Review: Osho on Bhagavad Gita, by Neeraj Korde
“Rajneesh” Chandra Mohan Jain, aka Osho, was one of the most influential spiritual personalities of the 20th century. Some consider him to be enlightened and some a charlatan, but one thing is for sure, Osho was unique. He was undeniably a great orator and, with a background in teaching philosophy, a great scholar. His unconventional nuggets of wisdom may appeal or repel listeners but they sure do shake you up. I have been listening to his discourses on the Bhagavad Gita for a while and I want to share some of my thoughts with you.
There is a lot of Osho literature available on the internet. This includes writings, discourses, and videos. Osho’s lectures on the Bhagavad Gita constitute one of his more popular works. Osho speaks in chaste Hindi which in today’s world is a rare commodity in itself. His style of speaking is pregnant with pauses which lends it an air of gravity. The discourses are usually 45-60 minutes long, during which Osho digs deep into a few shlokas, coming up with his unique brand of wisdom.
Osho, the word dissector
He spends quite some time explaining the meaning of a single word and why Krishna chose to use that particular word. Often his insight is deep and extraordinary, bringing out a hidden meaning that is hard to guess yet feels sensible. The Gita seems to be full of esoteric and illogical statements, but Osho takes his time delineating each phrase word-by-word and creating the landscape of his perspective. An underlying current throughout his discourses is the assertion that words in our languages are just inadequate to express the divine. Osho believes this is because the languages have evolved to express the ego. He points out that the reason Gita sounds so esoteric is because of the way human languages have evolved and the subtle ways language effects our thinking and behavior.
Although born a Jain, Osho draws from all spiritual traditions while explaining the Gita. He extensively quotes anecdotes from the lives of Buddha, Mahavir, Christ, Vivekanand, Mansoor, Meera, Mohammed, etc., trying to highlight the unifying message underlying the different actions taken by these people. The list given above is a mere sampling; Osho draws from an eclectic bunch ranging from Zen monks to Sufi fakirs. Coming from a strong background in philosophy he does not shy away from comparing the works of modern philosophers like Sigmund Frued, Friedrich Neitzche, Carl Jung, Einstein, and so on with those of the ancient seers. The result is a very rounded, multifaceted interpretation of Geeta, a thorough comparison of Eastern and Western thought.
Throughout the discourses Osho rebukes organized religion. His dislike for the church, priest, dogma, and blind following of rituals is expressed in all his talks and writings. He encourages the listener to put it in proper perspective and concentrate on changing one’s actions instead of getting stuck with rituals. In one instance he compares them to signboards and goads the listener to read the signboard and move to the real destination rather than thinking of the signboard as the destination.
Osho’s interpretation of the Gita stands out for many qualities. He creates a multifaceted analysis of Gita, drawing from all sources—philosophy, scriptures, biographies and his own experience. The shlokas of the Gita are often abstract, mysterious and sometimes downright contradictory. In such cases the listener will definitely appreciate Osho’s deep and precise insight in explaining why Krishna said it this way. He has the skill of explaining apparently impossible shlokas in layman’s terms, using simple analogies. He often compares the subjects to modern social problems. This is where at times he digresses. Even though the digressions are interesting they sometimes get a bit too long. Though usually serious he is at times encouraging, soothing, poetic, mesmerizing and confrontational. But he is always soft-spoken, never too loud. There was an incidence when some people created trouble during his discourse. But Osho held his calm and the next day actually used that incident to bring in some humor. Osho’s discourses on the Gita are something every Osho fan or Gita fan will love listening to. You can find them at http://www.esnips.com/web/shikshaaurdharma
Neeraj Korde did his Masters from University of Michigan and now is a software engineer based in Seattle, Washington. His interests include practicing yoga. He can be reached at nkorde@gmail.com.
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September 17th, 2008 22:21
Dear Mr. Korde,
Are you talking on Gita or praising Osho? Your article is highlighting a man who was more than the womanizer and a sort of person called in our language a PATH BHRASHT. I have seen him when he was a professor in Sagar University and in later years his works I had opportunity to go through but his thoughts about Krishna are more as if as a humanbeing is talking and he had praised the Astavakr Geeta than Shrimad Bhagwadgita. The Jains highlight the Shringar Shaily of Leela of the Lord than His practical philosophies on Karmayoga and Adhyatmagyan. If you happen to read Prabhupada’s Geeta as it is and then read Gita of other authors and compare you will yourself understand how wrongly some of the verses have been interpretted.
