From Bhagwan to Osho: Prequel to Osho's name change: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 14:23, 7 July 2015

This page centers on material that predates related material presented elsewhere. Since it does not fit well in the flow there, though deeply related, it appears here, as a "prequel".

That other page, From Bhagwan to Osho, features a series of quotes from Osho's discourses of Dec 1988 to Feb 1989 relating to the changes his name was going through, the major part of that detailing the many times he comments on the use of the word "Osho" in Japanese Zen. As these comments came in such a concentrated way, all in a period of less than three weeks, and shortly before his adoption of "Osho" as his name, it seems obvious and natural to conclude that he was suggesting that his people call him that. Indeed, another article, What's in a Name?, asserts just that, though the existence of a widely believed competing theory about the origin of Osho's name requires that article to devote the bulk of its bytespace to debunking that.

At the time those two articles were put together, it was believed that he had not spoken about "Osho" at all prior to that period. As it happens, he had. An eagle-eyed correspondent has shared the second citation below, from Jul 14 1988, with Sannyas Wiki, and then the one from the previous evening's talk was also found, a "pre-prequel" if you will. These two talks came over five months before Osho dropped "Bhagwan". There may be a story about the talks below; we await developments.

In what follows below, all framed material is from Osho's book Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, with sutras / anecdotes in ALL-CAPS, and Osho's comments in ordinary type.

From Diamond Thunderbolt, ch 2, Jul 13 1988:

(Context: before Tokusan became a great master in his own right, he came to Isan's temple as a seeker.)

TOKUSAN CAME TO ISAN'S TEMPLE. CARRYING HIS PILGRIM'S BUNDLE UNDER HIS ARM, HE CROSSED THE LECTURE HALL, FROM EAST TO WEST AND WEST TO EAST; THEN, STARING AROUND, HE SAID, "MEW, MEW," AND WENT OUT.
TOKUSAN REACHED THE GATE, BUT THEN SAID TO HIMSELF, "I SHOULD NOT BE IN A HURRY."
What transpired is very simple. Tokusan is saying to Isan, "I am just like a cat, MEW, MEW. Are you capable of teaching an innocent animal? I am utterly ignorant, as ignorant as an animal -- are you capable? And I have been searching from east to west, from west to east, and I have not yet come across the man who can be my master."
Because Isan did not say anything TOKUSAN REACHED THE GATE, BUT THEN SAID TO HIMSELF, "I SHOULD NOT BE IN A HURRY. This has been too quick, this inquiry, I did not give enough chance to Isan.
I SHOULD NOT BE IN A HURRY," SO HE DRESSED AND ENTERED A SECOND TIME TO HAVE AN INTERVIEW. ISAN WAS SITTING IN HIS PLACE.
TOKUSAN, HOLDING UP HIS KNEELING CLOTH, SAID, "OSHO!"
'Osho' is a word signifying great respect, love and gratitude. It also sounds beautiful.
"OSHO!" ISAN MADE AS IF TO TAKE UP HIS STAFF. THEN TOKUSAN GAVE A "KWATZ!" SHOUT, SWUNG HIS SLEEVES, AND WENT OUT. WITH HIS BACK TURNED TO THE LECTURE HALL, TOKUSAN PUT ON HIS STRAW SANDALS AND WENT OFF.
IN THE EVENING, ISAN ASKED THE CHIEF MONK, "THE NEW ARRIVAL -- WHERE IS HE?"
"THE CHIEF MONK SAID, "WHEN HE WENT OUT HE TURNED HIS BACK ON THE LECTURE HALL."
These words are not to be understood directly, but in a very indirect way. By turning his back on the lecture hall he is saying, "I am not interested in lectures, in words, in scriptures."
He put on his sandals and went away.
ISAN SAID, "SOME DAY THAT FELLOW WILL GO TO AN ISOLATED MOUNTAINTOP, ESTABLISH A HERMITAGE AND SCOLD THE BUDDHAS AND ABUSE THE PATRIARCHS."
Anyone who does not know the tradition of Zen will think that Isan is condemning him, but he is praising. He is saying, "That fellow is really made of the stuff a seeker needs to be made of. First he came and without asking a word simply said, 'Mew, Mew,' and without waiting for an answer went out. I was simply watching him. He crossed the hall from east to west, from west to east, just to show me that he had been to many, many masters. 'You are not new. Do you recognize me as a seeker? Are you ready to be a master to a man who is as innocent as an animal?'
"Before I could say anything he went out, but then he thought that it was too quick a departure, I should give a little chance to the old man.' Then he came in and with great respect, simply said, 'Osho!' But I could not accept him, because he is made of a different stuff."
There are two kinds of disciples, those who will insist on finding the truth alone and those who like to accompany a master, becoming his shadow, peacefully, silently dissolving themselves into the master.

