Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy - Osho - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 6. NUDITY AND CLOTHING SHOULD GO TOGETHER
This is the significance of Krishna’s birth as I see it. The events associated with his birth may or may
not be historical; for me they have no importance whatsoever. For me, understanding Krishna in the
light of these events is of the highest importance. And if you can see them in the right perspective
you will also see that they are part and parcel of the stories of your own births too. And if you find an
accord, a harmony between your birth and that of Krishna, you can, by the time you come to leave
your body, also achieve an accord with Krishna’s death, which is of the highest.
Question 2
QUESTIONER: YOU SAID YESTERDAY THAT KRISHNA IS MAKING A JOKE WHEN HE SAYS,
”SURRENDER TO ME, ABANDONING ALL OTHER DUTIES,” AND THAT ”I WILL COME FOR THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS
AND FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS.”
HOWEVER, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHILE THE KRISHNA OF THE GEETA IS NOT GIVEN
TO JOKING, PERHAPS THE KRISHNA OF THE BHAGWAD IS. BUT BECAUSE OF OUR
UNCRITICAL ATTITUDE WE MIX UP THE TWO KRISHNAS AND TAKE HIM FOR ONE, AND
THEN WE TEND TO THINK THAT THE KRISHNA OF THE GEETA IS JOKING TOO. WE HAVE TO
BE CLEAR, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE KRISHNA OF THE GEETA, THAT HE HAPPENED
SOME TWO THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE THE KRISHNA OF THE BHAGWAD, AND THAT
THEY ARE CLEARLY TWO DIFFERENT PERSONS. AND IF WE TAKE THEM TO BE ONE AND
TRY TO HARMONIZE THEM WE WILL ONLY INVOLVE OURSELVES, AT PLACES, IN OBVIOUS
CONTRADICTIONS.
THE GEETA ITSELF IS SUCH THAT SHANKARA INTERPRETS IT IN ONE WAY, TILAK IN QUITE
ANOTHER WAY AND YOU IN A THIRD WAY. IN THIS CONTEXT IS IT NOT NECESSARY TO
CONSIDER IF THE GEETA IS AN AUTHENTIC ANTHOLOGY OF KRISHNA’S TEACHINGS?
I did say yesterday that Krishna made a joke when he said, ”I will come for the protection of the
righteous and the destruction of the unrighteous,” and I explained why I think so. But I never said
Krishna was joking even when he said, ”Abandoning all other religions, come to me alone for shelter.”
Let us be clear about it before we go into the rest of the question.
What does Krishna mean to say, ”Abandoning all religions, come to me alone for shelter”? It is
necessary here to take note of the phrase ”abandoning all religions”. In fact, there can be only
one religion in the world, because truth is one. He who thinks that there are many religions is just
in illusion. So Krishna means to say that every religion with an adjective like Hindu, Christian or
Mohammedan, should be abandoned, because none of them is really religion. He says that giving
up the many religions one should come to the true religion, which is one and only one.
The words Krishna uses in this connection are extraordinary, unique; he says MAMEKAM
SHARANAM VRAJA, which means ”Take shelter in me, which is the only shelter.” Krishna does
not speak here as an individual, as a person; he really speaks on behalf of religion itself. He is
religion incarnate. And he says, ”Giving up religions, come to religion, the religion giving up the
many come to the one.” This is one thing.
Secondly, when he says, ”Come to me, the only shelter,” it has subtler meanings if you go into it.
When I say ”I” or ”me”, it is ”I” or ”me” for me, but for you it becomes ”you”; it will cease to be ”I”
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 100 Osho