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__TOC__


==Introduction with the 1985 edition==
== About the Dates ==
::This book is one of the most unusual books ever. It is the juiciest, most intimate glimpse of this most unique of beings, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
::Bhagwan is a living Buddha. In the West we prefer our religious innovators to be dead, preferably long dead. It is more comfortable that way, more secure. The most popular religions are those whose founders have been dead for the longest time. Bhagwan is alive, and very much so. His words are not faint squiggles on ancient dessicated scrolls, but direct, accurate observations from the highest peak that man's consciousness is able to attain. He speaks to us directly, vibrantly, and His very presence is a fire which finds an ember smouldering deep within each of our souls.
::Bhagwan is the growing point at the pinnacle of the human tree. He has traveled all the paths, all the highways and byways open to any man through the aeons of time. He has played all the roles, has seen through all the games, done everything, been everywhere, and now He is a living statement of total fulfillment.
::Whatever our race, our culture, our religious standpoint, Bhagwan can bring us to that quantum leap in consciousness which takes us high above mind into the soaring freedom of pure being. Being conditioned from the past, we think all religion needs to be heavy, full of pain and renunciation. Being with Bhagwan could not be lighter; His way is the way of laughter and song, it is full of dancing and the sheer delight to be alive right now, this very moment.
::It is Bhagwan's vision to create an environment where each of us can reach to this peak of consciousness, and He calls this divine milieu "the Buddhafield." It is a place so full of awareness and love that the vibe is tangible from first contact. At this moment we are building such a place deep in the heart of Oregon, U.S.A., in Rajneeshpuram. This is the most outrageous experiment in the world, and it is taking place at this very moment. Bhagwan's vision is already a living reality.
::We are witnessing the birth of a whole new man, with a whole new consciousness. Bhagwan calls him Zorba the Buddha. "Zorba" because his roots are securely in this earth, and his joy at being alive in this marvelous world is abundant and full of celebration. "Buddha" because this new man is, at one and the same time, a human being whose topmost branches merge with the sky, whose flowers dance with the sun and whose fragrance is that of existence itself. Bhagwan knows all this is possible because He is the new man, Zorba the Buddha.
::As if all this weren't enough, there is more, much more. With Bhagwan there is always more; He acknowledges no limitations, known or unknown.
::Enlightenment is a rare achievement, and only the most sublime people ever achieve it. Bhagwan is enlightened. It happened on March 21, 1953. Of those few souls who break through the mind into the freedom of awakened consciousness, almost none can, or wish to, bring others to that same point. But there are incredibly rare beings who can bring others to their own fulfillment. These gifted individuals are known as enlightened Masters. The greatest names in the history of mankind are these: Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Lao Tzu, Zarathustra, Buddha, Krishna, Bodhidharma, Gurdjieff. They all changed the course of human consciousness. Bhagwan is an enlightened Master.
::There is still more. Most of the Masters from the past knew one path only. It was possible for their disciples to reach the other shore but their way was single, one-dimensional. Hence their appeal was limited to a particular place, and a particular time. There is yet a final possibility for a human being: that of an enlightened Master who has traveled all previous paths, known all the ways, is utterly familiar with every method from the past, and who can orchestrate the magnificence from the past and yet innovate and bring a hitherto unknown quality of glory to man's destiny. Such a man is known as a Master of Masters. Bhagwan is a Master of Masters.
::"The notes these books were compiled from fall naturally into four series.
::The first series was Bhagwan simply gossiping on this and that; talking mainly of silence and beauty. The second series went deeply into the source of the ancient Tibetan mantra, ''Om Mani Padme Hum''. But when Bhagwan gossips, He jokes, brings in all sorts of apparently unrelated topics, and each session was light and wonderful. The first two series are in a single volume called ''[[Notes of a Madman]]''.
::The third series was a recollection of books Bhagwan had read and treasured in His reading lifetime. He used to read up to twenty books each day! It was on His doctor's advice that He stopped reading, but He loved books, particularly those which give a glimpse into the unknown, whose words are bathed in light and whose beauty of expression can lead their readers to share their poetry and inspiration. This volume is called ''[[Books I Have Loved]]'', and it is a Master's view of the world of enlightened literature.
::The fourth series is called ''[[Glimpses of a Golden Childhood]]''. Bhagwan has never spoken of His childhood, not out of secrecy, but simply because anything from before His date of enlightenment was dead to Him. In this book He again visited those early years. He gives us fascinating and hilarious tales of Himself and those closest to Him. He tells of those enlightened Masters who recognized His potential and helped Him survive His hazardous first years. He is an amazing man and He was an equally amazing child.
::These notes were given in early 1981, and were His last words before He went into silence for an indefinite period of time."
::--[[Sw Devageet|Mahasattva Swami Devageet]], ''B.D.S., M.M., D.Phil.M.(RIMU), Acharya''
 
