Death of a Yogi

Probably one of the greatest spiritual masters that India has produced in the recent times was Acharya Rajneesh, popularly known as Osho. Perhaps the most controversial too. But the amount of knowledge he poured into his discourses was immense. He never wrote any books. He rather gave discourses and lectures to the live audience and providing the devotees with answers on the run. They were all recorded in almost 300+ books. Some of them are really thick. Acharya Rajneesh was born as Chandra Mohan Jain in 1931 and merged into the Infinite in 1990, at the age of 59. 

As per Acharya Rajneesh – Guru Gorakhnath is one of the four people who laid the foundation of “Indian Mysticism”. The other 3 being – Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha & Sage Patanjali. In his discourses on Guru Gorakhnath – “Die O Yogi Die” Acharya Rajneesh, talks about the death of the ego and practical steps everyone can take to live a full, aware and joyful life. The intriguing title of the book had made me to lift it, and it did not disappoint me. 

Some excerpts from the book:

1. Don’t regard the world as a theater, and don’t remain lost in acting here. There is truth also in the world – beyond acting – and you will only come to know that truth, you will only be able to turn towards it, when your mind is no longer concerned about making sure that others are paying you attention, and whether they are not. (121)
2. Truth happens only once in a while. It manifests only in the life of one or two. All others live in lies, because living in lies is a great consolation, a great convenience. (216)
3. As soon as desire is gone, a unique relaxation descends into one’s life. (290)
4. The body is a temple. Learn to respect it, it is a gift from existence. Don’t just waste it, that would be an insult to existence. (346)
5. If you turn inward, the first thing that you will become aware of is the body. (395)

Notice the point 3 – It is very close to what Lord Krishna says in Bhagwat Geeta 12.12:

Meaning – If you cannot take to this practice, engage in knowledge cultivation. Better than knowledge is meditation, better than meditation is renunciation of fruits of all actions performed, through which peace follows, instantly.

The book is quite thick, with almost 480 pages, and its very deep. Guru Gorakhnath’s lessons and their interpretations by Acharya Rajneesh will not disappoint the reader. If you are into reading spiritual texts, I will suggest you go for it.