Mahavir Vani Lecture 06 Sanyam Madhya Me Rukna

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of Osho's discourse "Mahavir Vani Lecture 06: Sanyam Madhya me Rukna" (Self-Control: Stopping in the Middle), based on the provided Jain text:

This lecture, part of Osho's "Mahavir Vani" series, delves into the concept of Sanyam (self-control or restraint) as understood through the lens of Mahavir's teachings, contrasting it with conventional understanding.

The Nature of Mahavir's Vision and Action:

• Deeper Perception: Osho begins by explaining that Mahavir's perception of events, like violence or suffering, is vastly different from an ordinary person's. While we see a victim and a perpetrator, Mahavir sees the intricate web of karma and consequence that binds both. He understands that life's essence is imperishable, and what appears as death is merely a transition or a consequence of past actions.
• Beyond Good and Evil: Mahavir doesn't see events in black and white terms of "good" or "evil." Instead, he perceives a spectrum of "lesser evil" and "greater evil." The choice is not between good and bad, but between bad and worse. For instance, if killing Hitler prevented the deaths of millions, the act, though seemingly violent, might be seen as choosing a lesser evil to avert a greater one.
• Inherent Violence in Life: Osho highlights that Mahavir understood that life itself, in its very sustenance, involves violence. Walking, breathing, eating – all these activities inadvertently cause the death of smaller life forms. Mahavir doesn't get entangled in this complex reality of existence, recognizing that life is inherently interconnected with the cessation of other life.
• Not Acting Out of Reaction: A crucial distinction is made between human action and Mahavir's "happening." Ordinary people react to situations, weighing consequences and personal involvement. Mahavir, having transcended the realm of thought and intention, acts from a state of total vision. His actions are not pre-meditated but arise spontaneously from his complete perception of the situation. He acts without attachment to the outcome, making his actions non-binding. He is a witness, not an agent seeking to achieve a particular result.
• Unpredictability of Enlightened Beings: Osho emphasizes that the actions of enlightened beings like Mahavir, Buddha, or Krishna are inherently unpredictable. Their vision is total, and their response emerges from that totality, not from pre-conceived plans. Attempting to imitate their past actions without being in their state of consciousness is merely imitation, not genuine understanding or practice.

Understanding Sanyam (Self-Control):

• Beyond Restriction and Suppression: The conventional understanding of Sanyam is portrayed as a negative concept involving suppression, control, denial, and restriction. This is seen as an attempt to fight against one's own nature.
• Mahavir's Positive and Dynamic View: Mahavir's Sanyam, however, is fundamentally positive and life-affirming. It is not about fighting oneself but about becoming established in one's own true nature, one's "Self." It's about being so full of inner strength and being that the passions and desires ("vrittis") have no power over the individual.
• The Essence of Sanyam: Equilibrium and Stillness: Osho elaborates that Sanyam is about finding the middle path, the "un-extreme" state. It's about Samya (equilibrium), not swinging from one extreme to another. This stillness is akin to being unperturbed, unshaken, and rooted in one's being.
• The Mind as the Source of Un-Sanyam: The mind, by its very nature, is prone to extremes. It constantly oscillates between desires and aversions, pleasures and pains. This constant wavering and tension is the essence of Asanyam (lack of self-control). When the mind ceases to be the driving force, when there is "no-mind," Sanyam becomes possible.
• Sanyam as Mastery, Not Struggle: Mahavir's Sanyam is not like a charioteer holding the reins of horses; it's like a powerful person established in their own strength. In this state, desires and passions lose their potency and become powerless. It's not about suppressing lust, but about having such immense energy of celibacy that lust cannot even arise. Similarly, it's not about fighting anger, but about having such power of forgiveness that anger has no space.
• The "Aha! Experience": Osho introduces the concept of the "Aha! Experience" (similar to Krishna's Sthitapragya), where both extremes, like lust and celibacy, or greed and renunciation, neutralize each other. This state of equilibrium, where the mind is no longer pulled by either extreme, is true Sanyam. It's a state of inner stillness and profound peace, where the awareness of "I am" diminishes.
• The Illusion of Goodness: Osho also touches upon the idea that truly good people, those in a state of Sanyam, often lead lives devoid of dramatic events. Their lives are not "stories" in the conventional sense, which are often driven by conflict and negativity. The absence of "events" in the lives of Mahavir, Buddha, or Jesus, for instance, is not a lack of their being, but a testament to their inner stillness and transcendence of the mundane dramas.
• The Paradox of Events and Existence: We seek events to confirm our existence. We engage in extremes – excessive eating or fasting, aggression or passivity – to feel alive. The truly "good" or Sanyami person, by contrast, becomes so still that the sense of "I am" fades, and their life becomes a silent flow.

Key Takeaways:

• True Sanyam is not suppression but mastery and equilibrium.
• It's about being established in one's Self, not fighting one's desires.
• The mind is the source of imbalance; stillness and "no-mind" are pathways to Sanyam.
• Mahavir's actions are spontaneous happenings from a state of total vision, not reactive choices.
• The path of Mahavir is about transcending duality and extremes, finding the middle ground.
• Genuine Sanyam leads to inner stillness and an absence of "events" that confirm the ego's existence.

The lecture encourages listeners to move beyond their limited, restrictive understanding of self-control and to explore the deeper, dynamic, and positive dimension of Sanyam as taught by Mahavir.