==Introduction with the 1991 edition==
::THE BOOK YOU HOLD IS a uniquely true story.
::It's a story of truth.
::Once upon a time in the city of Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, in that insanity we call America, the living Master Osho went to his dentist.
::This in itself is not unusual. (Even the enlightened ones have teeth). What is unique is that the Master turned this seemingly ordinary occasion into an event, another chance to share his being with us. The dental work was fairly routine and, near the end, Osho said a few quiet words as if to himself. Devageet wrote them down.
::Devageet had no idea then what he was doing. Little did he know that these few words were the first sparks that would ignite a great fire. But the Master knew. He had seen the words written and later that morning he called a meeting.
::Four attended the mysterious meeting: Devageet, the dentist; Devaraj, Osho's personal physician; Ashu, the dental nurse; and Vivek, Osho's caretaker.
::At the appointed time they were shown into Osho's room and those who had not yet seen it received a bit of a shock. Instead of the much publicized luxury, their Master was sitting in an almost bare linoleum-tiled room. There was no marble, no gold fittings, no trappings of any kind. The room was empty except for his chair and three plastic buckets.
::The Oregon rain, which every winter reduced the land around to a sticky alley of mud, had penetrated the roof, and these three supermarket buckets had been strategically placed to catch the water dripping steadily through the trailer ceiling.
::Osho, of course, was totally relaxed and to the rhythm of the drips motioned them to be seated. He told them that the words spoken at the dental sessions were to be taken down and made into books. Devageet was to be the notetaker. Devaraj was to edit, Ashu was to assist and type, and Vivek was to take some beautiful new photographs for the books.
 
::Of all the recorded words of Osho, this small series of gossips from the dentist's chair were to prove the most intimate so far. It was a special kind of communion. Therefore, these words have a special flavor.
::It is said the esteemed notetaker had a little trouble at first actually hearing Osho's words. They were almost a whisper. One small step from silence. They seemed to come from far far away, as though he were calling from the great height he has reached down to this earth. Yet these soft words have all the strength, all the waking power, of a lion's beautiful roar of freedom.
::In the first session, Osho simply talked of this and that, weaving words of beauty and silence into a delightful tapestry of jokes and mischief. Then he began to go deeply into the source of the ancient Tibetan mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Osho takes all the seriousness out of this usually lofty subject and these passages are wonder-filled with energy, lightness and much laughter. These first two series are contained in a single volume called [[Notes of a Madman]].
::Osho has read an amazing number of books in his lifetime and in the third series he spoke about some of the most treasured in his library. The series is called, simply, [[Books I Have Loved]]. It invites us to also savor these books, to be inspired and nourished by their poetry and beauty.
::The fourth series he called [[Glimpses of a Golden Childhood]]. Suddenly Osho had begun to speak of his early years, something he had hitherto not done. Now he began to unveil a rare and wondrous gift to his disciples and to the world. He spoke of the years when his buddhahood was still a bud.
 
::Osho is the ultimate nonconformist. He bows to no creed, no doctrine. He is this way as a man. He was this way as a child.
::He took nothing at face value: the flame of rebellion against the juiceless traditions, the dried out religions and values, was already burning brightly. He was never afraid of consequences. He went his own sweet way, fearless of danger, diving into the deepest, most dangerous rivers, staying alone in the darkest night.
::Even his parents, his schoolteachers, came to respect this roguish rascal of a child. It is said that while other children went outside to play, Osho went inside - in the truest sense - to find his playground.
::Osho had no master in this lifetime, yet he encountered many great beings who recognized even then who this boy was. They saw his potential, the seed ready to burst into flower. This book is filled with stories of these men, their love and deep respect for Osho and, in return, his love and respect for them.
::Although this series is about the Master's early life, it is in no way a conventional autobiography. Osho has more than grown up, he has grown upwards. When he speaks of his childhood, he is not giving us a personal history lesson. He has no masks, no persona; there are no boasts of what he has `done', no regrets. The stories in this book are not in chronological order; they are a stream of pure, spontaneous consciousness, direct from the timeless ocean. You cannot put the life of a Master into the framework of time.
::When Osho relates a story it is not nostalgia. When he speaks with such love for his parents, his grandparents, those crazy characters he met along the way, he brings them to life, full of laughter, energy. It is alive here and now. You can feel it, share it.
::It is sometimes hard to imagine, but everything Osho does is for us. He has long ago reached his own fulfillment. He has long ago found that deepest realm of silence. There is no reason for him to speak, it is all for us.
::This book, these glimpses of his truly golden childhood, is just another invitation, a little more encouragement for us also to find that space in which to blossom. The pure love in these pages is simply to give us a taste, a fragrance of this miracle, this mystery of enlightenment.
::This is the second edition of this book. The first was changed in a few subtle and less subtle ways by its first publisher. But the original diamond remained flawless, the changes she made are gone, and it is now back in its original form.
::This edition is richer. Since the original series of talks given in 1981 Osho has spoken many times of his childhood. These stories and anecdotes have now been added in an appendix to the book - a few extra spices for this already superb banquet.
::If the reader detects a few changes in style in this appendix it is due to the fact that in the original text Osho was simply relating a childhood narrative. In these additional passages, mainly from dis¬courses, he uses stories to illustrate specific points.
 
