When I
started reading Osho in 1996, I did not absorb the entire text. I clearly
distinguished the discourses as per a) sutras and parables from scriptures such
as Dhammapada, the Upanishads or the Bible, b) Osho’s comments and c) questions
from disciples and his answers.
At first I
only read Osho’s talks and left out the sutras, giving them sometimes only a
second glimpse whilst I almost skipped the entire question-answer discourses.
After many
months, I started reading not only Osho’s words, but also the excerpts or
sutras, but still left out all question- and –answer discourses. And then
didn’t bother reading the questions but only Osho’s answers. ”Why waste time?”
I was thinking, ”All these questions, ultimately are just coming from
‘ordinary’ people. Only the answers are from an enlightened master, and
therefore worth reading.“ I read Osho’s books in this manner for about one or
two years.
Then I
started reading also the questions. Reading Osho’s answer after reading the
question definitely made the experience more precious. Slowly slowly, I found
myself enjoying the questions too, as much as Osho’s answer. I could see that
each and every question asked to Osho was absolutely relevant also to me,
especially those that are directly connected with meditation, the hurdles and
confusion on the path. Like all Osho lovers, I too had felt many times that
“Oh! This is my question and this is the answer I need to hear this very
moment!”
My way of
reading Osho’s books changed again: whenever I received a book by Osho, I
started to first take a ‘quick glimpse’ at all the questions, in all the
chapters. Real reading would be done later on. Rather than being only a member
of the audience, listening to Osho from the corner of a crowded hall, I felt
that while reading the questions I was connecting to the person asking the
question, and to the moment the question had emerged in them. It helped me to
come closer to Osho and receive his words as an enlightening response. Perhaps
this is the ‘magic of being present’ or ‘the rebelliousness of being spontaneous’
as Osho keeps tempting us into.
Now it
feels to me that the way I used to read earlier was like reading some document
from a far-away past. But the way I read now is as alive as any situation could
be. I understand that all these questions and answers have played a very
important role in bringing me to this 'juicy now’.
Going
through the thousands of questions Osho was asked, I can see that they were far
more truthful, sharp, sincere, intelligent, rebellious and enlightening than
any answer given by the so-called masters. And I am not even comparing those to
Osho’s answers.
My love affair
with questions spurred me to make a compilation of all the questions Osho was
asked, including the links to each of Osho’s answers. It’s a simple
copy-and-paste game I am playing with on the laptop for my personal use.( Here
thanks to Swami Anand Utsav for his
I selected
the books in alphabetical order and thought of collecting the questions under
different subjects so that picking out a question would be easier. Up until now
I have compiled the questions of about fifty books. When I counted the
questions on each subject I was astonished by the amount of questions that were
about Osho as a person. Another most popular subject was ‘questions’ – the art
of questioning, the mind games behind a question.
All these
years, whenever I was going through the questions, there was another thing I
was quite curious to know about. What would be my own question? Many times I
thought, if I had been given the chance to meet Osho and allowed to ask a
question, what would I have asked?
In truth,
there is nothing left to ask, simply because whatever could be asked has
already been asked by others, on my behalf so to say. And whatever answer I
need to hear is given the moment I need it.
Still, I
would have asked Osho one question. But all these years I didn’t come across
it; nobody has asked my question. It is hard to believe that nobody has gone
through the same urge or feeling. But my compilation work gifted it to me. Yes,
the same and only question I would have asked, has indeed been asked. Here it
is:
The last question, and very
important:
You are so sweet and rare that I
feel like
kidnapping you,
before I leave Poona. What do
you say?
I surrender.
I don’t know
who has asked this question, but all my cheers to them. I am sure that even if
it had never been asked, it was everybody’s question. Perhaps, even without
asking his permission, everybody has kidnapped Osho into their heart.
Osho, you
are so mischievous!
After
falling in love with your sweetness and uniqueness, we thought life would be
easier, no troubles, no responsibilities…
And when we
heard you say, ‘Accept yourself’, we dreamt of a lazy man’s heaven!
Now only we
came to understand that it’s a one-way
walk on a razor’s edge!
And your
invitation to take the risk is so enchanting!
Our sleep
is disturbed!
Our sleep
is disturbed!
Quote from
: Osho, come follow to you, vol 3 ch4,Q5
Chapter
title: Surrender is the door to bliss, to beauty, 14 december 1975 am in Buddha
hall.
This article was published in OSHO ONLINE MAGAZINE:
THANKS TO YOGA PUNYA, THE EDITOR OF THE MAG.AND THE AUTHOR OF 'ON THE EDGE: LIVING WITH AN ENLIGHTENED MASTER.
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