In Focus

CELEBRATION

For Osho, life is all. What else is there, he asks? If one loses life and gains the whole world instead, what has one gained really? And if you gain your life and lose the whole world, nothing is lost.

People think someday, in the future we are going to be happy, joyful, celebrating. Osho’s vision is that, if you want to be happy, joyful, celebrating, then nothing is lacking. Right now, this very moment, dance; laugh, this very moment. This moment is all there is; celebrate it. Osho says: " People come to me and if I say to them, ‘Celebrate your life,’ they say, ‘Yes, that's why we have come here: to learn how to create situations in which we can celebrate.’

Osho declares: Celebrate this moment. Life is not just for pleasure. Life is meant to find meaning. Doing something meaningful, doing something significant and creative, and that brings pleasure as a reward. Life should not be lived for a purpose; life should be lived as a celebration. Life should not be a business; it should not be just mundane. When one lives for no other reason except for the sheer joy of living it becomes a fulfilling experience -- then it becomes a gift from the Divine. It gains a religious quality, explains Osho.

Osho reminds us, life is meant to be a celebration, not a contest, a competition. We need not be enemies here. If we function as enemies, then life becomes a hell. We make it a hell because we make it a conflict; we reduce it to violent struggle. Furthermore, the conflict is multi-dimensional: one nation against other nation, one religion against other religion, one caste against other caste, man against woman, rich against poor, one ideology against another ideology. It has become very complicated, hence it has lost the rhythm; it has lost the quality of song and dance. Osho says: man is missing something terribly; something has gone really wrong; man has moved astray. Hence he declares:

“If I can create as many people as possible who can dance madly, laugh madly, sing madly, who can make every moment of their life just a celebration, I have introduced you to the authentic religion for which man has been searching for centuries but has not been able to find. I have found it and I want you also to be partners in this immense finding…”

But still, Osho asks, where is religion? “If there were religion there would be celebration. Then flowers would be blooming on peoples faces, or there would be moons and stars in their eyes, or veenas would be playing in their hearts, or dance would arise in their life. Where is dance? Where are sparkling eyes? Where are dancing people? Where are joy filled souls? And it is said that god is enjoyment, raso vaisah. God is enjoyment, but your mahatmas are not enjoying. Those who have broken you off from god are your saints.

“Those who have erected a wall between you and existence, erected a China wall, are your so called pundits and priests. And as long as a person is not free of pundits and priests he cannot be free of intellect. And unfortunate is the man who lives only in his intellect and dies only in his intellect. He will never know the secret of life. He will never have any awareness of the mysteries of life.” (Death is Divine, Ch.5)

Osho’s observation is that, religion in the past has been very sad, serious, and that's why humanity could not become religious. If religion is going to remain serious and sad, says Osho, then only pathological people will become interested in it, ill people, sick people. If religion is serious and sad then only masochists and sadists become interested in it, because a sad religion is life-negative. It doesn't affirm life, it does not celebrate life.

In Osho’s words, “Now again, a new step has to be taken and humanity will have to prepare before it can take the jump. This time it is going to be celebration that will enter into religion. Love is good but unless it is a dancing love and a celebrating love, it is mild, it has no passion in it. Now religion has to become celebration: celebration of life, reverence for life.

First god was masculine, then god became feminine. Now god will no more be separate; god will not be a creator as opposed to creation. The next step in human evolution is that god will be creativity, not separate, not a person at all, neither male nor female. God will be simply godliness -- no more god... a fragrance, not something concrete, very elusive and mysterious.

Celebration is going to be the virtue. The non-celebrating person will be the sinner. So help people to become more celebrating.” (Darshan Diaries, The Sun Behind the Sun Behind the Sun, Ch.15)

So, Osho presses with this question: what has happened to man? What has gone wrong with man? The so-called religious people are responsible, he says, they have taught humanity only one way, which is a wrong way: the way of repression -- repress oneself, controlling oneself.

“No religion teaches celebration; they teach celibacy! I am absolutely against celibacy and all for celebration. I am making every effort to bring a new approach towards life which the past humanity has missed -- a new freedom, a new sky to open your wings. All religions have been cutting your wings, putting you into cages and making you believe that this is all that life is. There was a reason for them to do this. Unless you take away people's individuality and destroy their wings and their freedom and cut their roots of nourishment, you cannot enslave them. It is impossible to create armies and wars; it is impossible to make millions of people suffer in poverty…” ( I Celebrate Myself: God Is No Where, Life is Now Here, Ch.7, Q.1)

Here is a story that illustrates Osho’s insight on celebration:

Many years ago, a beloved Pope died and went to heaven. Saint Peter greeted him in a firm embrace. "Welcome your holiness, your dedication and unselfishness in serving your fellow man during your life has earned you great stature in heaven. You may pass through the gates without delay and are granted free access to all parts of heaven."

St. Peter continued: "You are also granted an open-door policy and may, at your own discretion, meet with any heavenly leader including the Father, without prior appointment. Is there anything which your holiness desires?"

"Well, yes," the Pope replied. "I have often pondered some of the mysteries which have puzzled and confounded theologians through the ages. Are there perhaps any transcripts which recorded the actual conversations between God and the prophets of old? I would love to see what was actually said, without the dimming of memories over time."

St. Peter immediately ushered the Pope to the heavenly library and explained how to retrieve the various documents. The Pope was thrilled and settled down to review the history of humanity's relationship with God.

Two years later, a scream of anguish pierced the quiet of the library. Immediately several of the saints and angels came running.

They found the Pope pointing to a single word on a parchment, repeating over and over: "There's an 'R'. There's an 'R.' There's an 'R'... It's CELIBRATE, not celibate!" Celebration…indeed!