::Much has happened in the last few years to Osho and his people. It hasn't always been easy. He never said it would be. He has been chained, imprisoned, poisoned. This beautiful individual has been treated by the unconscious world like a criminal, and his health destroyed. For more than four years after he was poisoned and expelled from America, Osho managed to keep his body together so that he could continue to work with his people. He left his body in January, 1990 in Poona, India. There, the commune which has grown up around him continues to expand and flourish.
::Much has happened, yet nothing has happened, for it is still happening, moment to precious moment.
::Osho says in this book: "Many times I am surprised at how the body has grown old. But as far as I am concerned, I don't feel old age or the aging process. Not even for a single moment have I felt different. I am the same; so many things have happened but only on the periphery.
::"So I can tell you what has happened. But remember always, nothing has happened to me. I am just as innocent and as ignorant as I was before my birth."
::And a few months before he left his body, he dictated this inscription for the crypt containing his ashes:
:::OSHO
:::NEVER BORN - NEVER DIED
:::ONLY VISITED THIS
:::PLANET EARTH BETWEEN
:::DECEMBER 11, 1931 - JANUARY 19, 1990
 
::If you come to this book expecting logic, you will not find it. Masters are not logical men. What you will find is life, in all its craziness, all its love, all its laughter!
::If you can read this book with an open heart, if for a few moments you can put aside your serious "grown-up," you too may have a few glimpses of your own inner child. You too may begin to play inside.
::[[Sw Deva Abhinandan]]
 
 
-----


Dates given for this book are fairly specific, Nov 1981 - Feb 1982, the most specific of any of the three "NO" books, but what is the source for that? [[Osho Books on CD-ROM|The CD-ROM]] has all three in 1984 fwiw, but that may not be much either. (It says "from 1982" at the beginning of ''BIHL'' but for each chapter it indicates 1984, Lao Tzu Grove, Rajneeshpuram.) Parmartha says they all happened in late Pune One, inferred from then-present references to being in India in the text of ''Glimpses''. And so on around the net.
Dates given for this book are fairly specific, Nov 1981 - Feb 1982, the most specific of any of the three "NO" books, but what is the source for that? [[Osho Books on CD-ROM|The CD-ROM]] has all three in 1984 fwiw, but that may not be much either. (It says "from 1982" at the beginning of ''BIHL'' but for each chapter it indicates 1984, Lao Tzu Grove, Rajneeshpuram.) Parmartha says they all happened in late Pune One, inferred from then-present references to being in India in the text of ''Glimpses''. And so on around the net.
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Back at the house, Osho was having a lot of trouble with His teeth. He had nine root canals and while this treatment was happening He, of course, made the best of it, and while under the influence of the dentist's gas, He talked. It was not an easy task for Osho's dentist, Devageet, to work on a mouth that is most of the time moving. Osho talked three books worth. We realised that something was worth recording here, and so recorded all He said. The three books, Glimpses of a Golden Childhood, Books I Have Loved, and Notes of a Madman are extraordinary.
so it's settled. it's the ranch...
 
