Mahavir Vani Lecture 20 Dharm Ka Marg Satya Ka Sidha Sakshat

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text by Osho Rajnish, "Mahavir Vani Lecture 20: Dharm ka Marg Satya ka Sidha Sakshat":

This lecture by Osho Rajnish, titled "The Path of Dharma: Direct Revelation of Truth," is the 20th in his series on Mahavir's teachings. Osho draws heavily on Jain scriptures, particularly the Dhamma-pada, to illustrate his points about the nature of dharma, adharma, and the profound connection between love and death.

The Foolish Charioteer and the Path of Adharma:

The lecture begins by quoting a Dhamma-pada verse likening a foolish charioteer who deliberately abandons a clear highway for a crooked, rough path, only to lament when the axle breaks, to a foolish person who abandons the path of dharma for adharma. This leads to the axle of life breaking at the mouth of death. The verse emphasizes that time, once passed, never returns. Days spent in adharma are fruitless, while days spent in dharma are fruitful. The core message here is the urgency of practicing dharma now, before old age, sickness, and weakened senses make it impossible.

Death as a Profoundly Personal Experience:

Osho then delves into the nature of death, stating it is an intensely private experience. We witness others dying, but we don't witness death itself. Death is an internal event, and one can only experience it by dying oneself. This is why we often perceive death as something that happens to "others." When we see someone die, we only see life draining away from the body, but we are not present at the moment of separation between life and body. Death cannot be experienced vicariously or through proxy.

The Profound Connection Between Love and Death:

Osho makes a striking comparison between the experiences of love and death, arguing they are remarkably similar. Just as breathing or heartbeats can be sustained by others, and blood can be transfused, love cannot be done by another. Love is an intensely personal experience. This explains why those who fear love also fear death, and those who embrace love become fearless in the face of death. Lovers can die without fear because the essence of love involves a complete surrender and annihilation of the self. In a spiritual sense, love is a form of death, requiring the willingness to "die" to oneself for the other. Those who have deeply understood love have also understood death, and vice-versa. They are two sides of the same internal reality.

Experiencing Death Through Love, Prayer, and Meditation:

While literal death is in the future, Osho suggests that love offers a way to experience death in the present. Prayer and meditation are even more profound extensions of this experience. Those who enter deep meditation transcend the fear of death. This isn't because meditation or love conquer death, but because through these practices, one realizes that what dies is not the true self but the periphery, the body, the outer shell. Through this process of "dying" in love or meditation, one discovers an inner immortality. Death will still occur physically, but it will be an external event, not an internal one.

Life as a Tree, Success as Fruition:

Using the analogy of a tree, Osho explains that a tree is considered successful when it bears fruit and flowers, fulfilling its potential. Similarly, humans are seeds that can grow into trees. Those who stray from their true path fail to bear the fruits of life, their existence becoming futile. The ultimate test of life's success is death. Dying with a smile signifies a life that has blossomed, while dying with tears signifies a life wasted. A joyful death indicates that the inner nectar of life has been realized, making death a rest or fulfillment, not an end. A life lost in the desert (a wasted life) is like a river that never reaches the ocean, ending in sorrow, while a river reaching the ocean singing and dancing is a successful life.

Ego: The Root of Foolishness and Adharma:

Osho emphasizes that "foolishness" isn't mere ignorance but a deliberate choice made by those who know better. This deliberate deviation from the right path is driven by ego. The "crooked path" offers a satisfaction to the ego that the straight highway does not. He cites climbing Everest as an example where the achievement is primarily an ego boost – reaching a place no one else has. Similarly, choosing difficult, dangerous paths in life feeds the ego's need to prove its power and uniqueness. This is why people might choose arduous spiritual practices (tapasya) not for the spiritual goal itself, but for the egoistic satisfaction of undertaking something difficult.

Dharma is Straightforward, Adharma is Crooked:

Truth is like Euclid's shortest distance between two points – it is straight. Lies, on the other hand, require a complex, crooked series of elaborations to maintain. Just as a single truth is atomic and complete, a lie is a chain that constantly needs support from more lies, never truly standing on its own. Maintaining lies is burdensome for the mind, whereas truth is liberating. Dharma, too, is simple and direct, but the ego prefers the crooked paths of adharma because they offer a sense of accomplishment and distinction.

The Choice is Ours: Conscious Action vs. Unconscious Determinism:

Osho challenges the Freudian idea that human actions are all unconscious. He argues that if this were true, there would be no possibility of change or transformation. While acknowledging the unconscious, Osho, like Mahavir, insists on human responsibility. Mahavir's emphasis on "deliberately" choosing the wrong path is crucial, as it implies the possibility of conscious choice and therefore conscious change. He refutes the idea that fate, destiny, or God dictates our actions, stating that Mahavir places ultimate responsibility on the individual.

Adharma Leads to Inner Fragmentation, Dharma to Inner Integrity:

When one lies or acts unethically, the inner self becomes fragmented. A part of the self knows it's wrong, creating inner conflict. Dharma, conversely, leads to inner integration and wholeness. Even when a difficult truth is spoken, the inner self, which supports truth, remains strong. Conversely, lies, even if supported by further lies, are inherently unstable because the inner truth is always being suppressed.

The Significance of Authenticity and Self-Awareness:

True intimacy, Osho suggests, is to be completely truthful with at least one person. If one cannot be utterly naked and honest with anyone, they haven't truly experienced love. Those who can be completely transparent with the universe have experienced prayer. The ultimate fruit of natural, unadorned expression of the self is that death becomes liberation. Conversely, a life of lies and inauthenticity leads to a wasted life and a death filled with regret.

The True Meaning of Success:

Mahavir's concept of success is not external achievements like wealth, fame, or awards. He points to the example of writers like Ernest Hemingway, who achieved immense external success but ultimately committed suicide due to inner turmoil. True success, for Mahavir, is the integration of the soul, achieved by channeling one's energies constructively.

The Urgency of Practicing Dharma Now:

The lecture concludes with a powerful re-emphasis on the urgency of practicing dharma. Osho reiterates Mahavir's advice: "Until old age bothers, until ailments increase, until the senses weaken, practice dharma. After that, nothing will happen." He criticizes the traditional Indian belief that spiritual practices are for old age, arguing that this is a flawed concept. Adharma thrives in youth, while dharma requires the same energy and vitality that youth possesses. To postpone dharma until old age is to waste the very strength needed for it. The true spiritual practice involves transforming the energies of youth, not merely resorting to prayer when all other options are gone. True spirituality leads to an inner youthfulness that transcends physical aging. The beauty of old age lies not in outward appearance but in the inner purity and translated energy that comes from a life lived with integrity and straightness.