Osho Rajneesh taught that miracles (paranormal/supernatural events/acts) have never happened and will never happen; Sathya Sai taught devotees to believe in the power of Avatars to do miracles
Note: I am a firm believer in freedom of religion so long as the laws of the land are not broken. So I respect the rights of those who follow Osho Rajneesh's teachings (so long as the laws of the land are not broken). But I think it is ethical and fair for me to share with readers what Osho Rajneesh's philosophy/theology was in some vital matters related to religion. Therefore I have put up this public post. end-Note.
I was quite sure that Osho Rajneesh would not have believed in the miracles reported in holy scripture of religions like Hinduism and Christianity. But I did some Internet browsing to check.
A short extract from chapter 14: Don't Walk on Water - Jump into Consciousness, http://www.osho.com/iosho/library/read-book/online-library-existence-holy-ghost-miracle-f7c7c0a6-0a6?p=4d4ddcaf9a5d404a89b4c8b1100982fc,
[Osho Rajneesh on "whether miracles happen or not" : ] "I say categorically they have never happened, because in the very nature of things a miracle is an absurdity. It simply means suddenly nature forgets its laws, existence changes its course. No, existence is fair, it is equal to all, exactly the same to all."
From the document titled, "From Misery to Enlightenment", https://www.oshorajneesh.com/download/osho-books/responses_to_questions/From_Misery_to_Enlightenment.pdf which has discourses given by Osho Rajneesh in early 1985, page 225 :
[Osho Rajneesh:] Existence has no prejudices – that for Jesus it has a soft corner in the heart, and not for you; that it allows Mohammed to go beyond natural laws, but it does not allow you. A miracle simply is a condemnation of the fairness of existence.
No, there is no such thing as a miracle – never has been, never will be. If miracles happen then science cannot happen; and we know that science has happened. And as science has grown, miracles have diminished in exact proportion. The more science grows, the less and less are there miracles. If you go farther back you can find thousands of miracles happening.
Most of those miracles are just stories invented to create messiahs, prophets, reincarnations of God – because how can you manage to put a certain man above all humanity? How can you manage to make him superhuman? His body follows nature, his life follows nature. From birth to death there is not a single exception.
---
From Page 226:
[Osho Rajneesh:] Then how to prove that Jesus, Mohammed, Mahavira, Buddha, Krishna – that these people are not just ordinary like you? The way that has been discovered is called the miracle. That makes them qualitatively different from you, because whatsoever you do, you cannot get trained in walking on water. Whatever you do you will be drowned again and again. So it is not a question of training, discipline, knowing certain strategies – no, nothing will help. How can you turn stones into bread? How can you turn water into wine?
These stories are invented for a certain purpose – to make that man qualitatively higher than you. But this is exploiting humanity, corrupting human consciousness, giving people false ideas.
Just look at these miracle-men of the world and you can see that of all those miracles, ninety percent were invented by the followers or by the originators themselves. It is difficult at such a long distance to know who started them. Most of them must have been started by the originators themselves, and of course followers go on adding to them.
--- end extracts from Osho Rajneesh discourses ---
Ravi: The above quotes of Osho Rajneesh clearly and unambiguously tell us that he not only does not believe in the miracles attributed to Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Purana and Jesus Christ in the New Testament part of the Bible, he preaches that miracles can never happen. Faith in a God who has supernatural power and intervenes in the lives of devotees who pray to God, by helping miraculously (breaking the laws of nature as science knows it today), at times, is central to the Hindu and Christian religions (and would be the same for most other religions too, I guess). This is a belief in an 'interventionist God' as against an only witness God who witnesses but does not intervene via supernatural events (miracles).
Let us now see what Sathya Sai preached/taught about miracles (paranormal/supernatural events/acts).