"Back at the house, Osho was having a lot of trouble with His teeth. He had nine root canals and while this treatment was happening He, of course, made the best of it, and while under the influence of the dentist's gas, He talked. It was not an easy task for Osho's dentist, Devageet, to work on a mouth that is most of the time moving. Osho talked three books worth. We realised that something was worth recording here, and so recorded all He said. The three books, Glimpses of a Golden Childhood, Books I Have Loved, and Notes of a Madman are extraordinary."
:(Shunyo, ''Diamond Days with Osho'', p 74)
:(Shunyo, ''Diamond Days with Osho'', p 74)
--[[User:Rudra|Rudra]] ([[User talk:Rudra|talk]]) 03:33, 14 March 2015 (UTC)
--[[User:Rudra|Rudra]] ([[User talk:Rudra|talk]]) 03:33, 14 March 2015 (UTC)
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== Devageet's Book ==
I have been looking at Devageet's book, ''[[Osho: The First Buddha in the Dental Chair]]''. About the dates, he says (now), "It took three years to type and edit the notes from the dental chair. Finally, at the end of 1984, they were ready for publication" (p 142). There is enough wiggle room in this "three years" to say that ending in Feb or even Mar 1982 would fit just fine, especially as he may be counting from when the books started.
About the beginning, and the number of sessions in each "series" for the three books -- ''Madman'' had two series, the others one each -- Devageet says: "At the beginning of the sixth note-taking session, Osho quietly announced that series one had now been completed, and series two was about to begin. The new series was centered around the ancient Tibetan mantra, ''Om Mani Padme Hum''" (p 131). Then (p 132), "Six sessions later, he just as suddenly announced the start of the third series of notes." That would be the beginning of ''BIHL''. "At the opening of the series, he had declared that he wanted to talk about the same number of books as the years of his life." Devageet reports that because of the counting shenanigans (Osho's game to confuse him), the ''Books'' sessions kept getting extended and eventually came to comprise 167 books. OTOH, Devageet reports he was 51 at the time, which would place these sessions sometime after his birthday in 1982, a year later. So something is not adding up here. Perhaps Devageet has got permanently confused about numbers or he too is playing Osho's game.
Most curiously, we have in ''Glimpses'' a reflection or even re-enactment of the 50/51 conundrum (see below, in the "Missing Session" section). The first edition of ''Glimpses'' had 51 chapters, one of which disappeared in later editions so that there were only 50. Since that chapter may have been bogus, we might imagine that one of Devageet's reported years was also bogus. Who knows?
Devageet confirms that no audio record survived of these sessions. For the first session of ''Madman'', he took notes without any recording but thereafter requested that Osho permit recording, to verify notes, which Osho did but stipulating that each session be verified straight away so that the tape could be re-used for the next session. Since not infrequently there were two sessions a day, that kept him busy, especially as he was a novice typist.
About the total number of sessions, it is a near-safe bet that they happened almost every day for a period, with "sometimes" two sessions a day. Thus, 12 + 16 + 50 = 78 sessions (or 13 + 16 + 51 = 80, depending what you believe) might have taken as little as two months for them all, so it could easily have been mid-Dec 1981 to end of Feb 1982 for the lot, not just ''Glimpses''.
More material from Devageet's book will be developed at the page for that book, coming sometime. -- doofus-9 07:22, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
----
And one more snippet re dates from Devageet: On p 169 he says, "In February 1982, Osho finished dictating from the dental chair the notes that would later form three books", naming the three Nitrous books. Well okay! Not that this is God's Truth, but it fits well and is sort of "consistent" with the Rudra/Satrakshita source, even if not with everything else Devageet has said. Oh well, whatever. -- doofus-9 07:34, 6 April 2016 (UTC)
== About the Missing Session 29 ==
About this Session 29, which is only found in the 1985 edition, missing in the later editions:
It contains a story about astrologers that predicted Osho would not survive 7 years, or else he could die in 1984. And about meetings with Pavaharibaba, Madanmohan Malvia, Ambalal Patel (Bapuji, Sw Swarupananda Bharti) and his wife, whom Osho called Ba (mother). Osho would have lived with them for three years, from age four to seven. Through Bapuji he met with Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammadali Jinnah, J. Krishnamurti, Gautama Sharatchandra Chatterji, "Babaji", and Swami Nikhilananda.
:This missing session/chapter now reproduced in full at [[The Missing Chapter 29 of Glimpses]]. -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
Was this related to the (fake!) story about adoption that was told to US INS officials? 
I have to check the Rajneesh Times, pretty sure there is an article about going to the INS office. --[[User:Sugit|Sugit]] ([[User talk:Sugit|talk]]) 14:58, 28 July 2015 (UTC)
----
Yes indeed. By chance I very recently received some TRT from the Ranch. --[[User:Sugit|Sugit]] ([[User talk:Sugit|talk]]) 18:55, 28 July 2015 (UTC)
[[The Rajneesh Times (USA)]] vol 2 #23 = Feb 3, 1984 :
::(Main header on the front page) '''Prediction of Bhagwan's destiny fulfilled - early life revealed'''
::'''PORTLAND - In a brief and stunning announcement, [[Sw Swarupananda Bharti|Swami Swarupananda]] (Ambalal Chaturbhai Patel) dropped the veil which has concealed the early life of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Up to this time, little was known about Bhagwan's early life other than the names of His parents and His close connection to His maternal grandfather. The rest, according to His photobiography, [[The Sound of Running Water]], was gossip and rumors.'''
::In his amazing revelation, Swarupananda, then a tutor, told how he had met a young cloth merchant who was worried about the astrologers' predictions concerning his firstborn son.
::The astrologers had refused to cast His chart, an ominous sign in India, saying only that the boy's life would be very short - unless He were adopted by someone else willing to care for Him.
::If He were adopted, the prediction said, the boy would have a relatively long life. Furthermore, the astrologers told His father that his son would have the "great personality and light of a leader and path indicator for the world such as Buddha or Mahavira."
