What does Osho mean by ‘Zorba the Buddha’?

This is the most favoured or liked or followed statement by every sannyasin of Osho.

This statement was given when the number of foreign sannyasins are increasing. This lead to substantial reduction in his Indian sannyasins too. But who cares about quantity! When you have attained Buddhahood. Then quality matters much more than anything. 

The challenge that he was facing was unique because these foreign sannyasins were born and brought up in a totally different atmosphere. Their conditioning towards sincerity in work in hand, punctuality and integrity is of great help for his mission to provide as much knowledge as possible through all mediums. 

Their yearning towards inner research and putting at stake their very comfortable life back at home is another impressive factor that was missing in Indian sannyasins.

These samnyasins could achieve better results just because of their totally cut from their surroundings, they were brought up, which was lacking in Indian sannyasins.

All efforts by Osho on these Indian sannyasins, to get them enlightened, starts fading away very fast, once they go back to their home. The reason being their attitude during learning itself that they too know a lot about this journey coupled with negative image of Osho created by people leading the Hindu society because he denied working for them on their proposed mission ‘to grow awareness about Cow’ with monetary support from Jamnalal Bajaj, the then owner of Bajaj brand empire.

The biggest challenge with foreign sannyasins was that their mind is conditioned for this life as the only one life every human being has at store. 

Osho knew very well that this is not true but instead of wasting time and efforts in letting them understand the Indian concept, he moulded its main feature into one life. This is just a modified version on what Jesus said, “It rains equally on all.”

Zorba the Buddha- was actually the answer to this very typical problem. 

I am reading Hindi and English versions of his books like Ishawasya Upanishad. These are not translations but these are his commentary given to Indian and Foreign sannyasins. 

While speaking to Indian sannyasins on Ishawasya Upanishad, chapter #5, he speaks about the difficulty in achieving enlightenment is that a thick coat of dust formed on mirror like soul, due to our Karma or sins in 100’s of previous lives. So as per Indian scriptures the God has not got fed up on your being born as human being and missing the opportunity for 100 births, means committing sins only for 100 births, still he had great compassion to give another opportunity to discover your Reality. Why not sins of this birth could be burned if all those of the past could be to give another opportunity?

This is beyond comprehension for the foreign sannyasins. So for them he reduced these sins to one life. When your efforts in meditations could clear the dust gathered on mirror like soul in many earlier lives, then the dust gathered in this life too by living life as Zorba will also get cleared. It is still much much lesser in comparison to 100’s of past lives  that is easy to understand by Indian sannyasins. If Indian sannyasin could think that it is possible to get enlightened in this life by clearing such a thick coat of dust then there should be no hesitation in accepting the concept of Zorba the Buddha. 

Lao Tzu said that the water is soft and looks weak but over a period of time it proves to be stronger than stone. We have witnessed falling of the ‘Arch formed in Australia’ near its beach where people used to get photographed. 

Updates as on 31/10/2021

By saying ‘Zorba the Buddha’ Osho hints at the ability of future generations to create harmony between mind and heart.

Awareness meditation is that water like thing which is able to clear thick coat of dust formed due to our sins even while living this life as Zorba and transform us into a Buddha by revealing our mirror like true nature. 

This is what Osho meant by ‘Zorba the Buddha’. It is true. It works wonder. If it can happen with person like me, then it can happen with you too far more easily. 

Osho, at the fag end of his life, suggested combination of awareness meditation and Dynamic meditation for all types of people, because all methods actually are ways to develop awareness in you.
For learning Dynamic meditation Osho International Online (OIO) provides facility to learn these Sitting at your home, through Osho Meditation Day @€20.00 per person. OIO rotates time through three timezones NY,Berlin and Mumbai. You can prebook according to the convenient time for you. This is an opportunity for learning and knowing Osho through these sannyasins who lived in his presence and brought to life his words in best possible quality in all formats. Disciples of Jesus left him alone in last minutes but Osho’s disciples remained with him till he left his body willingly after working, till last day, for all of us to get enlightened.

Hi ….. I write my comments from my personal experiences of my inner journey. This post may include teachings of Mystics around the world that I found worth following even today. For more about me and to connect with me on social media platforms, have a look at my linktree website for connecting with my social media links, or subscribe my YouTube channel and/or listen to the podcasts etc.