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Part X : 1987-1990 Poona-Two : Osho inaugurates
a Museum of Toy Gods
In August 1988, Osho playfully inaugurates a Museum of Ancient
Gods during discourse. Over the next few months, Avirbhava and
Anando bring toys of animals which have been worshipped as gods.
I have told Avirbhava, "Collect all kinds of toys. We will
make a beautiful museum and I appoint you the director general."
She has brought me a beautiful bear which walks, which makes sounds
very similar to Avirbhava, and when he makes the sounds he waves
his tail. It is really a beautiful toy.
But all the gods are not even that much alive. The bear at least
moves, waves its tail and makes sounds—and strangely enough
those sounds are exactly like Avirbhava makes. Tomorrow you will
see; Avirbhava will bring it herself.
(The Master is laughing so much that he has difficulty speaking.
Avirbhava is also laughing loudly.)
Now this is…give it a try…how he walks and makes the
sound…You will just be missing the tail, otherwise you are
perfect.
We are going to make a museum of all kinds of toys which humanity
has been worshipping, so when visitors come you can show them
that "These are your gods!" miracl03
Before I enter into the serious statements of a scholarly Dogen,
I would like Avirbhava first to inaugurate.
It is not a bear, as I said yesterday—because around the
world I have so many cases against me, accusing me of hurting
people's religious feelings. And the bear is worshipped by men.
It is really a pig. I had to ask Anando to research whether somebody's
heart feelings would be hurt if we inaugurate the Museum of the
Ancient Dead Gods with a pig. Avirbhava is going to be the Director
General. She is completely ready—with the ears of a pig,
and a tail too.
(Avirbhava is dressed in pig ears and a curly tail.)
About pigs: "In the ancient world pigs were considered the
embodiment of the `Corn Spirit,' Osiris. He was the great Egyptian
god of the underworld and judge of the dead.
In Greece pigs were sacred to Demeter, the goddess of the fruitful
soil and agriculture. And today they are considered sacred in
New Guinea….
In China, pigs are venerated because they represent good fortune."
So it is absolutely appropriate for Avirbhava to inaugurate the
museum with her own hands. Avirbhava, bring your pig…and
inaugurate!
(Avirbhava places a cuddly soft pink pig on the podium and it
proceeds to waddle across the marble in front of The Master's
feet, making grunting noises as its snout and tail wriggle.)
That is good.
Now we can turn to the serious matter. miracl05
Before I discuss the great matter of Zen, Avirbhava has brought
a few ancient gods to be inaugurated into her Museum of Gods.
Her assistant, Anando, has also brought a few small gods. Before
I tell them to show you what they have brought…
The research on the subject of the rat as an object of worship….
The rat is a very ancient god, but still prevalent, not dead.
The research was done by the appropriate person, Sardar Gurudayal
Singh….
And simultaneously Anando is also contributing something to Avirbhava's
Museum of Gods, the monkey. The monkey has also been a problem
in India. You cannot shoot a monkey—a monkey can shoot you,
there is no constitutional law against that….
Now, Avirbhava, bring your rat, and Anando, your monkeys.
(Avirbhava puts a big, black toy rat at The Master's feet. It
starts dancing and making comical sounds. She also puts a clockwork
monkey on the podium which wanders around The Master's feet. Anando
sits a small rubber monkey on the podium.)
Very meditative monkey!
Well, where are your small monkeys?
(Many little monkeys are put on the podium. Meanwhile Avirbhava's
monkey is running away and Avirbhava has to jump to catch it.
Everybody is laughing.)
Just give a good clap, too.
Now, remove your gods. Just ask all the sannyasins around the
world to find out about all the animals that have been worshipped
by human beings—to show to everyone what kind of past we
have had. And there are still people who are worshipping animals.
Religion has been reduced to such nonsense. And the harm is that
people become involved in these absolutely absurd ideas and forget
completely about themselves. The only religion is the religion
of being conscious. All other religions are simply toys for children.
But we go on living unconsciously, without seeing what people
are doing. They celebrate monkeys, elephants, they worship even
rats. This is such an undignified state of affairs that it has
to be changed completely. miracl08
Before I discuss the very important man of Zen, Bankei, and his
remarkable statements, I have to introduce Avirbhava's new gods
for the museum. Before I do it, I will say something to you about
insects, which are worshipped by many people as gods.
This museum is going to be a hilarious phenomenon. It is going
to be a mirror for you of what humanity has been doing—its
priests, its so-called wise men, all driving humanity into different
directions of stupidity. But when religious garbage is poured
on anything, poor people, the poor masses believe in it. And this
is not only in the ancient world; man has worshipped almost anything,
and is still worshipping almost anything, without considering
at all that it is very undignified, that you are destroying your
own humanity.
My researchers have found that certain creatures of various insect
species have been considered to be expressions of God since the
earliest times….
Okay, Avirbhava, bring your things.
(Three huge butterflies start dancing around the podium, humming
wildly. A large moth flies up to the roof of the auditorium, while
a spider and a caterpillar parade past.
The Master is chuckling in his chair, and everyone is going crazy
with laughter, enjoying the show tremendously.) turnin07
Every few days Avirbhava and Anando bring more toys and costumes,
including talking parrots, fish, a dolphin, tiger, lion, a dragon…
Anando, you are a hot potato. You may not know it but everybody
else knows it—that this Anando is a hot-potato buddha.
Satisfied?
Now everybody will taste you. And just feel whether she is really
a hot potato! Don't take my word, experience it.
There is an even bigger hot potato, Avirbhava. She is taking a
suntan somewhere in Singapore just to become more hot. Within
two or three days you will hear her. She is bringing a whole load
of old gods…forty she has already collected. Anando is her
associate director. You can call the museum the Museum of Gods,
or you can call it the Museum of the Hot Potatoes—they are
synonymous. orig02
My calling some of you hot potatoes or dancing plums, German
stoneheads or laughing sardarjis—they are all devices. And
I know that you are in the right place and you will not misunderstand
me. It is out of love and out of compassion that I call you any
name. For example, I called Avirbhava a big ripe plum. She understood
it. She waved me a kiss. And today she is sitting there, hiding
an egg.
Avirbhava, bring your egg here…bring it.
(Avirbhava puts a big green egg in front of The Master, on the
podium. She breaks it, and two mechanical baby chicks jump out
and hop around while The Master chuckles.)
Yeah, that is the right egg! matzu04
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