From Diamond Thunderbolt, ch 3, Jul 14 1988:

ONE DAY A MONK CAME ALONG, AND, NOT KNOWING HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE MASTER, ASKED BOKUSHU THE WAY TO THE MASTER'S ROOM.
BOKUSHU TOOK OFF HIS SANDAL AND HIT THE MONK ON THE HEAD WITH IT -- THE MONK RAN OFF.
THEN BOKUSHU CALLED TO HIM, "OSHO!" AND THE MONK TURNED HIS HEAD.
"THAT'S THE WAY TO IT," BOKUSHU SAID, POINTING WITH HIS FINGER.
What has happened in this incident? Unless you lose your head, you cannot find your heart. Hitting the head of the monk with his sandal is simply a way of saying, "Please stop thinking." Except for thought, nothing is a barrier to truth. But the monk became afraid, "This seems to be a madman. I am asking the way to the master's room and he hits me. It is better to run away from here. He may do something even more nasty." So he ran away.
Bokushu called him back, "OSHO!"
‘Osho' is a very respectful word. It is a way of calling someone almost divine. It is in essence so respectful that only a disciple calls a master 'Osho'.
Bokushu called after him,"OSHO!" indicating: "Don't be afraid and don't escape. It is against your dignity. You are to me as worthy of respect as Buddha himself." And saying,"OSHO!" he said, pointing to his own room, "THAT'S THE WAY TO IT."
This kind of incident is impossible in this world today unless you are humble enough. If the master hits with his sandal on your head, you will start fighting with him. You will not think that he is a man worthy of respect. He will seem to be insane -- you are simply asking the way and he hits you.
But once a different world existed. Bokushu did both things: first he hit him on the head with his sandal, and then he called him, "OSHO!" -- You are also a master; who you are looking for? If you are looking for the master, this is the way. Drop your head outside; be humble, innocent. In your silence, without thought, you may find the master.
Then, in the guided Let-Go meditation at the end of the discourse, this word "Osho" comes twice again, once when addressing everyone and once when Osho calls to drummer Nivedano to punctuate the stages of the meditation. And for good measure, the word "oceanic" also makes a miraculous appearance. (See Comments below for the significance of these unique occurrences and more.)
Be silent.
Close your eyes.
No movement of the body.
Just become frozen
so that you can enter into yourself.
This silence, Osho,
this silence, the buddha.
Deeper, deeper, deeper.
The deeper you go, the more oceanic
becomes the experience.
The dewdrop slips from the lotus leaf
and disappears in the ocean.
This is our eternal reality.
This is our divineness.
There is no other God than this experience.
There is no other prayer
than this tremendous silence,
this peace, this ecstasy.
To make it deeper, Osho, Nivedano ...
(Drumbeat)

Comments

There are a number of features in this discourse, instances of Osho using the word "Osho" which stand out compared to his usage on other occasions. Yes, one "shouldn't" compare, but ...

  1. On this occasion more than any other, Osho seems to be explicitly inviting his people to call him Osho. He says, "It is in essence so respectful that only a disciple calls a master 'Osho'". This has to be considered more explicit than the hints he was dropping during Jan-Feb 1989, but of course here he still has a name, so who is going to make anything out of it at this point?
  2. This occasion is also the only one with any "Osho" appearing in the Let-Go part after the discoursing and jokes, and in a free-floating, free-associating way, not connected with any "sensible" expounding on what it is or how it is used.
  3. It is also, as mentioned above, remarkable for its use of the word "oceanic", in proximity to "Osho". In fact, in all of Osho's talks, as determined by the CD-ROM, this talk at the end, not even a discourse per se, is the only occasion when the two words come near each other. But there is virtually no conceptual content connecting them, so there cannot be said to be any "explanation" happening. Even to infer some kind of relationship beyond sounding alike would be to stretch a point too far. Thus, advocates of the William James Version (WJV, the alternate "explanation" for Osho's name), will find little comfort in this proximity. For a full consideration of the WJV, see What's in a Name?.
  4. Of all the discourses in which Osho comments on the significance of "Osho", this is the one cited by Ma Deva Sarito in her Rajneesh Times editorial of Apr 1 1989 reporting the meeting in Buddha Hall on Feb 27 when sannyasins collectively "decided to call Him 'Osho Rajneesh'."


see also
Osho's names
From Bhagwan to Osho
What's in a Name?
From Bhagwan to Osho : Publications table