Osho on Nostradamus and Prediction

 

 

Just a few days ago, I was seeing one of the most significant books to be published in this century, ‘Millenium’. It is a deep research into Nostradamus and his predictions. Eighty thousand copies were published - which is very rare - and they were sold within weeks. Now a second publication, a second edition, is happening in America, another is happening in England, and the book is being translated into many other languages - Dutch, German….

 

Nostradamus was a great mystic with an insight into the future. And you will be surprised to know that in his predictions, I am included. Describing the teacher of the last days of the twentieth century, he gives eight indications. Krishnamurti fulfills five, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi fulfills three, Da Free John fulfills four -- and I was amazed that I fulfill all eight.

 

In this book MILLENNIUM, they have made a chart of the teacher about whom Nostradamus is predicting -- that his people will wear red clothes, that he will come from the East, that he will be arrested, that his commune will be destroyed, that flying birds will be his symbol, that his name will mean moon.... Three hundred years ago that man was seeing something that fits perfectly with me -- my name means "the moon." And in their chart they have declared me the teacher of the last part of the twentieth century.

 

-Osho, “The Golden Future, #17, Q1”

 

 

Yes, all the predictions of the ancient seers, like Nostradamus, that the world is going to end by the end of this century, are true in a very different sense than has been understood. The old world is going to end, and a new world is going to begin. That is my interpretation of Nostradamus.

 

-Osho, "The Golden Future, #28, Q1"

 

 

 

 

Nostradamus can be interpreted in any way you want.

 

 

Q: You do have some faith in the prophecies of nostradamus, though. is that correct?

A: I don't have any faith in him. The fact is that the man was crazy, and what he has written can be interpreted in any way you want. I found this rational analysis and managed to look into Nostradamus, and found similarities, which was very easy. There are many books of that kind in the world. In India there is an ancient scripture thought to be written by Vyasa himself, five thousand years ago. Everything about you is written in it. You just have to go to the priest, you have to give your name, your birth time, your birth chart, and he will figure it out and find the right page where Vyasa has described you. And it is possible because in the Sanskrit language, each word has at least one dozen meanings. So looking at you, watching you, talking with you, the scholar will figure it out, and he will start reading from the scripture. And he will be very much correct. Copies of the scripture exist all over India; so you have it done in Delhi but if you are not satisfied -- who knows if it is right or wrong? -- you can go to Madras or Calcutta, and they will find the same page again. And because in the process of finding the page the clue is given by you, you can just change your name.... Go to Delhi, tell one name, one date of birth; in Madras, tell another name, another time of birth and you will know what is going on. He will not be able to find the same page. He will find some other page. But ordinarily, the type of people who go will not do this. They are immensely impressed. Nostradamus can be interpreted in any way you want. The sentences are not clear, the grammar is not correct. The words are such that you can fit them into any context you want.

 

Q: But haven't you used him as the source of the prediction that this dread disease would sweep the earth?

A: No. I use all kinds of devices. If people are foolish, I can use even their foolishness to raise their consciousness. I don't feel any problem in it. If I was predicting on my own they would not listen to it, so I drag in Nostradamus. And that's what I have been doing my whole life. If I speak to Christians -- I have been speaking to Christians in India; they have the biggest theological college in Jabalpur where I was for twenty years -- and I was speaking on Jesus, I was simply speaking on myself. Just here and there I would have to put Jesus' name, and they were immensely happy; not only happy, they said, 'We have never heard any Christian, any theologian, finding the true meaning of Jesus." I said, "Yes, how can they find the true meaning of Jesus?"
 

 

Q: You do not believe in the existence of a god, is that correct?

A: I don't believe in anything. Belief is simply not part of my vocabulary. Belief simply means you don't know, yet you believe. A blind man believing in light -- what can that belief do? He does not need a prophet, a messiah; he needs medicine, a surgeon, perhaps an operation on his eyes, so that he can see. And do you believe in light? Nobody asks such questions -- you know light is there. The question of belief is asked only when the thing is non-existential. You cannot see it, you cannot touch it, you cannot feel it. God is a belief, heaven is a belief, hell is a belief The reason why you believe in these things is within your psychology; the priest is only exploiting. You have greed for immortality, you have greed for paradise and all the pleasures there. You have fear of death, you have fear of falling into the darkness of hell and all the tortures there. Naturally you start believing, because you don't want to go to hell, you want to go to heaven. It is because of this psychology that an idiot like Reverend Jim Jones managed the suicide of his whole commune. He persuaded them to die with him, because if they died with him, they would all enter into heaven. This is the logical conclusion of Jesus' telling his disciples, 'I will take you into heaven." Jim Jones went a little farther. He was really a great Christian! -- after Jesus only he is the prophet.

Q: So you believe that if god existed, god would reveal himself in some tangible way?

A: There is no God, and there is no question of his revelation. I don't see any possibility of God's existence. I can understand the existence of consciousness, because it is within me and I can experience it. And in my silent moments of awareness, I have never come across any God, any hell, any heaven.

Q: Is rajneeshism or 0sho a religion?

A: No. It is a religionless religion. It is simply religiousness.

Q: Do you consider yourself a prophet?

A: No. I am not so stupid. I don't consider myself in any way special, extraordinary, a messenger of God, a prophet, a messiah. No. I am just an ordinary human being like you and everybody else.

 

 

Q: I have one more question for you. what are your ultimate aims here in oregon?

A: I never think of tomorrow... and you are asking about the ultimate aim!

 

 

Q: Well, sir, i greatly appreciate your letting me come here to visit you.

A: I loved it.

 

 

Q: It's been a pleasure, and i thank you very much....

A: Whenever you feel like coming, come.

 

-Osho, “The Last Testament, Vol 1, #12”