::Swarupananda and the boy's father then arranged for a Hindu-Jain ceremony performed by a Brahmin, legally an adoption proceeding, which took place January 12, 1936, when the boy was 4 years old.
::The father wrote in the document that the boy was "placed in your lap pursuant to legal formalities and by placing him in your lap as the adopted son, you have accepted Rajneeshchandra Mohan as your own son."
::The legal adoption has been kept secret for 48 years because of a promise Swarupananda made to the boy's father. Now, he says, he is in fragile health and wants to tell the story before he dies.
::In a press conference in Portland, Swarupananda, affectionately known as ''Bapuji'' meaning father or dad, released the startling document, calling it "a revelation that will change the course of history". Photographs of the document were released along with a translation.
::Written in the Gujarati language, the words of the adoption proceeding are inscribed in ink on a one-rupee stamp paper used for legal documents in the days when England ruled India - the photograph of King George is printed on the paper. The document is signed by both men and witnesses, including Bhagwan's natural mother, [[Ma Amrit Saraswati|Ma Amrit Saraswati Jain]].
::The document has been carefully preserved by Swarupananda and his wife Swarupa for nearly half a century, and has now been translated by a ''(Continued on page A5)'' ''(Continued from page A1)'' nationally known immigration lawyer from New York City.
::Swarupananda reminisced to The Rajneesh Times how Bhagwan was a loving and contented child, preferring to spend His days in nature, and who never played with toys. He was happy living in a cottage by the sea and always accepted gratefully whatever food was offered to Him, never expressing preferences for one food over another.
::After the astrologers' prediction had been fulfilled, Bhagwan entered school and gradually became more independent.
::Swarupananda kept the secret for 48 years so family members would not be distressed. Now he has revealed the truth, he says he "will live with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh proudly, without living a secret and in total love."
::The further significance of the adoption lies in the fact that Swarupananda has held permanent residency status in the United States since 1973. "Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is my adopted son," said Swarupananda, "and as He is unmarried, I have petitioned the Immigration and Naturalization Service for His permanent residency in the United States.
::"I am overjoyed and grateful for this opportunity to enable my beloved son, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, to remain in the United States of America, where His religious vision and His health can flourish," he added.
::"Although He should be admitted to the U.S. as the world-renowned religious teacher He has become, His admission as my unmarried son should be automatic. Now we are united and living together again in total love and gratitude, and, as the astrologers predicted fifty years ago, Bhagwan has become the path indicator, the Buddha, He was predicted to become."
Further articles:
:Page A5: '''Full translation of the adoption document'''
:Page A5: '''Ma Anand Sheela: historical records discovered'''
:Page A5: '''Swami Swarupananda speaks: true identity of Bhagwan's legal parents revealed'''
::<nowiki>**</nowiki> front page is available at RT (USA) links above and below, but not yet page A5, and nothing at all yet of the next issue mentioned below -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
[[The Rajneesh Times (USA)]] vol 2 #24 = Feb 10, 1984 :
:Front page: '''Smiling faces tell adoption story at U.S. Immigration'''
::(Photo caption) Everyone was in good humor at Portland's immigration office Thursday, February 2, when Swami Swarupananda petitioned for permanent residence in the USA on behalf of his adopted son, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Left to right: [[Ma Swarupa]], [[Sw Swarupananda Bharti|Swami Swarupananda]], [[Ma Anand Sheela]], attorney Jeffrey Noles, [[Sw Krishna Deva]], attorney [[Sw Premsukh]], two bystanders and a desk clerk. Afterwards a press conference was held at Hotel Rajneesh and then the party traveled back to Rajneeshpuram where a big celebration was held in Rajneesh Mandir meditation hall. More pictures and full story on B6 and B7.
:Front page: '''U.S. immigration calls Swami Swarupananda for interview'''
:Page B6-B7: '''Rajneeshees celebrate discovery of Bhagwan's adoption'''
::The news that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is the adopted son of Swami Swarupananda, natural father of Ma Anand Sheela, swept like a gale of good tidings through the Rajneesh community last Thursday, February 2. ...
:Page B6-B7: '''Biography of Bhagwan gives clues to secret'''
:Page B6-B7: '''Adoption a key factor in the lives of many Masters'''
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Some hot stories there, what a hoot! Fixed some typos but wondered if i should leave "gooed tidings" alone. Ya never know, perhaps was intended. And perhaps the thing should have its own page. Great stuff!! -- [[User:Sarlo|doofus-9]] ([[User talk:Sarlo|talk]]) 07:19, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
:Curious here! This note suggests that some text-version of this page exists somewhere but i cannot find it. Any ideas? -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
:By chance I have that issue, and typed it over. --[[User:Sugit|Sugit]] ([[User talk:Sugit|talk]]) 07:15, 26 June 2021 (UTC)
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Of course the question remains if there was no session 29 at all, or if there was a session where Osho spoke, but (some of) the contents was forged.  --[[User:Sugit|Sugit]] ([[User talk:Sugit|talk]]) 07:13, 31 March 2016 (UTC)
:more discussion of this at [[talk:The Missing Chapter 29 of Glimpses]] -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
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By the way, in [[Osho Now News (video magazine)]], 1991-03, the second edition is announced, and Vimal says: "This edition is hard-bound, with many beautiful photos to illustrate the text, which has been re-edited to include some passages that were left out of the original edition." That is at least a lie by omission. <!--tagSugitTodo9--> The first and second editions should be scanned and compared.
== Appendix ==
According to Introduction of 1991 ed. Appendix contains excerpts from later discourses. To be checked.<!--tagAntarToDo-->--DhyanAntar 03:18, 9 December 2021 (UTC)