From http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume02/sss02-25.pdf
[Sathya Sai:] Incarnation is for the sake of fostering righteousness (dharma), for demarcating and directing it, and to show mankind the true path of desireless activity. That is the one task I am engaged in, through various channels. Instead of reforming you without your knowledge, it is better to reform you with your own cooperation and knowledge. So, I reveal to you my Glory, off and on, to a little extent, through what you call miracles. I do not engage in them for name and fame; I am miraculous by My very Nature! Every moment of Mine is a Miracle! The miracles are beyond your understanding, your art and skill and intelligence. I must save every one of you. Even if you say nay and move away, I shall do it. Those who have strayed away from Me have to return to the fold sooner or later, for I will not allow them to be distant for long. I shall drag them toward Me. That is My basic nature, love, and mercy.
----
From http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume27/sss27-23.pdf
[Sathya Sai:] When Krishna was three years old he saw an old lady carrying a basket of fruits from the jungle. Krishna told her he would like to have some fruits. The old woman said he could get them only if he paid the price Krishna innocently asked the meaning of the word price. The woman said that something should be given in return for the fruit. Krishna went in and brought a palmful of rice. The woman placed the rice in her basket and gave Krishna some fruits. She was charmed by the beauty of the child. As she was returning to her cottage, she felt that the basket was getting heavier. When she placed it down in her hut, she was amazed to find that all the rice grains had turned into precious gems! She thought the child must be divine. Otherwise how could the rice turn into gems? Considering herself supremely lucky, she invited her neighbours to see the miracle.
Krishna was pleading with Yasodha that he should be allowed to go to the forest with other cowherd boys. Thinking that if he was put to sleep he would forget his desire to go to the forest, Yasodha gave him milk. Krishna was no ordinary child. While drinking the milk, he pretended as if he was sleepy. He made a pretence of yawning to indicate his drowsiness. In that wide open mouth of Krishna, Yasodha saw all kinds of things---all the worlds in motion and many deities. She could not make out what it meant. "Is it a dream or Vishnu's Maaya (illustrious [Ravi: illusory?] power)? Or is it some fantasy of mine? Or is it real? Am I Yasodha? Have I gone somewhere?" These thoughts racked her mind. "My son is an infant. How can all the worlds appear in his tiny mouth? It must be my imagination." Such doubts arise in the minds of those who are caught up in the delusions of the body complex.
Yielding to his entreaties Yasodha allowed Krishna to go to the forest with the cowherd boys. Almost every day Krishna encountered some ogre or ogress and slayed them. His playmates used to describe to their elders these exploits of Krishna, how he fought with the demons and finished them off.
Yasodha, however, used to say: "God is taking care of my child. Otherwise how could he overcome these encounters?" The cowherd boys observed: "When he himself is God, why does he need anybody's protection, oh mother!" Yasodha felt that the boys were naive in their judgment. "Will God come to one's rescue so easily? It is only because of my prayers, my child
is protected." With this belief, Yasodha used to perform various rites, when. Krishna returned from the forest, to express her gratitude to Providence for saving him from the evil eye and other dangers.
--- end extracts ---
Ravi: From the above statements of Sathya Sai it is unambiguously clear that Sathya Sai taught that Krishna did perform miracles (supernatural acts) and that He Himself (Sathya Sai) peformed it, "off and on, to a little extent". Sathya Sai also said above, "I am miraculous by My very Nature!"
So it is clear that the teaching of Osho Rajneesh that miracles never happened and can never happen, is diametrically opposite to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teaching.
I personally have experienced Bhagavan Sathya Sai's supernatural power of knowing what I was thinking and knowing what I had done outside His physical presence. I now have full faith that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had supernatural power and performed miracles (supernatural acts). Further, as a believer in Bhagavan Sathya Sai's teachings about life of Krishna as mentioned above, I believe that Krishna too had supernatural power and performed miracles. I further believe that intense prayer to God visualized by any name and form (e.g. Jesus, Krishna, Shirdi Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba etc.) can result in miracles (supernatural events) now and in future.
So my belief in miracles having happened in the past and possibly happening in future, are in line with Sathya Sai teachings on this matter and ***differ completely*** from Osho Rajneesh's teachings on miracles.
