1931 - 1967 Early Years
DECEMBER 11, 1931
"For most of my very early years I lived with my mother's parents. Those years are unforgettable. A small village, poor people, but my grandfather--I mean my mother's father--was a generous man. He was poor, but rich in his generosity. He gave to each and everyone whatsoever He had. I learned the art of giving from him. I never saw him say no to any beggar or anybody.
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I called my mother's father "Nana"; that's the way the mother's father is called in India. My mother's mother is called "Nani..." For my first years I knew my Nani as my mother; those are the years when one grows. My own mother came after that; I was already grown up, already made in a certain style. And my grandmother helped me immensely. My grandfather loved me, but could not help me much. He was so loving, but to be of help more is needed--a certain kind of strength. He was always afraid of my grandmother. He was, in a sense, a henpecked husband. This too is worth noting: that ninety years ago, in India, Nani had had the courage to fall in love. She remained unmarried up till the age of twenty-four. That was very rare... In those days in India, girls were married when they were seven, or at the most nine years of age. If they are older they may fall in love." |
my grandmother's father was a poet; His songs are still sung in Khajuraho and nearby villages. He insisted that unless she agreed, he was not going to marry her to anybody. As chance would have it, she fell in love with my grandfather... She said, "I just saw him, and that was it. I saw his eyes, and a trust arose in me that has never wavered..."
I was born in a family which belongs to a very small section of Jainism...it follows a madman who must have been just a little bit less mad than me. I cannot say more mad than me...
During those first years when I lived with my grandfather, I was absolutely protected from punishment. He never said "Do this," or "Don't do that." On the contrary he put his most obedient servant, Bhoora, at my service, to protect me. Bhoora used to carry a very primitive gun with him. He used to follow me at a distance, but that was enough to frighten the villagers. That was enough to allow me to do whatsoever I wanted. Anything one could imagine...like riding on a buffalo backwards with Bhoora following.... I was so mischievous. I cannot live without it; it is my nourishment. I can understand the old man, my grandfather, and the trouble my mischief caused him... He used to say [to others], "I am ready to pay for any damage he has done, but remember, I am not going to punish him."
Perhaps his very patience with me, a mischievous child...even I could not tolerate it. If a child like that was given to me and for years...my God! Even for minutes and I would throw the child out of the door forever... Once in a while I would say, "Nana, you can punish me. You need not be so tolerant." And, can you believe it, he would cry! Tears would come to his eyes, and he would say, "Punish you? I cannot do that. I can punish myself but not you." Never, for a single moment, have I ever seen the shadow of anger towards me in his eyes--and believe me, I did everything that one thousand children could do."
1938-1951, GADARWADA
"The first seven years are the most important in life; never again will you have that much opportunity. Those seven years decide your seventy years, all the foundation stones are laid in those seven years. So by a strange coincidence I was saved from my parents--and by the time I reached them, I was almost on my own, I was already flying. I knew I had wings. I knew that I didn't need anybody's help to make me fly. I knew that the whole sky is mine.
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I never asked for their guidance, and if any guidance was given to me I always retorted, "This is insulting. Do you think I cannot manage it myself? I do understand that there is no bad intention in giving guidance--for that I am thankful--but you do not understand one thing, that I am capable of doing it on my own. Just give me a chance to prove my mettle. Don't interfere." In those seven years I became really a strong individualist: hard-core. Now it was impossible to put any trip on me.The first thing my own father taught me--and the only thing that he ever taught me--was a love for the small river that flows by the side of my town. He taught me just this--swimming in the river.That's all that he ever taught me, but I am tremendously grateful to him because that brought so many changes in my life. Exactly like Siddhartha, I fell in love with the river. |
Whenever I think of my birthplace I don't remember anything except the river. My whole childhood was spent in a close love affair with the river. It was my daily routine to be with the river for at least five to eight hours... I can understand Herman Hesse's Siddhartha and his experience with the river. It happened with me: so much transpired, because slowly slowly, the whole existence became a river to me. It lost its solidity; it became liquid, fluid.
And I am immensely grateful to my father. He never taught me mathematics, language, grammar, geography, history. He was never much concerned about my education. He had ten children...and I had seen it happen many times: people would ask, "In what class is your son studying?"--and he would have to ask somebody because he would not know. The only education that he gave to me was a communion with the river. He himself was in deep love with the river...
I have loved many books, thousands of books, but none like Turgenev's Fathers and Sons. I used to force my poor father to read it. He is dead, otherwise I would have asked him to forgive me. Why did I force him to read the book? That was the only way for him to understand the gap between himself and me. But he was really a wonderful man, he used to read the book again and again, just because I said. It wasn't once he read it, but many times. And not only did he read the book, but at least between him and me the gap was bridged. We were no longer father and son. That ugly relationship of father and son, mother and daughter, and so on... at least with me my father dropped it, we became friends. It is difficult to be friends with your own father, or your own son; the whole credit goes to him, not to me."
Osho moves to Jabalpur
Osho enrolls in Hitkarini College in Jabalpur, which is 80 miles from Gadarwara on main road and rail routes, so He remains in close contact with his family "From my Nani's house I moved to my father's sister's house in Jabalpur."
After His enlightenment at the twenty one, Osho completed His academic studies and spent several years teaching philosophy at the University of Jabalpur. Meanwhile, He traveled throughout India giving talks, challenging orthodox religious leaders in public debate, questioning traditional beliefs, and meeting people from all walks of life. He read extensively, everything He could find to broaden His understanding of the belief systems and psychology of the contemporary man.
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Osho majors in philosophy and wins numerous awards in debating competitions. He graduates with honors from D.N. Jain College and is invited by Professor S. S. Roy to do his postgraduate study at Sagar University. Osho accepts a position first at Sanskrit College in Raipur and later at the University of Jabalpur, where He teaches philosophy. His unorthodox and challenging approach to teaching draws many students to His classes, regardless of whether they have actually enrolled for credit. As the years pass He begins to spend more and more time away from His teaching duties and begins traveling to public speaking engagements throghout India. |
1962, THE FIRST MEDITATION CENTERS
During His travels and speaking engagements, Osho often conducts guided meditations at the end of His talks. The first meditation centers to emerge around His teaching are known as Jivan Jagruti Kendras (Life Awakening Centers), and His movement is called Jivan Jagruti Andolan (Life Awakening Movement).
1962-1964, MEDITATION CAMPS
In addition to His speaking engagements, Osho begins to hold 3 to 10 days 'meditation camps' in the countryside, where He gives daily talks and personally guides the participants in meditation.
JUNE 1964, RANAKPUR MEDITATION CAMP
Ranakpur Meditation Camp became a landmark in Osho's work because for the first time his discourses and meditations were recorded and published in a book in hindi titles "Sadhna Path"(Path to Self-Realization), which was widely acclaimed in India. Osho later said that this book contains His whole teaching, which has never altered.
The first maxim is: live in the present.
The second maxim is: live naturally.
The third maxim is: live alone.
JUNE 1966, JYOTI SHIKHA (LIFE AWAKENING) MAGAZINE
A quarterly magazine in Hindi is published by Jivan Jagruti Kendra of Bombay, which also becomes the official publisher of books transcribed from Osho's talks.