Osho on Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dying from Cancer
Ramakrishna was dying. He had cancer of the throat, and in his last days it became impossible for him even to drink water.
Vivekananda said to him, "Bhagwan, can't you ask God to do you just a little favor? If you simply ask God that at least you should be allowed to eat and drink it is bound to happen. It is becoming too great a suffering for your body -- and not only for your body but for us all. We cannot eat because we know you cannot eat. It has become impossible for us to drink because we know you cannot drink. How can we drink? So if you don't care about yourself, okay, but think of us -- we are also suffering. Just for our sake close your eyes and say to God,'Do me just a small favor.'"
Ramakrishna closed his eyes, opened them and started laughing. He said, "You fool! If I listen to your advice God will laugh at me. I asked him...."
That was his way. He had not asked -- there is nobody to ask -- that was his way. He would not hurt Vivekananda. He closed his eyes, he may have even moved his lips to show Vivekananda that he was praying to God. And then he opened his eyes and he said, "God laughed at me and he said, 'Ramakrishna, you are listening to these fools? You follow their advice? Are they your disciples or are you their disciple? Who is who? You have eaten with this throat for so many years -- can't you now eat and drink with the throats of your disciples?'"
And Ramakrishna said, "Vivekananda, his argument appeals to me. So stop torturing yourself, suffering, because now that I have lost my throat, I have to depend on your throats. Eat as much as you can -- a little more than usual, because a part of it has to go to me. Drink a little more than usual because there will be my share, too. So eat, drink and rejoice, because God has said,'Ramakrishna, you can eat through your disciples' bodies. Why depend on this body? And this body is gone and rotten!' "
There is a certain invisible unity, an organic unity, between the Master and the disciple.
Zareen, one is free, absolutely free with me. If one wants to drop sannyas one should not think twice, one should simply drop it and forget all about it. If it can be dropped it should be dropped; if it cannot be dropped, only then is it worthwhile. I give you total freedom. But if surrender is there, there is not going to be any difference; in fact, total freedom will make your surrender easier. When there is somebody to impose something upon you, a natural resistance arises. It is very natural. If I am here to impose something upon you and to make you obedient, then you will resist; then it is just human. But I am not imposing anything.
That is the beauty of this commune. That is something unique that is not happening anywhere else in the world. Everywhere obedience is being imposed in subtle ways or not even in such subtle ways, either directly or indirectly: "Do this, don't do that." People are being treated like slaves, with no respect.
I respect you. I love you far more than you can ever love me, I respect you far more than you can ever respect me, because whatsoever you can do will be limited and whatsoever I can do will be unlimited.
Your so-called gurus and your pseudo Masters all depend on your obedience; they force it upon you. And you are willing for the simple reason that when somebody is there to impose something upon you he becomes a father figure for you. He takes the responsibility -- you need not feel responsible for yourself. You need to depend on somebody and you have to pay the price for that Then they go on ordering you about as if you were small children.
-Osho, "Walking in Zen, Sitting in Zen, #11, Q3”