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

CHAPTER 16. ATHEISM, THEISM AND REALITY
between the Vedas and Mahavira. Western historians could not put this gap at more than one and
a half thousand years. They were so hemmed in by the belief en shrined in the Christian Bible, that
the world was created only four thousand years before Jesus. This means our universe is only six
thousand years old, so the western historians have to compress the whole human history into this
brief span of time. Evidently Hindus and Jainas also cannot be allowed to transgress this limit. So,
those who think along western lines say that the distance in time between the VEDAS and Mahavira
cannot be more than fifteen hundred years, But this is not true.
Now Christianity itself is having to revise its calculation of time. Skeletons of human bodies have
been found which are hundreds of thousands of years old. But strange are the ways of superstitious
minds; they defy all proofs that go contrary to their old dog mas and beliefs. Do you know what
a Christian theologian said when confronted with the fact of the discovery of these thousands of
years-old human skeletons? He said that God is omnipotent, he is capable of doing anything, so
when he created the world he planted these hoary skeletons in its soil.
But science now accepts that the universe is very ancient. So according to Tilak’s calculations, the
VEDAS are at least ninety thousand years old. This much can be said without fear of contradiction,
that they are much more ancient than the western historians believe. For thousands of years, the
VEDAS existed in oral tradition, and now they have existed in the written form for so many thousands
of years. And the oral tradition is longer than the written one. The first Jaina tirthankara is mentioned
in the Rigveda. And as far as their last tirthankara is concerned, he happened twenty-five hundred
years ago, according to all historical evidences.
This long tradition of twenty-four Jaina tirthankaras is the oldest and greatest heritage in the
dimension of renunciation. It has no parallel in the whole history of man. And there is no
possibility that any other religion is going to surpass it in any future, because gradually the
dimension of renunciation is itself dying. So it seems plausible to believe that there will be no
more tirthankaras after the twenty-fourth, because renunciation has altogether lost its relevance for
the future. However, it had immense relevance in the past.
Scriptures say that Neminath is the twenty-second Jaina tirthankara and he is Krishna’s cousin,
Scriptures also mention Krishna’s meetings with Neminath. Whenever Neminath happens to visit
his town Krishna goes to pay his respects to him. It is significant that when Neminath comes,
Krishna pays him a visit; Neminath never goes to visit Krishna. A renunciate is not expected to pay
his respects to a non-renunciate; it is very difficult. A renunciate becomes harsh, he tears himself
away from all relationships and attachments. So while Neminath remains Krishna’s cousin from
Krishna’s side, Krishna is no one to Neminath. He never goes to Krishna to ask, ”How are you?”
He has renounced the world. In the dimension of vairagya or non-attachment, one has to drop all
associations and their ensuing attachments and become absolutely alone. No one is his friend and
no one is his enemy. So the question of Krishna being linked with him in some esoteric venture
simply does not arise.
Moreover, Neminath is not in a position to help. Krishna spiritually, because he is one-dimensional.
On the contrary, Krishna can very well help his cousin, because he is multidimensional. Krishna
knows many things Neminath does not know, and he can know on his own what Neminath knows.
Krishna is total; he covers the whole of life. Neminath is partial: he lives, and lives fully, but only in
one particular dimension of life. Therefore, although Neminath is a very significant figure in Krishna’s
time, he does not leave his imprint on history.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 317 Osho