Latest revision as of 03:18, 9 December 2021

About the Dates

Dates given for this book are fairly specific, Nov 1981 - Feb 1982, the most specific of any of the three "NO" books, but what is the source for that? The CD-ROM has all three in 1984 fwiw, but that may not be much either. (It says "from 1982" at the beginning of BIHL but for each chapter it indicates 1984, Lao Tzu Grove, Rajneeshpuram.) Parmartha says they all happened in late Pune One, inferred from then-present references to being in India in the text of Glimpses. And so on around the net.

I note that none of these three books has made it into a Timeline page, not even as a "sometime in 19xx". I am thinking to put them in the Unknowns page, possibly the only English originals and certainly the most recent of all the books there. What do people think of that? And what about a page linking the three books thematically? Would that be out of place? -- doofus-9 (talk) 19:15, 7 March 2015 (UTC)

The info "Nov 1981 - Feb 1982" was entered by Rudra in when this page was made in 2008.

Maybe the intro is also of use in a series-page. (We indeed do those, like Osho Life Essentials (series). The page-names all end with " (series)".)

But "Nov 1981 - Feb 1982" is of course different from "early 1981".

The other two books in the series have no dating info in their first two editions. --Sugit (talk) 19:38, 7 March 2015 (UTC)

Well isn't that something! So, according to Devageet's intro, Parmartha was right. But according to Abhi's intro, it was late 1981 at the ranch, closer to Rudra's dates. One might say that Devageet was personally there and therefore more reliable, but it is not at all unlikely that, in the era of the first publication, Devageet may have felt constrained to set the talks prior to Osho's silent period, or this could have been one of the changes made by "the publisher," ie Sheela. And one might find it difficult to imagine that Abhi in his time would have a reason to make something up that contradicted Devageet's account.

Not that such inspired analysis nails it. I'd say we are still left with a nebulosity for dates, but it does seem that they all came together in one stretch, in the order stated. And in fact Devageet's version would entail cramming an awful lot of sessions into the already fairly busy time in Pune One before the silent period, so best to stick with the current version at least provisionally. I'll bang something together for a "series" page. -- doofus-9 (talk) 17:25, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

I re-checked the intro to Books I Have Loved (1998), where it seems that Devageet says it all happened at the Ranch. Does that give extra info? --Sugit (talk) 09:06, 9 March 2015 (UTC)

It certainly does. We can always doubt one version or another based on our whatever current conspiracy theory but really we can't know and in the end have to choose. The Ranch version has a lot more going for it, especially now that Devageet has revised himself. -- doofus-9 (talk) 18:28, 9 March 2015 (UTC)

i took my dates from Satrakshita;s website at

http://www.satrakshita.com/lectures.htm

no idea where he got his info from. Sugit could ask him. --Rudra (talk) 05:39, 10 March 2015 (UTC)

btw... a bit about Kip's Castle --Rudra (talk) 00:03, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

I had a conversation with Satrakshita about his sources. He says that this comes from a database that has been published by Sw. Anand Rudra. On my reply that Rudra says that he has it from Satrakshita, he says:

Ha ha, I did not know he had it from me. Anyway, so now there are two reliable sources that you can refer to ;-)

--Sugit (talk) 11:05, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

Oh god, haven't laughed so much in a long time :))--Rudra (talk) 16:26, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

Ha ha indeed. Well, one of them got it from somewhere (the ether?) and the other copied, and now we have "reliable". Still better than nothing though and fits with the rest of it. -- doofus-9 (talk) 17:07, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

so it's settled. it's the ranch...

"Back at the house, Osho was having a lot of trouble with His teeth. He had nine root canals and while this treatment was happening He, of course, made the best of it, and while under the influence of the dentist's gas, He talked. It was not an easy task for Osho's dentist, Devageet, to work on a mouth that is most of the time moving. Osho talked three books worth. We realised that something was worth recording here, and so recorded all He said. The three books, Glimpses of a Golden Childhood, Books I Have Loved, and Notes of a Madman are extraordinary."

(Shunyo, Diamond Days with Osho, p 74)

--Rudra (talk) 03:33, 14 March 2015 (UTC)

Devageet's Book

I have been looking at Devageet's book, Osho: The First Buddha in the Dental Chair. About the dates, he says (now), "It took three years to type and edit the notes from the dental chair. Finally, at the end of 1984, they were ready for publication" (p 142). There is enough wiggle room in this "three years" to say that ending in Feb or even Mar 1982 would fit just fine, especially as he may be counting from when the books started.