I repeat that I respect the rights of those who believe in and follow Osho Rajneesh's teachings (so long as the laws of the land are not broken) to hold the view (or belief) that miracles (supernatural acts/events) have never happened and will never happen in future. I do not agree with their view but them holding that view is completely fine with me.
[I thank osho.com, oshorajneesh.com and sssbpt.info, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
I was quite sure that Osho Rajneesh would not have believed in the miracles reported in holy scripture of religions like Hinduism and Christianity. But I did some Internet browsing to check.
A short extract from chapter 14: Don't Walk on Water - Jump into Consciousness, http://www.osho.com/iosho/library/read-book/online-library-existence-holy-ghost-miracle-f7c7c0a6-0a6?p=4d4ddcaf9a5d404a89b4c8b1100982fc,
[Osho Rajneesh on "whether miracles happen or not" : ] "I say categorically they have never happened, because in the very nature of things a miracle is an absurdity. It simply means suddenly nature forgets its laws, existence changes its course. No, existence is fair, it is equal to all, exactly the same to all."
From the document titled, "From Misery to Enlightenment", https://www.oshorajneesh.com/download/osho-books/responses_to_questions/From_Misery_to_Enlightenment.pdf which has discourses given by Osho Rajneesh in early 1985, page 225 :
[Osho Rajneesh:] Existence has no prejudices – that for Jesus it has a soft corner in the heart, and not for you; that it allows Mohammed to go beyond natural laws, but it does not allow you. A miracle simply is a condemnation of the fairness of existence.
No, there is no such thing as a miracle – never has been, never will be. If miracles happen then science cannot happen; and we know that science has happened. And as science has grown, miracles have diminished in exact proportion. The more science grows, the less and less are there miracles. If you go farther back you can find thousands of miracles happening.
Most of those miracles are just stories invented to create messiahs, prophets, reincarnations of God – because how can you manage to put a certain man above all humanity? How can you manage to make him superhuman? His body follows nature, his life follows nature. From birth to death there is not a single exception.
---
From Page 226:
[Osho Rajneesh:] Then how to prove that Jesus, Mohammed, Mahavira, Buddha, Krishna – that these people are not just ordinary like you? The way that has been discovered is called the miracle. That makes them qualitatively different from you, because whatsoever you do, you cannot get trained in walking on water. Whatever you do you will be drowned again and again. So it is not a question of training, discipline, knowing certain strategies – no, nothing will help. How can you turn stones into bread? How can you turn water into wine?
These stories are invented for a certain purpose – to make that man qualitatively higher than you. But this is exploiting humanity, corrupting human consciousness, giving people false ideas.
Just look at these miracle-men of the world and you can see that of all those miracles, ninety percent were invented by the followers or by the originators themselves. It is difficult at such a long distance to know who started them. Most of them must have been started by the originators themselves, and of course followers go on adding to them.
--- end extracts from Osho Rajneesh discourses ---
Ravi: The above quotes of Osho Rajneesh clearly and unambiguously tell us that he not only does not believe in the miracles attributed to Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Purana and Jesus Christ in the New Testament part of the Bible, he preaches that miracles can never happen. Faith in a God who has supernatural power and intervenes in the lives of devotees who pray to God, by helping miraculously (breaking the laws of nature as science knows it today), at times, is central to the Hindu and Christian religions (and would be the same for most other religions too, I guess). This is a belief in an 'interventionist God' as against an only witness God who witnesses but does not intervene via supernatural events (miracles).
Let us now see what Sathya Sai preached/taught about miracles (paranormal/supernatural events/acts).
From http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume02/sss02-25.pdf
[Sathya Sai:] Incarnation is for the sake of fostering righteousness (dharma), for demarcating and directing it, and to show mankind the true path of desireless activity. That is the one task I am engaged in, through various channels. Instead of reforming you without your knowledge, it is better to reform you with your own cooperation and knowledge. So, I reveal to you my Glory, off and on, to a little extent, through what you call miracles. I do not engage in them for name and fame; I am miraculous by My very Nature! Every moment of Mine is a Miracle! The miracles are beyond your understanding, your art and skill and intelligence. I must save every one of you. Even if you say nay and move away, I shall do it. Those who have strayed away from Me have to return to the fold sooner or later, for I will not allow them to be distant for long. I shall drag them toward Me. That is My basic nature, love, and mercy.
