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When someone’s ideas are that universally attacked,
and seem to arouse that much hostility
that was a signal to me that there must be something there
worth paying attention to.
American Bestselling Author TOM ROBBINS
speaks about the contemporary mystic Osho
from MEDITATION The Art of Ecstasy
Osho's philosophy had at it's very core,
at least as I understand it, and I'm certainly no expert,
the idea of every individual thinking for himself or herself and living free.
Freedom is a heady wine and
it’s too much of a heady wine for a great many people.
Most of us are inherently lazy
and it would be so nice if we could find an identity,
a set of beliefs, say when
we're twenty-five years old or younger,
and just hold on to them for the rest of our lives.
And a lot of people do, and of course they...rigor mortis sets in instantly.
You were dead long before you actually leave your body.
I have never sought out Osho in person,
I never been a disciple, I am not a disciple,
but I have found certain of his ideas to be quite attractive and brilliant.
And one of the things that first caused me to have interest in him
was the fact that he was so soundly and roundly rejected and attacked
by both the left and the right,
by both the unthinking masses and educated, liberal intellectuals.
And when someone and someone's ideas are that universally attacked,
that can arouse that much hostility,
that was a signal to me that there must be something there worth paying attention to.
I think the sexual aspect of Osho’s teaching
was one of the most difficult aspects of it for many Americans to deal with.
Americans take their sexuality far too seriously
and the very fact that Osho’s version did incorporate sexuality, incorporated joy,
because it isn’t just about sex, it’s about joy, it’s about life.
Certainly in the past fifty years there has not existed a teacher in the world
who understood the value of playfulness and wit quite so well as Osho.
Buddhism is very trendy in the United States right now.
There are people all over Hollywood who have put away their vials of cocaine
and taken out their incense and their temple bells.
And I think that’s certainly a step on the right direction.
But orthodox Buddhism,
is really just as rigid as orthodox Christianity.
It allows a little more room for growth but not a great deal more.
I was very amused by his ninety-odd Rolls-Royces.
I think that’s perhaps the grandest joke ever played on consumerism,
and materialism.
From what I understand of him and his teachings,
he had no particular interest in those cars whatsoever.
It was a teaching; it was a modern day
analogy to…a modern day equivalent to one of Jesus’ parables.
He used that as an illustration of how absurd the religion of the dollar,
of money and materialism really are.
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