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Part X : 1987-1990 Poona-Two : Controversy
with: Communism
A Russian TV crew are visiting, who are very positive; their
film later receives wide popularity in the Soviet Union. On 30th
January, Osho begins a new discourse series, Communism and Zen
Fire, Zen Wind
You have seen the Soviet crew which was here from Soviet television.
There have been all kinds of television crews, all kinds of journalists
from all over the world, but it is only the Soviet crew who went
with tears in their eyes. They loved you; they loved your commune
so much, so deeply. They have gone with the promise that when
they have their holidays for ten days in June, they are not going
anywhere else. They are going to come here for ten days to live
in the commune as sannyasins, meditating, doing groups.
You can see the difference. When the American journalist comes,
he starts looking immediately to find something sensational. If
he cannot find it, he creates and invents it, because America
is interested only in sensationalism. These people behaved in
a totally different way. This was for the first time that a Russian
crew has come. When you were doing your meditations, dancing,
they forgot all about photographing. They dropped their cameras
and started dancing! They loved the sannyasins.
Their questions were absolutely non-sensational. Significant,
meaningful, but not sensational—utterly concerned with human
welfare. And Anando told me that they had tears in their eyes
when they left the gate; they did not want to go. They wanted
to stay for the whole series, but their office from Delhi called
them, saying, "You come back, there are other assignments."
They will be back in June for ten days, to have more experience
of what you have. They want to taste it. They want to be insiders,
not outsiders.
And this is the state of the whole Soviet Union: the people have
become like children. No church, no programming, no God, no prayer—they
have become so innocent that meditation will go deep down in them,
faster than in any other country. fire04
My concern is absolutely impartial. I have been interested in
communism from my very childhood. The Soviet crew has been to
my library, and they were amazed to see the communist literature
there—perhaps there is no book that is missing from my library.
And they were amazed to see that I have signed and dated each
book before 1950. I was absolutely concerned to know about communism,
everything. For three years, 1948, 1949, and 1950, I had collected
all the literature possible. And I stopped at 1950. I have not
read anything after 1950 about communism, for or against.
It is very strange…I go on forgetting small things. I cannot
count up to five—after the third finger I start hesitating,
whether it is fourth or third. But in these forty years I have
not forgotten a single name of the communist revolutionaries.
Small details are so vivid before me, because that was my first
entry into the intellectual world. It got deeply rooted in me.
But I never became a member of a communist party, because I could
see something was missing.
It is a grand plan for humanity, but something central is missing:
it has no soul, it is a corpse.
Because nothing new was happening, I stopped reading. And nothing
new has happened since then, except Gorbachev. So I am talking
about Gorbachev.
First I was deeply interested in communism, but finding that it
is a corpse I became interested in anarchism—that was also
a Russian phenomenon—Prince Kropotkin, Bakunin, Leo Tolstoy.
All three were anarchists: no state, no government in the world.
But I saw the point that they have a beautiful dream but with
this criminal humanity, with this stupid mass, if there is no
government and no court and no police there will be simply chaos,
not anarchism.
I have been always very scientific in my approach, either outside
or inside. Communism can be the base. Then spiritualism has to
be its growth, to provide what is missing. Once a society is given
equal opportunity—to be unequal, to be unique—and
once that society becomes interested in meditation and spiritual
growth, then there is a possibility of anarchism. That will be
the very final stage, when there is nobody who is interested in
committing crime. Only then can the state be removed, not before
it. Bakunin, Kropotkin, and Leo Tolstoy are perfectly right, but
not relevant now. First communism has to be aided by spirituality.
fire04
What would you do if you went to the Soviet Union?
A revolution!
It has been too long since the Soviet Union has seen revolution.
Of course, my revolution will be of spirituality. I want the Soviet
Union to add something more to its dignity: meditation. Just economic
equality is not enough—a spiritual equality is needed.
Just being a body is so poor. I want the Soviet Union to become
richer—not only richer in objects but richer in consciousness,
in enlightenment. I want the Soviet Union also to have awakened
people like Gautam Buddha, or Lao Tzu, or Chuang Tzu.
I would like to introduce Zen to the Soviet Union. That is my
revolution. fire01
I am a spiritual communist, and Comrade Gorbachev is a socialist.
Socialism is a compromise, a compromise with capitalism. Communism
is a totally revolutionary step. The closer I have been looking
at Gorbachev and his statements, the sadder I am feeling. He is
not a revolutionary; he is a reactionary, he is going backwards.
Just today Anando has given me a small summary of his books. Just
a few sentences I heard, and I told her, "Close it"—because
he is talking about bringing private property back into the Soviet
Union, and with private property capitalism comes in. He is saying
that the communist motto was, "Each according to his need"—and
what is his motto? "Each according to his work."
But that's exactly the motto of capitalism: each according to
his work….
I am in absolute favor of communism because I think it is the
foundation for spiritual growth. But I am against socialism. It
is a compromise with capitalism, and when you compromise with
capitalism, capitalism will drown you….