About the beginning, and the number of sessions in each "series" for the three books -- Madman had two series, the others one each -- Devageet says: "At the beginning of the sixth note-taking session, Osho quietly announced that series one had now been completed, and series two was about to begin. The new series was centered around the ancient Tibetan mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum" (p 131). Then (p 132), "Six sessions later, he just as suddenly announced the start of the third series of notes." That would be the beginning of BIHL. "At the opening of the series, he had declared that he wanted to talk about the same number of books as the years of his life." Devageet reports that because of the counting shenanigans (Osho's game to confuse him), the Books sessions kept getting extended and eventually came to comprise 167 books. OTOH, Devageet reports he was 51 at the time, which would place these sessions sometime after his birthday in 1982, a year later. So something is not adding up here. Perhaps Devageet has got permanently confused about numbers or he too is playing Osho's game.

Most curiously, we have in Glimpses a reflection or even re-enactment of the 50/51 conundrum (see below, in the "Missing Session" section). The first edition of Glimpses had 51 chapters, one of which disappeared in later editions so that there were only 50. Since that chapter may have been bogus, we might imagine that one of Devageet's reported years was also bogus. Who knows?

Devageet confirms that no audio record survived of these sessions. For the first session of Madman, he took notes without any recording but thereafter requested that Osho permit recording, to verify notes, which Osho did but stipulating that each session be verified straight away so that the tape could be re-used for the next session. Since not infrequently there were two sessions a day, that kept him busy, especially as he was a novice typist.

About the total number of sessions, it is a near-safe bet that they happened almost every day for a period, with "sometimes" two sessions a day. Thus, 12 + 16 + 50 = 78 sessions (or 13 + 16 + 51 = 80, depending what you believe) might have taken as little as two months for them all, so it could easily have been mid-Dec 1981 to end of Feb 1982 for the lot, not just Glimpses.

More material from Devageet's book will be developed at the page for that book, coming sometime. -- doofus-9 07:22, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

And one more snippet re dates from Devageet: On p 169 he says, "In February 1982, Osho finished dictating from the dental chair the notes that would later form three books", naming the three Nitrous books. Well okay! Not that this is God's Truth, but it fits well and is sort of "consistent" with the Rudra/Satrakshita source, even if not with everything else Devageet has said. Oh well, whatever. -- doofus-9 07:34, 6 April 2016 (UTC)

About the Missing Session 29

About this Session 29, which is only found in the 1985 edition, missing in the later editions:

It contains a story about astrologers that predicted Osho would not survive 7 years, or else he could die in 1984. And about meetings with Pavaharibaba, Madanmohan Malvia, Ambalal Patel (Bapuji, Sw Swarupananda Bharti) and his wife, whom Osho called Ba (mother). Osho would have lived with them for three years, from age four to seven. Through Bapuji he met with Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammadali Jinnah, J. Krishnamurti, Gautama Sharatchandra Chatterji, "Babaji", and Swami Nikhilananda.

This missing session/chapter now reproduced in full at The Missing Chapter 29 of Glimpses. -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

Was this related to the (fake!) story about adoption that was told to US INS officials?

I have to check the Rajneesh Times, pretty sure there is an article about going to the INS office. --Sugit (talk) 14:58, 28 July 2015 (UTC)

Yes indeed. By chance I very recently received some TRT from the Ranch. --Sugit (talk) 18:55, 28 July 2015 (UTC)

The Rajneesh Times (USA) vol 2 #23 = Feb 3, 1984 :

