30-11-2010