To have worldly knowledge and to practice it are two different poles. I would like to quote Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh who wrote in advance more than 60 years ago I happen to visit his ashram in Rishikesh ,about all those modern swamis and acharyas & Lady sanyasins…………….
“VEDANTA is today a much abused term. All sorts of vanity, hypocrisy and self-conceit have been masquerading in its name. It has become the fashion of the day to pass for a Vedantin as it is then convenient to give up all sorts of responsibilities, rituals and restrictions of the Varnashrama Dharma and enables one to lead a happy-go-lucky life of ease, lethargy and inertia. The Punjab is full of dry, lip-Vedantins. Punjabi women have also taken to Vedanta and they take great pride in calling themselves Vedantins, whether or not they understand the philosophy, whether or not they do any practice. All retired officers who have not done any selfless service or any Sadhana or worship or charity take to Vedanta as a sort of fancy.”
(Swami Shivananda was a Doctor in Burma during British Raj in India and became a Sanyasi. Did Tapasya at Muni ki Reti in Rishikesh and his Ashram produced Yogis like BKS Iyengar who has now 2000 yogic centers throughout the world and many other Sanyasis later all the” Chalantru Philntaru “sanyasis from the west had one or the other time come to visit Shivananda Ashram. Swami Shivananda further eulogizes:-
“Thus Vedanta has become a very comfortable philosophy, because one can do whatever he chooses and eat whatever he likes. Licentiousness is mistaken for a life of expansion. If a man can eat anything in any hotel in any part of the world, if he can move socially with any man or woman, that does not mean, he is a Vedantin. There is much tall talk of Vedanta nowadays. There is idle Vedantic gossiping. But there is no practical Vedanta. Nobody wants to do any real solid Vedantic Sadhana. Man feels ashamed to call himself a Bhakta, but he takes great pride in calling himself a Yogi or a Vedantin, because he foolishly imagines he will be respected by the public. Many ignorant Vedantins have mistaken the body for Brahman and hence there is corruption amongst the so-called loose Vedantins. This is not only lamentable but also highly deplorable.”
I wish to add in the thoughts of great Sanyasi that the commercialization has overtaken Adhyatma that is why we only see the bright side of the person and forget the Truth. It is just like the packaging industry has overtaken the real contents of the thing presented.
The list of various modern swamis, or so called Sanysis and saints is long….
One of them was Acharya Rajnish who declared himself as Bhagwan Rajnish and then a Japanese name as ‘OSHO’. I agree that he was very well read.But his views and sayings on contradictions in Geeta and depiction on Krishna is lamentable and deplorable. He confuses more than he explains.
Shrimadbhagvadgita is summarised form of Vedas that is why it is also known as Geetopnishada. The Upnishadas are that part of Vedas wich highlight the Sanatan Hindu philosophy of our Dharma ( please note that religion word is being wrongly used in place of the Dharma- a wrong translation because English has no substitute for Dharma) Every chapter of Geeta is focused on a Yoga. The entire philosophy revolves around a Central Figure that is the creator controller and ahhilator or recycler which makes Hinduism as Monotheistic inspite of the fact that the administration of JAGAT (the Universe) is controlled by Lord Vishnu and when the same cosmic energy works as the created we call him Lord Brahma and ultimate for a new cycle of the Universe we have the annihilator or recycler Lord Shiva. They all are one and the same. The Supreme is Krishna who has inifinte names, eternal, almighty loves the right doers Bhaktas that is why he is an apostle of love.
Time to time he incarnates to establish the natural laws.
Please excuse me if I had used some harsh words or hurted any body whose mind is brainwashed by reading one type of persons views only.
Pandit Vats at San Lorenzo California.
October 6th, 2008 11:07
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November 18th, 2008 03:48
I have read geeta darshan by osho.I read it accidently. He explain every verse in detail. I don’t know whether osho was fake gure or real guru but one thing is sure that he had brilliant mind. I attracted towards geeta when I read osho book on geeta . I have also read Geeta as it is after that. Both prabhupad and osho has explained geeta in a very unique way. But I have a great respect for osho because just because of him my interest to know krishna is increased.