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Part X : 1987-1990 Poona-Two : Controversy
with: Hindus
Osho comments on topical issues which illustrate the hypocrisy
of orthodox religions, who accuse him of being a danger to their
morality.
The Shankaracharya of Puri—I'm an old, intimate enemy of
his—asked the Indian government that the ancient sati pratha
should be legalized! For centuries Hinduism has been forcing women,
when their husbands die, to jump into the funeral pyres, alive,
to be burned and die.
This is called sati.
Calling a woman sati because she has jumped into the funeral
pyre of her husband is saying that she has attained the truth.
If this is true, then why has not a single man in the whole of
history jumped into the funeral pyre of his wife? Such an easy
way to become one with truth! At least the Shankaracharya of Puri
should commit sati. That would make his name history, the only
man in the whole of history…And he is such an idiot, he
can do it! It is good that he should; otherwise, he has no right
to ask the government.
Hindus have been torturing women for centuries. If somebody,
out of love, jumps into the funeral pyre—whether it is man
or woman does not matter, if it comes out of love—then I
have tremendous respect for it. But it was not coming out of love,
it was being forced….
And this fellow, the Shankaracharya of Puri, was speaking on
the occasion where a six-year-old girl—in fact it is illegal
for her even to be married—was burned on the funeral pyre
of her husband. Nor was she of an age to be married. Their marriage
was invalid, illegal, unconstitutional and this murder is supported
by the Shankaracharya of Puri.
On this occasion he was asking the government to make sati pratha
legal. I am asking the Indian government to make it a law that
every shankaracharya should commit sati first. There are eight
shankaracharyas in India. Only after that should any woman commit
suicide and it should always be out of love, not because of a
ritual. quant11
I have received a letter from the Shankaracharya of Puri saying
that he wants a debate with me. I am perfectly willing, but on
what grounds is he going to debate with me? He has said that if
a woman is burned alive, becomes a sati, then in Hyderabad rains
will come. Now on what grounds can we discuss it? The only way
is that the Shankaracharya should become a sati in Hyderabad!
And if rains come, I will accept that he was right. If rains don't
come, everybody will know that he was wrong.
He thinks in terms of scriptures, not in terms of real life.
He thinks that he can discuss with me because in the Hindu scriptures
the idea is that a woman whose husband has died has to jump into
his funeral pyre. To him, it proves that sati pratha is right.
To me, it proves that the scripture has to be thrown into the
fire! On what grounds can we discuss? cuckoo08
Untouchables, who are not allowed to enter Hindu temples, have
been demonstrating at the Nath Dwara temple for the right to enter
Also the shankaracharya goes on insisting that the untouchables
need not go to temples because they are God's only beloved people.
If the beloved ones cannot enter into a temple, either God is
wrong, or his love is a fallacy, a strategy. At least the Shankaracharya
who is saying it, who is himself the head of one of the biggest
and most ancient temples, with hundreds of priests there, should
lead the harijans, the untouchables, into his temple first….
The government has arrested those two hundred harijans who were
trying to enter the Nath Dwara temple. The government's act is
absolutely unconstitutional. The constitution gives equality to
everybody as a birthright. If the government wanted to be legal
and constitutional, then the people who were preventing the entry
of harijans, like the Shankaracharya and the priests of Nath Dwara,
they should be arrested. But what an irony! Those poor two hundred
harijans have been arrested to protect the vested interests of
the higher, richer Hindu society.
I am simply amazed that harijans go on remaining part of the
Hindu society. For ten thousand years at least they have been
exploited; they are the most exploited and oppressed part of humanity.
They should get out of Hinduism, there is no need of any `ism'.
They don't have to be Hindus. It is so undignified that the Hindu
scriptures deny them the right even to read the scriptures; the
Hindu scriptures forbid them to worship in the temples; they are
even forbidden to touch Hindus. Not even their shadow should touch
any Hindu; otherwise the Hindu has to take a bath to cleanse himself.
And still those poor people go on remaining part of Hindu society.
It seems to be a certain conspiracy between the Hindu priests
and the government, that the priests are out protecting their
temples and the harijans, who were trying…what harm could
they have done? Just worshipping in the temple…and if a
Hindu temple is not allowing a certain section of society, then
certainly that section should separate itself from such humiliation.
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