Tale 44 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddha

Today Laxmi has arranged to go boating on Dal Lake. Osho, Sheelu and I arrive at the lake, where Laxmi is waiting for us. One shikara (little boat) is tied to a motor boat by a thick long rope. Laxmi, Sheelu and I get into the motor boat and Osho, with Kranti, sits in the shikara.

The motor boat is driven by a young Muslim boy who looks very excited to see his passengers. The motor boat goes fast pulling the shikara by a rope.

After a few minutes we hear Kranti calling us to stop. the motor boat stops and the Muslim boy pulls the rope of the shikara. When the shikara touches our boat, to our surprise, Osho gets up and jumps in the motor boat and Sheelu jumps in the shikara to be with Kranti.

Osho tells the driver that He wants to drive the boat. The driver gets up from the seat which Osho occupies and here we go. Osho drives so fast and zigzags away that the knot of the rope opens up and the shikara is left behind. I hear Kranti shouting, “Bhaiya, bhaiya” (which means big brother) -- but “Bhaiya” does not listen to her!

I am holding my breath, the boat could turn upside down any moment. The whole lake is in turmoil. I look at Laxmi and she smiles at me.

I think Osho is doing it purposely to give us this experience of being in danger and bringing our fear of death to the surface. I am sure I am going to drown any moment. Feeling helpless I close my eyes.

Finally the boat has slowed down and has touched the shore. I take a deep breath and wonder if I am still alive. Looking at us Osho gives us His heavenly mischievous smile.

Tale 43 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

There are two separate kitchens of Bombay friends and Delhi friends. Bombay friends’ cook is preparing Gujrati food and Delhi friends are cooking Punjabi food, which is very different. They both want Osho to eat their food. So finally it is decided that Osho will eat lunch with Delhi friends and dinner with Bombay friends. I feel angry at the stupidity of the friends who are behaving so unconsciously with Osho. These two types of food can make anyone sick.

After morning discourse, at 11:30 am, Osho has to walk in the sun nearly five minutes to go to the cottage where lunch is arranged for Him. Walking behind Him I always feel I am walking behind Buddha. I tell this to Kranti and we discuss about the theosophical society’s experiment on J. Krishnamurti. We both agree on one point, that Buddha’s soul has chosen Osho’s body as a vehicle.

Osho’s compassion and acceptance is infinite. He accepts every situation so easily that hardly anyone ever thinks about His comfort. After lunch, while coming to the cottage, I talk to Him about this. He simply laughs and tells me not to be serious about such things.

Tale 42 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

Osho decides to speak in the living room of His cottage every morning and evening. As there is only one bathroom I get up early to take my shower and then get the bathroom ready for Him. In the living room I have a mattress on the floor which I sleep on during the night, and in the morning I fold it up and cover it with a white sheet and keep some pillows to make a comfortable seat for Osho to sit on while speaking. During discourse, I sit near Him with my little cassette recorder. Friends are allowed to ask questions during discourse. It is more like an intimate dialogue than a discourse. Every day He is taking us deeper into the mystery of existence. I am listening to Him and at the same time watching the recording indicator needles moving, giving me the signal of the volume. When one side of the tape is about to finish I slowly press the stop button and I observe Osho stops speaking till the recorder is on again.

I appreciate His concern about every little thing. In the morning He asks me if I slept well in the night. I don’t find any words to express my gratitude to Him for allowing me to sleep on the same mattress on which He sits twice a day for nearly two hours at a time.

Tale 41 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

The series of discourses on Mahavira is arranged in Kashmir for eighteen days.

Osho will be coming from Jabalpur to Delhi by train and will fly from Delhi to Srinagar. From Bombay, we are nearly thirty friends who will be meeting Him there. One other group of about twenty friends from Delhi will join us in Srinagar.

In Srinagar, on the little hill near Dal Lake, cottages known as “Chashme-Shahe” are booked to accommodate the whole group. Somehow the Bombay group has reached there early and we have this opportunity of choosing our cottage. It is a very beautiful place. I go around looking for the cottage which has the best view. Each cottage has two bedrooms, one bathroom and quite a big living room.

