Jinsutra Lecture 57 Prem Ki Koi Gunsthan Nahi - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of Osho's discourse "Jinsutra Lecture 57 Prem ki Koi Gunsthan Nahi" (Love has No Stages of Spiritual Progress) in English, based on the provided Jain text:

This discourse delves into the nuances of Jain spiritual stages (Gunsthans), particularly contrasting the 12th and 13th stages, and explores the nature of love versus the structured path of knowledge.

1. The 12th and 13th Spiritual Stages (Gunsthans):

The Question: The central question is the difference between the 12th and 13th Gunsthans and whether one can fall from the 13th.
The Distinction:
- 12th Gunsthan (Kshina Moha / Sayogi Kevalin): This stage is described as a state of "preparation." All afflictions (moha, maya) are eradicated, and all obstacles are removed. It's a negative state – what was there is gone, the "garbage" is cleared. The individual is ready, like a decorated house awaiting a guest. However, the full manifestation of the ultimate state is yet to descend.
- 13th Gunsthan (Sayogi Kevalin): This stage is the "fulfillment." It's the positive state where omniscience (Kevalgyan) and divinity (Jinvatva) are attained. It's not just the absence of illness but the presence of health, a positive, vital force. If the 12th is like a house prepared, the 13th is when the guest has arrived, and the "nectar" starts to pour.
Emphasis, Not Time: The difference isn't necessarily a temporal gap but an "emphasis." It can happen simultaneously. The illness leaving (12th) is necessary for health to manifest (13th), but the absence of illness isn't the definition of health itself. Health is a positive, creative state.
Buddhism vs. Jainism: Osho notes that Buddhists define Nirvana as the cessation of suffering (dukha-nirodha), which aligns with the 12th Gunsthan. For them, it's the end state. Jainism, however, sees it as only the beginning of the "real" state. Jainism emphasizes what is attained, not just what is eliminated.
The Analogy of Wealth: The text uses analogies of wealth and theft to illustrate the point. Giving up a million rupees is seen as a greater act of renunciation than giving up a single rupee, not because one is inherently more virtuous, but because the potential for attachment and the scale of the loss are different. Similarly, the 12th stage is about shedding what was "worth shedding," while the 13th is about receiving what is "worth receiving."
Falling from the 13th: Osho clarifies that one cannot fall from the 13th Gunsthan. However, a soul at the 13th stage can choose to remain there. This is the concept of "Bodhisattva" in Buddhism, where highly evolved beings delay their own final liberation out of compassion to help others. This remaining is often termed "Tirthankar karma-bandha" in Jainism.
Avatara (Incarnation): The Jain perspective on "avatara" is different from the Hindu one. Jains believe in upward evolution (urdhvagaman), not descent. An avatara, in the Hindu sense of coming down from a higher state, is seen as a "fall" (adho-gaman). Jains see their highly evolved souls as moving upwards, and if they "remain" at the 13th stage, it's out of compassion, not a forced descent.

2. Love vs. Knowledge (Gunsthans):

Gunsthans are for Knowledge: Osho asserts that the Gunsthans are for the seeker of knowledge. The path of love is different.
Love is a Leap, Knowledge is Gradual: Knowledge progresses step-by-step, inch by inch. Love, however, is a leap, a spontaneous jump. It's characterized by synthesis, not analysis.
The Seeker of Knowledge vs. the Lover: The knowledgeable person analyzes, identifies distinctions, and meticulously dissects reality (like the Jain concept of "bhed-vigyan"). The lover, on the other hand, dissolves distinctions and embraces oneness. The lover is described as a "madman," a "lunatic" who breaks down all categories and analyses.
The Nature of Love: Love is not calculative; it's spontaneous and unconcerned with stages or steps. It's a surrender, a drowning. The text uses the example of the Bhagavad Gita, where the lover (Bhakta) does not strive for God as a goal but experiences God spontaneously arriving.
The Gopi vs. the Jnani: The Gopis (devotees of Krishna) are presented as the embodiment of love, experiencing the divine spontaneously. The learned individual, on the other hand, engages in meticulous practices and calculations, often missing the immediate presence of the divine.
The Feminine Aspect: The discourse touches upon the "feminine aspect" of consciousness. Osho suggests that the "heart" is feminine, while the "intellect" is masculine. Jain scriptures, being highly intellectual and analytical, are thus associated with the masculine. This leads to the observation that Jain texts might struggle with the direct expression of love and the feminine aspect.
Malli Bai (Malli Nath): The example of Malli Bai, a female Tirthankar in Jainism who was renamed Mallinath, is discussed. Osho suggests this renaming reflects the masculine bias of the scriptures, which find it difficult to accommodate the feminine. He posits that if Malli Bai can be called Mallinath, then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu could be called Chaitanyabai.
The Danger of "Notes": Osho cautions against merely collecting his words as "notes." True understanding comes from experiencing the "inner self" to awaken. The purpose of a guru is to point towards the inner truth and then step aside. The real guru is within.
The Paradox of Love: In love, one desires the beloved but is also willing to lose oneself. The ultimate experience of love is a state of merging where the individual identity dissolves. This is contrasted with the intellect's tendency to preserve itself.
Haste vs. Urgency: Osho differentiates between "haste" (utavlapana), which is an anxious, ego-driven desire, and "urgency" or "intense longing" (abhiipsa), which is a pure, receptive state. The lover waits with anticipation, not anxiety.
The Sage and the Lover: The sage seeks, while the lover is sought. The lover's path is one of joyous celebration and surrender. The universe is a continuous dance, and the lover participates. The sage might take a long time to "find" the destination through intellectual effort, while the lover, through surrender, can experience it instantaneously.

In essence, the lecture argues that the structured, analytical path of the Gunsthans is primarily for the intellectual seeker of knowledge. Love, being a spontaneous, unitive experience, transcends these stages. The true essence lies in the inner awakening, the melting of the ego, and the joyous participation in the cosmic dance of existence. The discourse encourages embracing the fullness of love and surrendering to the present moment, rather than getting caught in intellectual analysis or anxious anticipation.