walking behind Buddha

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.

His concern about every little thing

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.

one hundred tales for ten thousand buddhas

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I will stay here

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."

Osho greets him with a great smile

"He is a very evolved soul."

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."

Just relax in your being, that is all meditation is

"....report back to me when I come next time"

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.

Osho looks at her and smiles

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.

Chapter 36

I look at Osho

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

Chapter 35

One Hundred Tales for Ten Thousand Buddhas

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When will you learn not to be serious?

Osho is resting after dinner in an air conditioned room at Sohan’s home in Poona. I am sitting near His feet and feel a strong urge to massage His feet. I ask Him about this and He okays it. As I start massaging the bottom of His right foot, He remarks, "Every disciple starts with the feet and finally comes to the throat." Listening to this, I immediately stop touching His feet. He laughs and says, "I did not say it to you."

I react unconsciously and tell Him, "No one else is here." He says, "The truth is, I don’t like being massaged on my feet. When I am resting, it disturbs me." I understand Him and ask for forgiveness. He laughs and tells me, "When will you learn not to be serious?" Saying this, He closes His eyes and I walk out of the room, brooding seriously over what He has said.

Chapter 34

No, no!

I am staying with Osho in Sohan’s home. Osho enjoys to eat lunch with us at the dining table. Sohan is really a great cook. After His morning discourse we reach home around 10:15am. Within one hour, Sohan prepares the lunch, cooking a variety of delicious dishes. By 11:30, we are all setting on chairs around a big rectangular dining table which is decorated with flowers in the middle. Every meal is a great feast. Osho likes to tell jokes while eating and creates much laughter around Him.

Today there are so many dishes, one is puzzled from where to start. Sohan is standing near Osho and starts serving Him food from different bowls. Osho is never miserly in appreciating the food He likes. Today, He enjoys eating Dahi-wada. It is an Indian dish made of little balls of crushed dal, fried and soaked in curd. He says to Sohan, "Sohan, Dahi-wadas are really delicious." Sohan responds, "That means the other dishes are not delicious." Osho looks at Sohan in surprise and says, "No, no! I don’t mean that. I will tell you a story so you understand what I mean."

Then He tells this story:

Mulla Nasruddin was in love with two beautiful women. He was telling both of them separately that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. One day both the women meet and realize that he is saying the same thing to both of them. They go together to Mulla and asked him, "Now tell us the truth, who is more beautiful?" Mulla thought for a moment and said "You are both more beautiful than each other."

We all cracked up in laughter and Osho says, "Sohan, all your dishes are more delicious than one another." Sohan, now getting the point, also starts laughing.

Like a flute played by some invisible hands

While traveling in India, Osho likes to stay at Sohan’s home when He is in Poona. I never want to miss this opportunity of being with Him at Sohan’s home. Sohan is madly in love with Osho and His people. Her home becomes like a place of pilgrimage while Osho is staying there. Hundreds of people visit it every day and she welcomes everyone with such love and tenderness that many people can’t control their overflowing tears of joy. In the afternoon it is like a great feast. Every visitor is offered sweets, snacks and tea. Osho also comes out of His room and sits on the sofa in the living room surrounded by lots of friends. His presence and invisible fragrance is very tangible in the atmosphere.

There is always lots of laughter around Him. He enjoys teasing children. Any question tossed to Him, the smallest grain of a question, and the answer comes like a sprouted lush foliage from His silence. His voice is so musical and soothing, I really don’t care about listening to His words. His words work like a bridge connecting me with His inner vast emptiness. Sometimes I feel Him like a flute played by some invisible hands. His depth and his height are beyond our reach. He is flying like an eagle, alone in the vast sky and we are creeping on the earth like little worms, looking at Him and crying for help. He is amazing; without saying a word He listens to the hearts who are longing for Him and allows them to quench their thirst from His eternal waters of life.

Thank you beloved master. For me you are a perfectly opened lotus. I can’t do anything but rejoice, dance and sing a song in your presence.

Chapter 32

One Hundred Tales for Ten Thousand Buddhas - Ma Dharm Jyoti

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A few friends join Him in the same boat

The meditation camp at Mount Abu ended with the full moon night. In the afternoon, I talk to friends about going boating in the night. We come up with the idea to tell Osho about it. When we ask Him, He says, "We should reserve all the boats and after the night meditation everyone can go boating."

People attending the meditation camp are just thrilled with the message about boating. All the boats are reserved and after the night meditation everyone rushes to the lake like little kids going for a picnic. When Osho arrives at the lake there are already about five hundred people waiting there in the garden. It looks very chaotic but surprisingly in a couple of minutes people fall in line on both sides making a path for Him. Osho never gives any discipline to His people but His mere presence creates the harmony. His people love and respect Him out of their understanding.

He walks towards the lake with folded hands, namasteing everyone. A few friends join Him in the same boat and the rest of us take other boats. It feels like a great celebration on the lake. All the boats are filled with sannyasins dancing and singing. I look at the full moon and imagine that moon god must be desiring to come down and join in our celebration.

Chapter 30

We have returned to Ahmedabad after a meditation camp at Mount Abu, where Osho introduced dynamic meditation in the morning.

He is curious to know the people’s opinions about dynamic meditation. When I tell Him that some friends were saying that you are loosening the screws of their brain, He laughs and says, "No, I am not interested in loosening the screws, they will tighten them again. I am trying to get the screws out of their brain because they are not needed there." Then He speaks about twenty minutes explaining that the whole process of dynamic meditation is to dehypnotize the conditioned mind of man. He further says: Dynamic meditation is a jet speed method. One hour daily for three months is enough to cleanse the whole rubbish.