(Main header on the front page) Prediction of Bhagwan's destiny fulfilled - early life revealed
PORTLAND - In a brief and stunning announcement, Swami Swarupananda (Ambalal Chaturbhai Patel) dropped the veil which has concealed the early life of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Up to this time, little was known about Bhagwan's early life other than the names of His parents and His close connection to His maternal grandfather. The rest, according to His photobiography, The Sound of Running Water, was gossip and rumors.
In his amazing revelation, Swarupananda, then a tutor, told how he had met a young cloth merchant who was worried about the astrologers' predictions concerning his firstborn son.
The astrologers had refused to cast His chart, an ominous sign in India, saying only that the boy's life would be very short - unless He were adopted by someone else willing to care for Him.
If He were adopted, the prediction said, the boy would have a relatively long life. Furthermore, the astrologers told His father that his son would have the "great personality and light of a leader and path indicator for the world such as Buddha or Mahavira."
Swarupananda and the boy's father then arranged for a Hindu-Jain ceremony performed by a Brahmin, legally an adoption proceeding, which took place January 12, 1936, when the boy was 4 years old.
The father wrote in the document that the boy was "placed in your lap pursuant to legal formalities and by placing him in your lap as the adopted son, you have accepted Rajneeshchandra Mohan as your own son."
The legal adoption has been kept secret for 48 years because of a promise Swarupananda made to the boy's father. Now, he says, he is in fragile health and wants to tell the story before he dies.
In a press conference in Portland, Swarupananda, affectionately known as Bapuji meaning father or dad, released the startling document, calling it "a revelation that will change the course of history". Photographs of the document were released along with a translation.
Written in the Gujarati language, the words of the adoption proceeding are inscribed in ink on a one-rupee stamp paper used for legal documents in the days when England ruled India - the photograph of King George is printed on the paper. The document is signed by both men and witnesses, including Bhagwan's natural mother, Ma Amrit Saraswati Jain.
The document has been carefully preserved by Swarupananda and his wife Swarupa for nearly half a century, and has now been translated by a (Continued on page A5) (Continued from page A1) nationally known immigration lawyer from New York City.
Swarupananda reminisced to The Rajneesh Times how Bhagwan was a loving and contented child, preferring to spend His days in nature, and who never played with toys. He was happy living in a cottage by the sea and always accepted gratefully whatever food was offered to Him, never expressing preferences for one food over another.
After the astrologers' prediction had been fulfilled, Bhagwan entered school and gradually became more independent.
Swarupananda kept the secret for 48 years so family members would not be distressed. Now he has revealed the truth, he says he "will live with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh proudly, without living a secret and in total love."
The further significance of the adoption lies in the fact that Swarupananda has held permanent residency status in the United States since 1973. "Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is my adopted son," said Swarupananda, "and as He is unmarried, I have petitioned the Immigration and Naturalization Service for His permanent residency in the United States.
"I am overjoyed and grateful for this opportunity to enable my beloved son, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, to remain in the United States of America, where His religious vision and His health can flourish," he added.
"Although He should be admitted to the U.S. as the world-renowned religious teacher He has become, His admission as my unmarried son should be automatic. Now we are united and living together again in total love and gratitude, and, as the astrologers predicted fifty years ago, Bhagwan has become the path indicator, the Buddha, He was predicted to become."

Further articles:

Page A5: Full translation of the adoption document
Page A5: Ma Anand Sheela: historical records discovered
Page A5: Swami Swarupananda speaks: true identity of Bhagwan's legal parents revealed
** front page is available at RT (USA) links above and below, but not yet page A5, and nothing at all yet of the next issue mentioned below -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

The Rajneesh Times (USA) vol 2 #24 = Feb 10, 1984 :

Front page: Smiling faces tell adoption story at U.S. Immigration
(Photo caption) Everyone was in good humor at Portland's immigration office Thursday, February 2, when Swami Swarupananda petitioned for permanent residence in the USA on behalf of his adopted son, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Left to right: Ma Swarupa, Swami Swarupananda, Ma Anand Sheela, attorney Jeffrey Noles, Sw Krishna Deva, attorney Sw Premsukh, two bystanders and a desk clerk. Afterwards a press conference was held at Hotel Rajneesh and then the party traveled back to Rajneeshpuram where a big celebration was held in Rajneesh Mandir meditation hall. More pictures and full story on B6 and B7.
Front page: U.S. immigration calls Swami Swarupananda for interview
Page B6-B7: Rajneeshees celebrate discovery of Bhagwan's adoption
The news that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is the adopted son of Swami Swarupananda, natural father of Ma Anand Sheela, swept like a gale of good tidings through the Rajneesh community last Thursday, February 2. ...
Page B6-B7: Biography of Bhagwan gives clues to secret
Page B6-B7: Adoption a key factor in the lives of many Masters

Some hot stories there, what a hoot! Fixed some typos but wondered if i should leave "gooed tidings" alone. Ya never know, perhaps was intended. And perhaps the thing should have its own page. Great stuff!! -- doofus-9 (talk) 07:19, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

Curious here! This note suggests that some text-version of this page exists somewhere but i cannot find it. Any ideas? -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
By chance I have that issue, and typed it over. --Sugit (talk) 07:15, 26 June 2021 (UTC)

Of course the question remains if there was no session 29 at all, or if there was a session where Osho spoke, but (some of) the contents was forged. --Sugit (talk) 07:13, 31 March 2016 (UTC)

more discussion of this at talk:The Missing Chapter 29 of Glimpses -- doofus-9 20:38, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

By the way, in Osho Now News (video magazine), 1991-03, the second edition is announced, and Vimal says: "This edition is hard-bound, with many beautiful photos to illustrate the text, which has been re-edited to include some passages that were left out of the original edition." That is at least a lie by omission. The first and second editions should be scanned and compared.

Appendix

According to Introduction of 1991 ed. Appendix contains excerpts from later discourses. To be checked.--DhyanAntar 03:18, 9 December 2021 (UTC)


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