----
From http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume27/sss27-23.pdf
[Sathya Sai:] When Krishna was three years old he saw an old lady carrying a basket of fruits from the jungle. Krishna told her he would like to have some fruits. The old woman said he could get them only if he paid the price Krishna innocently asked the meaning of the word price. The woman said that something should be given in return for the fruit. Krishna went in and brought a palmful of rice. The woman placed the rice in her basket and gave Krishna some fruits. She was charmed by the beauty of the child. As she was returning to her cottage, she felt that the basket was getting heavier. When she placed it down in her hut, she was amazed to find that all the rice grains had turned into precious gems! She thought the child must be divine. Otherwise how could the rice turn into gems? Considering herself supremely lucky, she invited her neighbours to see the miracle.
Krishna was pleading with Yasodha that he should be allowed to go to the forest with other cowherd boys. Thinking that if he was put to sleep he would forget his desire to go to the forest, Yasodha gave him milk. Krishna was no ordinary child. While drinking the milk, he pretended as if he was sleepy. He made a pretence of yawning to indicate his drowsiness. In that wide open mouth of Krishna, Yasodha saw all kinds of things---all the worlds in motion and many deities. She could not make out what it meant. "Is it a dream or Vishnu's Maaya (illustrious [Ravi: illusory?] power)? Or is it some fantasy of mine? Or is it real? Am I Yasodha? Have I gone somewhere?" These thoughts racked her mind. "My son is an infant. How can all the worlds appear in his tiny mouth? It must be my imagination." Such doubts arise in the minds of those who are caught up in the delusions of the body complex.
Yielding to his entreaties Yasodha allowed Krishna to go to the forest with the cowherd boys. Almost every day Krishna encountered some ogre or ogress and slayed them. His playmates used to describe to their elders these exploits of Krishna, how he fought with the demons and finished them off.
Yasodha, however, used to say: "God is taking care of my child. Otherwise how could he overcome these encounters?" The cowherd boys observed: "When he himself is God, why does he need anybody's protection, oh mother!" Yasodha felt that the boys were naive in their judgment. "Will God come to one's rescue so easily? It is only because of my prayers, my child
is protected." With this belief, Yasodha used to perform various rites, when. Krishna returned from the forest, to express her gratitude to Providence for saving him from the evil eye and other dangers.
--- end extracts ---
Ravi: From the above statements of Sathya Sai it is unambiguously clear that Sathya Sai taught that Krishna did perform miracles (supernatural acts) and that He Himself (Sathya Sai) peformed it, "off and on, to a little extent". Sathya Sai also said above, "I am miraculous by My very Nature!"
So it is clear that the teaching of Osho Rajneesh that miracles never happened and can never happen, is diametrically opposite to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teaching.
I personally have experienced Bhagavan Sathya Sai's supernatural power of knowing what I was thinking and knowing what I had done outside His physical presence. I now have full faith that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had supernatural power and performed miracles (supernatural acts). Further, as a believer in Bhagavan Sathya Sai's teachings about life of Krishna as mentioned above, I believe that Krishna too had supernatural power and performed miracles. I further believe that intense prayer to God visualized by any name and form (e.g. Jesus, Krishna, Shirdi Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba etc.) can result in miracles (supernatural events) now and in future.
So my belief in miracles having happened in the past and possibly happening in future, are in line with Sathya Sai teachings on this matter and ***differ completely*** from Osho Rajneesh's teachings on miracles.
I repeat that I respect the rights of those who believe in and follow Osho Rajneesh's teachings (so long as the laws of the land are not broken) to hold the view (or belief) that miracles (supernatural acts/events) have never happened and will never happen in future. I do not agree with their view but them holding that view is completely fine with me.
[I thank osho.com, oshorajneesh.com and sssbpt.info, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Comments
Post a Comment