I choose the last cottage in the row. It has an open verandah on the back side. The view is the best. One side is over-looking the lake and on the other side are vast fields with a range of mountains behind them. I think this open verandah will be the best place for Osho to sit and enjoy the scenery without any disturbance. I check the bathroom, flush the toilet, running hot water. Finding everything in order, my girlfriend, Sheelu, and I occupy one of the rooms of this cottage with the idea that when Osho arrives we will vacate this room for Him. The other room is occupied by a Bombay couple.

The Delhi friends have also arrived. Everyone looks happy and excited. This is a rare opportunity of being with Osho for a continuous eighteen days. Two cars have gone to the airport to receive Osho. We have a cook with us from Bombay, who is busy setting the kitchen up in one of the huts.

At 2:00pm, Osho arrives with Kranti in the car of a friend from Delhi. He looks quite tired, but still meets everyone individually without any hurry. The Delhi friends invite Osho to the cottage which they have reserved for Him. I silently walk behind Him. I feel Osho has some magnetic energy which always pulls me towards Him. Whenever I enter in His energy field I become more relaxed and silent. He enters the cottage and looking around asks me to check the bathroom. I go in the bathroom and finding there is no hot water, I feel very happy. I come back and suggest to Him to have a look at the cottage I have reserved for Him and to take a shower. The Delhi friends get annoyed with me but my whole concern is Osho’s comfort. I ignore them. Osho agrees and I take Him to the cottage chosen by me. It is quite hot, and we have to walk for about five minutes in the sun. He covers His head with a little napkin. I am walking by His side, feeling proud of my act. He tells me, “Seeing the two cars at the airport I knew this trouble is going to happen between Bombay and Delhi friends.” We reach the cottage. He looks around, sees the back verandah and smiles at me. We come back to the room where He sits on the bed and says, “I will stay here.” I am overjoyed to hear it. Someone is sent to bring His suitcase. In the meantime, I pull my suitcase out from underneath the bed and carry it to the living room. He asks me, “Where will you be living?” I answer, “Osho, I don’t know. I will move to some other cottage.”

He smiles and says, “There is no need to move. You can stay in the living room.” I can’t believe it, to have this unexpected gift of love from Osho. My heart starts dancing with joy and tears overflowing with gratitude. I touch His feet and placing His hand on my head, He says, “Very good.”

Tale 40 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

Osho is conducting a meditation camp at Matheran hill station. Near about five hundred people are participating in the camp. He is staying at Rugby Hotel which has a big open ground in the middle where the camp is arranged.

One dog comes regularly and sits silently near the podium while Osho is speaking. I watch him. He comes a little early and has reserved his seat near the podium on the floor. He sits at the same place every day like a great meditator and looks very attentive with his ears raised while Osho is speaking.

When Osho comes and namastes everyone, he raises his neck and looks at Osho and Osho greets him with a great smile. It is the fourth morning today and Osho is standing at arrived at the station to see Him off. I am surprised to see this dog standing near Osho. Osho looks at the dog with such love that he starts wagging his tail.

After a few minutes, this mini train running between Matheran and Neral station is about to leave. Osho namastes everyone and enters the train. The train starts slowly, everyone has left except the dog who is walking with the train. The train picks up speed and the dog starts running with the train. Osho is watching him running and with the gesture of his hand blesses him and tells him to stop running.

The dog stops and looks up at Osho. I can’t resist waving my hand towards him saying good-bye. Osho remarks, “He is a very evolved soul.”

Tale 38 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

I look outside the window, the train is passing through Khandala. It is a very beautiful scene with vast green fields surrounded by a range of mountains, and clouds are floating in the valleys. It all looks magical. My mind is diverted by a man who is standing near me calling me by my name. Seeing me puzzled, he introduces himself as having met me at Sohan’s home and says that he is specially traveling by this train only to have a little talk with Osho.

