Maharshi Mahesh Yogi is also in Pahalgaon with a group of Western disciples who have expressed their wish to talk to Osho. A meeting is arranged in the afternoon at an open lawn near a bungalow where Mahesh Yogi is staying with his disciples.
I take my little cassette recorder and join with two more friends in the car in which Osho is going. In nearly ten minutes, the car stops near a bungalow which has a beautiful big lawn in the garden. Lots of chairs are around. Mahesh Yogi is sitting on a chair talking to his disciples, who look very excited as we reach there. Osho namastes everyone with folded hands and sits on the chair next to Mahesh Yogi. I sit next to Osho with my recorder in my lap. There is no mike arrangement. Mahesh Yogi continues talking to his disciples for a while, explaining to them about the different paths leading
towards the same goal. I look at Osho, He is sitting with His eyes closed.
One of the Mahesh Yogi’s disciple expresses his wish to hear Osho. There is pin drop silence for a moment. Osho opens His eyes, I am holding the microphone in my hand for recording His talk. Up till now, I have never heard Osho speaking in English to a group of westerners. May be it is His first talk in English. It is more like a dialogue than a discourse. I hear Him say, “There is no goal, the question of paths does not arise. All paths take you away from yourself. You are simply dreaming…”
Mahesh Yogi’s disciples are conditioned by his teachings about different techniques. They start arguing with Osho. I can see they are not open and receptive, their minds are full of borrowed ideas. Still, Osho is answering their stupid questions for about an hour. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi looks very disturbed. Osho can destroy his whole business which is based on teaching people transcendental meditation. He does not allow Osho to finish His talk and interferes by trying to explain to his disciples that Osho’s approach is different but He means the same thing. I am simply surprised by his stupidity. He is trying to protect himself by compromising with what Osho has said.
I feel sorry for those innocent western friends, who look in total confusion when we are leaving.