Gorbachev is calling what he is doing a revolution. I say, absolutely
no! If you want to be really a revolutionary, the only way is
bring spiritualism to your country, not capitalism. That is going
backwards in time, and destroying the whole effort of seventy
years, and destroying the whole sacrifice of millions of people
who died.
I am a spiritual communist—a spiritual terrorist! And I
don't care either for George Bush or Comrade Gorbachev. His books
have come into my hand just today—they are ugly. He is sabotaging
his own people! And he has taken all the power into his hands,
so there is no possibility…. fire04
Friends, First, a little bit of news.
The first failure of Comrade Gorbachev: The central committee
of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union has declared that Gorbachev's
first act of reform, to eradicate alcoholism, has failed. The
party declared that Gorbachev's radical changes have not yet been
achieved; on the contrary, the sale of illicit liquor has grown,
state liquor revenues have fallen, and the masses have been constantly
complaining about long queues to buy vodka.
Second: Over the past year Comrade Gorbachev has allowed the
following symbols of capitalism to do business in Russia: Coca-Cola,
MacDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Fast Food Pizza.
This is all junk that America wants to pour on the very innocent
people of the Soviet Union.
Third: Just today he has allowed the world's largest advertising
agency, Saachi and Saachi, to begin advertising campaigns in Russia
for western goods. Saachi's, who are advertising agents for Margaret
Thatcher, said they would also like a contract "to polish
Gorbachev's image, although he does not really need it at the
moment."
On the one hand, he is saying that Russia's economy is failing,
and on the other hand, he is giving contracts to advertising companies
to advertise western goods in Russia. Do you see the contradiction?
fire07
Osho explains why he supports Stalin for consolidating the Soviet
Union under communism, although he used violence as a means to
this end. Many people are shocked, including Italian radical,
Majid. Osho inspires him to start a real revolutionary party.
I cannot help feeling shocked at the idea that since people have
to die anyway, there is no harm in them dying by the thousands
to preserve communism. What is it that horrifies me about this?
It is not only you, there may be a few more who have been shocked.
Majid is sitting there—he must be shocked, and other Italians,
because they have a political prejudice in their mind. They think
they are radicals, and they don't understand even the ABC of radicalism….
It was worth it. And when I said anyway you have to die, I could
immediately feel that you became very shocked. But still I repeat:
Anyway you have to die. Don't die against revolution. If you have
to die, die for revolution. Don't die for the status quo; if you
have to die, die for rebellion….
My effort here is to bring you to a space of no-mind. And from
no-mind, function—then you function directly, looking at
the situation. Whatever is right immediately arises in you, and
you do it. Neither is it a question of morality nor is it a question
of religion; it is a question of immediate response to a situation.
And immediate response comes only through meditation.
I shock your mind on purpose, and I go on finding ways. I will
not leave anyone!…
But when I talk about Stalin, don't get worried. I have nothing
to be concerned with Stalin. He is not my disciple, you are! And
you are on your own—in spite of me. I am trying every possible
way to throw you out, but you still go on coming.
You know perfectly well that my words should not be taken at face.
fire05
Majid belongs to a radical party in Italy. The head of that radical
party wanted to come to me and discuss with me how things should
to be done. Of course Majid was the mediator; he had persuaded
the man to come to me. But I saw an interview he had given to
a journalist, in which the journalist asks, "We hear that
you are going to Poona. Are you interested in the philosophy,
in the ideology of Osho?"
And he said, "I have nothing to do with his philosophy
or with his meditations or with his ideology. My sole concern
is that if he can give me ten thousand sannyasins in Italy to
become members of the Radical Party, I will go and kiss his feet."
When I saw that interview, I could see that the man is bogus.
And I informed Majid that "I don't want to see that man.
His whole interest is that I should tell sannyasins in Italy to
join the party."
It is not a radical party, Majid; it is not revolutionary. And
you can see it, even though you are not so clear about things….
I refused. I said, "Don't bring him here because he is not
a revolutionary. He simply wants to have a great ego, become more
powerful." Perhaps he hopes to become the prime minister
of Italy.
I don't prevent my sannyasins. They are free to join anything,
but I would always remind them: join something out of your meditativeness,
out of your clarity. I am not in any way preventing anybody. Your
freedom is absolutely sacred to me. I will not interfere—even
if you are going wrong, I will not interfere. I will tell you
that you are going wrong, but you are free to go.
Now I could not tell my people to belong to the Radical Party.
It is not a radical party. Majid, I would like you to create a
real, authentic revolutionary party….*
And I would like you to create a revolutionary party on your
own. Why be a second-hand man in that Radical Party? Be the leader
of a revolutionary party and I will support you! And more and
more Italians are going to come; just all that we need is more
spaghetti! fire06
*Note: in March The International Scientific Revolutionary Party
is instigated by Sw Majid, in Italy
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