I ask him to come again after a while, I look at Osho and He is sitting in the same posture with His eyes closed like a marble statue. It is quite noisy in the train, but Osho seems to be totally cut off from the outside world. And here I am, sitting next to Him, and starting to feel uneasy without any apparent reason. I watch my disturbed mind and try to relax. Just to occupy myself, I start reading the newspaper.

The train stops at Karjat station and some hawkers enter. It is very noisy but Osho is still sitting motionless with His eyes closed. This man comes again and seeing Osho with closed eyes, goes back.

After he has left, Osho opens His eyes, looks at His watch. I ask Him if He would like to drink a soda. He simply nods in affirmation. I get a soda for Him, which He drinks a little and returns the bottle to me. I tell Him about this man and He says, “Yes, I know he’s traveling on this train. When he comes again, allow him to sit in your seat for ten minutes to talk to me.” Then He asks me, “What about you? Are you enjoying the journey?” I tell Him how uneasy I was feeling and had started reading the newspaper.

Osho says, “You should meditate at least one hour daily, sitting silently and watching your thoughts.” I ask Him, “I feel frustrated without any apparent cause.” He replies, “Expectation leads to frustration. Don’t expect but accept. Accept yourself also as you are. Just relax in your being, that is all meditation is.” Seeing me serious, He laughs and adds, “Now don’t be serious about the meditation. Just learn to accept and enjoy everything and report back to me when I come next time.”

I hold His hand in mine and kiss it in gratitude and thankfulness. We create mountains out of mole hills and He has the art of dissolving the whole mountain; not
even a mole hill is left.

I ask Him if He would like to drink more soda and He says, “You can finish it.”

He closes His eyes again and I start enjoying drinking soda from His bottle.

Tale 37 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

Osho occupies the window seat and I sit next to Him. He tells me that He needs to rest and I have to make sure no one disturbs Him. I nod my head in assurance and He closes His eyes.

After about half an hour our breakfast of tea and toast has arrived. I keep the tray on the little shelf which is attached to the back of the seat in front. I am confused wondering if I should disturb Him or not. I just look at Him and to my surprise He opens His eyes and smiles. I can’t believe this, He looked like He was sleeping deeply. Without saying anything, He fixes the shelf in front of Him and I place the tray on it. He eats the toast and tea with such a joy as if He is eating the most delicious breakfast. When I sip the tea it is like cold water. I tell Him, “The tea is very cold, You should not be drinking it. I will call for fresh hot tea.” He says, “Don’t be bothered, it is okay.” To my surprise, at the very moment the waiter comes rushing to us with a fresh hot tea pot and says, “Have this fresh tea and return the previous one.” Osho gives the waiter a big smile and thanks him. As I am pouring the fresh tea for Him, Osho says, “Just a little patience is needed.”

After finishing His tea, He looks at His watch and closes His eyes again.

Osho ~ Don't listen to the mind because mind means past; dead it is, already dead and gone.

Don't listen to the mind because mind means past; dead it is, already dead and gone.

It is non-existential. It is only the footprints of the events that are no more. Mind knows nothing of the present, it cannot know of the present. It has not any capacity to commune with the present because the present is always unknown. You cannot reduce-it to the past. And the fear of the mind is that the moment you encounter the present you have to be spontaneous, and the mind becomes useless. The mind has to be put aside.

That is the moment where meditation starts happening. To remain confined into the known is to be in the mind; to allow the unknown to enter into your being is the beginning of meditation, beginning of Zen. The present can be approached only through the no-mind. If you have any conclusions you are still carrying the past; conclusions come from the past prejudices come from the past. You have to put aside everything that you have known. You have to look into the present in a state of not knowing. The mind will tremble -- let it tremble. Let it die out of trembling. Don't listen to it.

The mind will create many doubts. That's why, Evi Huber, you say: There are doubts.... It is natural the mind will create many doubts. The mind will say "You are perfectly happy, you are perfectly comfortable. Why are you risking? For what? You may lose even that which you have; you may not gain anything. Don't risk!" Mind teaches you to be calculating, to be cautious.

