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

CHAPTER 13. KRISHNA GOES TO THE WEST
When one is given a seed word, it means with the help of this single word he has to drop all other
words which infest his mind. If one does not have the courage to drop all words together, once and
for all, he is asked to hold on to a seed word, and to get rid of all other words with its help. But
ultimately he will have to get rid of the seed word as well. The seed word cannot take him to the
truth, but it can certainly take him to the gate of the temple of truth. At the gate you will have to leave
this word, just as you leave your shoes there. You cannot take it into the temple’s inner sanctuary.
Even the seed word will impede your entrance into the temple, because however tiny, it is after all a
part of noise. All words are noisy, and a seed word is no exception.
Even those who stress the importance of seed words say that in the final stage of their practice the
seekers themselves disappear; this is the measure of their fulfillment. From japa or chanting one
has to go to ajapa or no-chanting – wordless chanting. A moment comes in their discipline when
even japa drops and ajapa, silence, enters. It is the same whether you drop words at the very first
or the last moment. All words have to go, so that silence happens. Silence is the ultimate, there
is nothing higher than silence. A courageous person will give up all words together, but one who
cannot should for the time being hold on to a seed word. dropping all others. But in the end even
this last word will have to go.
As far as I am concerned, I am in favor of a complete jump from word to silence. As far as
possible a seeker should avoid getting involved in things like japa, because they are likely to turn
into an impediment in the last stage. It really happened with Ramakrishna, and it would be good to
understand it.
Ramakrishna’s spiritual journey begins with remembrance – the chanting of the Mother’s name. He
has been worshipping God in the form of divine Mother Kali, and a moment comes while chanting
the Mother’s name when he reaches the final stage of the journey – the name has to be dropped.
Beyond this stage there is no way to go on with the name; now he can enter the sanctum sanctorum
all alone. Mother Kali serves him well traveling the path, but when he reaches the temple itself,
Ramakrishna must face the problem of parting with the Mother. It becomes the biggest problem of
his spiritual life. For years he has given all his love and devotion to Kali; he has grown with her, he
has danced and laughed and cried with her, so much that she has entered into his blood and bones,
has become his very heartbeat. And when he is asked to drop her altogether, he finds himself in a
terrible dilemma.
At this stage, Ramakrishna is under the guidance of a non-dualist yogi named Totapuri, who insists
that he give up the name, part with the Mother. According to Totapuri, a name, a seed word, a
symbol has no meaning whatsoever for a seeker who wants to attain the non-dualist state, the one,
the absolute. Ramakrishna closes his eyes again and again and tells Totapuri that he cannot give
up Kali; he can easily give himself up but he cannot part with his Mother. His Master persuades him
to try again and again – because if he gives himself up and not the Mother, he will be left on the
doorstep of the temple the Mother will be inside it. It will do him no good. If one is to attain to the
non-dualist state, nothing short of absolute aloneness will do. Two are not allowed to enter its inner
sanctum – the passage is utterly narrow. Ramakrishna tries again and again for three days, but fails
and declares his helplessness.
Totapuri now threatens to leave Ramakrishna, he is not going to waste his efforts on him.
Ramakrishna begs for another opportunity; he is aware of his thirst for the unknown, the ultimate
reality. His life cannot be fulfilled without knowing it.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 253 Osho