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

CHAPTER 16. ATHEISM, THEISM AND REALITY
Schopenhauer said the UPANISHAD was not a book to be read but a song to be sung, a dance to
be danced. And Schopenhauer was not an ordinary man, he was a renowned philosopher known
for his very serious and sad temperament. He was a pessimist and a total stranger to things like
music and dance. He believed that life is essentially painful, and happiness is just a bait to lure us
into suffering. The same person burst into a dance when he first read Duschen’s translation of the
UPANISHADS. Vivekananda was Duschen’s guest.
On a fine morning, Duschen was in his study going through a book in the German language. He had
been with this book for some days and had been able to read only half of it. Vivekananda entered
Duschen’s study to say hello, and Duschen mentioned the book he was reading saying it was a great
book. When Vivekananda said he would like to have the book for an hour, Vivekananda knew little
of German so his host said that he would not be able to under, stand it. Vivekananda then quipped,
”Is it guaranteed that one who knows German well will understand it?” Duschen agreed that it is
not. Vivekananda added, ”Then the contrary can also be true: that one knowing less of German will
understand it. However, you lend me the book.”
Duschen asked, ”How can you finish reading this book in just two days’ time that you are going to
spend with me? I have been with this book for fifteen days and have hardly been able to read half
of it.” His guest said with a grin, ”I am Vivekananda, not Duschen.” And Vivekananda took the book
and left the study.
Vivekananda returned to Duschen’s study just after an hour, carrying the book in his hand. When
Duschen enquired if he had read the book, Vivekananda said, ”I have not only read it, but understood
it.” Duschen was amazed, but he did not leave Vivekananda before putting him to test if he had really
understood the book.
He asked some searching questions from the chapters he himself had read, and he was dumb
founded to see that Vivekananda had gotten it so well. He exclaimed, ”Vivekananda! It is incredible!
How did you work this miracle?” His guest said with a smile, ”There are ways and ways of reading –
ordinary ways as well as extraordinary ways.”
Most of us are familiar with the ordinary way of reading, and it is enough if we can read and
understand even a dozen books in a lifetime. But there are different ways of reading. There are
people who take a book in their hands, close their eyes and then throw them away. They are
finished with their reading. This is called the psychic way of reading something.
As I understand it, Krishna does not speak to Arjuna through words; he communicates with him
at the psychic level. It is such a wordless, silent communication between two persons that a third
person standing close by will never know it. No other people present at Kurukshetra could hear it;
otherwise a crowd would have gathered round Arjuna’s chariot. At least the Pandava brothers were
sure to join them. Even the Kauravas would not have resisted the temptation to listen to this unique
dialogue. If a spoken dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna had taken place, lasting for four long
hours, anything – including fighting – could have happened. But nothing of the kind occurred. No, it
was an inner communion between the two, a psychic communication,
It is significant that while no one present on the battlefield has any inkling of this dialogue, Sanjaya,
who is far away from the battlefield, hears and relates it to Kaurava’s blind father Dhritarashtra. Sit
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 315 Osho