And sannyas is for the gamblers; it is not for the businesslike, it is not for the calculators, it is not for the computers. It is for men, real men, authentic men who are always ready to listen to the challenge of the unknown, who are ready to go into the uncharted sea. There is no guarantee of the other shore; there cannot be any guarantee in sannyas.

Religion cannot provide any guarantee. And the moment any religion starts providing guarantees it is no more religion; it becomes part of certain vested interests. It becomes part of establishment; it loses all rebellion. Jesus cannot give you any guarantee; the Christian church can give you all kinds of guarantees. Buddha could not have given you any guarantee; the Buddhist church provides you all kinds of guarantees, here and hereafter, even in the other world.

The people who follow are always looking for guarantees, consciously, unconsciously; they are waiting for certain indications that truth should be ensured. "Then we can go into any adventure" -- but it is no more adventure if it is guaranteed.

Bliss cannot be guaranteed, truth cannot be guaranteed, ecstasy cannot be guaranteed. Yes, it can be said it happens. The man who has tasted it can say, "I have tasted it, and there is a possibility that you may also taste it. If I have tasted it, why not you?" But there is no guarantee: you may, you may not.

And the mind lives on these doubts. The mind says, "Who knows? This man may be deceiving. Maybe he is not deceiving, but he himself may be deceived. He may be hallucinating about ecstasy, samadhi -- dreaming, believing. Maybe he has auto-hypnotized himself or maybe he is just a fraud deceiving others, exploiting their gullibility." The mind will create all these questions, thousand of questions. In mind questions arise like leaves grow on trees; the mind goes on growing many and many questions every moment. No answer is of any help; out of every answer the mind will create many more questions.

Tale 36 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

Two first class tickets are reserved on the "Deccan Queen" morning train leaving from Poona for Bombay. I am very excited and looking forward to sitting next to Osho for three and a half hours in the train. Sohan wants to prepare and pack some breakfast for us to eat in the train but Osho tells her not to bother about it.

We reach the platform by 7:00am. About twenty friends have come to see Him off. As usual, Sohan's eyes are full of tears which are continuously flowing like a leaking tap of water. Osho looks at her and smiles. In response, she also smiles and starts crying. I can feel her heart burning with the pain of separation. Osho tells her husband, "Bafnaji, come with Sohan to the next camp at Nargol. Sohan comes near Osho and touches His feet. He places His right hand on her head. She is still sobbing. Osho taps her head with His hand and calls her softly, "Sohan." Sohan looks up and Osho helps her to get up by holding her hand and asks her, "Will you be able to come to the Nargol camp?" She is unable to speak and just nods her head. Osho says, "That is good." He namastes everyone while standing on the steps of the train, as the train vanishes from the sight of His beloveds

Tale 35 ~ 100 Tales for 10,000 Buddhas

Osho is staying in Sohan’s home at Poona. In the afternoon, someone says, “It is the full moon tonight.” I know Osho likes to go boating during the full moon and I ask Him about it. He agrees and tells Bafnaji, Sohan’s husband, who is a member of the boat club, to reserve one big boat. He also invites some friends as Osho always likes to share with friends whatever is available.

After dinner, we all go to the boat club, where one big boat is waiting for us. In all we are about twenty friends with Osho in the boat. It is a magical night. One full moon is in the sky and another full moon is sitting amidst us in human form laughing and talking. My heart is dancing with joy. I feel blessed for having such rare opportunities without doing anything on my part.

Osho tells Sohan to sing a song, but she is feeling shy to sing in the presence of so many people. Osho talks about how music can deepen the silence. Listening to Him is like listening to soft music. For a while everyone is silent. I can hear the faraway sound of crickets in the trees.

The water in the river looks like melted silver, flowing slowly downwards. I look at Osho, He is sitting in all His majesty with His eyes closed. There is a kind of miraculous presence in the boat which reminds me of Noah’s ark.

We go around in the boat for an hour and then come back home by 10:30pm.