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

CHAPTER 20. BASE YOUR RULE ON THE RULE
As a complete man Mahavira is not less than Krishna; he is as complete as Krishna. But Mahavira’s
whole discipline consists in going beyond the law of physical nature, transcending the world of yin
and yang. It is strange that in spite of this, there are thirty thousand nuns and only ten thousand
monks among his disciples – three women for one man. It simply means Mahavira has great
attraction for women. The ratio of women and men among his renunciates is three to one.
It is significant that one whose whole discipline aims at transcendence of sex, who negates his own
male nature and refuses to accept the femininity of woman, who treats the whole matter of sex
as mundane, as unspiritual, who puts the spiritual quest far beyond these worldly pursuits should
continue to attract women in such a big way. The irony is that women are prohibited from touching
Mahavira or even sitting in his close proximity, and yet they are so mad after him.
By the way, I should say this aspect of Mahavira’s life and teaching has never been looked at in this
way. It should be. Let alone his thirty thousand female disciples, if we probe deep into the psyche
of his ten thousand male disciples, we will find an element of femininity in their nature. It cannot be
other, wise. It is not necessary that every man has a male mind and every woman a female mind.
The mind is not always in harmony with the body, or it is in much less harmony than we think. It
has often been seen that while one has a male body, his mind has a feminine inclination. If ever it is
possible to investigate the minds of Mahavira’s monks, then we will know they were predominantly
feminine in nature. It is bound to be so. Mahavira – or anyone for that matter – who is the epitome
of masculinity, cannot attract you unless there is a strong woman inside you. Attraction is like twoway
traffic. Mahavira’s attraction does only half the job, the other half comes from the one who is
attracted.
In this respect Krishna’s position is uncommon and rare. Krishna has not renounced the world or
anything; he accepts life in its totality. It is not that women can be near him only as nuns and
ascetics or can only watch him from a distance. No, they can freely dance and sing with Krishna;
they can make maharaas, a prodigious dance with him in the center. So it is not at all surprising that
thousands of women have gathered round him. It is so natural, so simple.
So is Buddha a complete man. There is an extraordinary story associated with his life. When after
his enlightenment he turns the wheel of Dhamma, he declares that he will not initiate women into
his commune, his sangha. He does so because the danger inherent in admitting women is obvious.
The danger is that around a luminous man like Buddha, women can flock like moths and they can
overwhelm the sangha merely with the weight of their numbers.
It is not necessary that women will come to him just for spiritual growth. Buddha’s charisma, his
masculine attraction will have a big hand in drawing them to him. it is not that the large number
of gopis, cowmaids, who surround Krishna are there for God realization; Krishna is enough of an
attraction for them. To be with such a complete man is a bliss in itself. For them he is nothing less
than God. And because Krishna is choiceless, he is not in the least concerned why they come to
him; he accepts them unconditionally. But Buddha is not that choiceless; he has his constraints and
conditions for admitting anyone into his fold.
So Buddha stubbornly refuses women admission in his commune, and he resists every pressure
brought to bear upon him on behalf of women who strongly protest his decision. It is only after
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 392 Osho