Osho on Nirmala Srivastava

 

 

There are so many fools in the world that any Indian can find disciples. It is not a problem at all. Just your being Indian is enough, and you are a guru. I have seen such things happening before my eyes.

 

One of my disciples, Nirmala Srivastava, has now become a great spiritual leader. Now her name is long: Her Holiness Jagatjanani -- "The mother of the whole world" -- Mataji Nirmalaji Srivastavaji.

 

She was once traveling with me in a car, and I passed by Muktananda's ashram. The people staying in Muktananda's ashram invited me to be there for a five-minute stay, just to take a cup of tea. And it was a long journey so I said, "There is no harm in it." Anyway I love a cup of tea! So I stayed for five minutes.

 

Nirmala saw Muktananda. She could not believe that this stupid-looking man -- disgusting, more or less a buffoon -- had become a great spiritual leader.

 

After the tea, when we re-entered the car she said, "If this man can become a spiritual leader, then why can't l?"

 

I said, "You can." And she has become one.

 

There is one man here from Australia who asked me a question -- because now she is in Australia, doing great spiritual work. He asked me: "Once in a while you talk about a woman, Rabiya el-Adawiya. What do you think about Mataji Nirmala Deviji? Is she also of the same category as Rabiya el-Adawiya?" The man is here.

 

I know her perfectly well -- for ten years she was my student. There is nothing in it, no spirituality, no meditativeness... but she got the idea from Muktananda.

 

-Osho, "The Goose is Out, #6"

 

 

 

 

Muktananda is a very ordinary person; I have met him. I was passing by his ashram and his disciples invited me, just for a few minutes' stay, to take a cup of tea. So I said, "Okay."

 

The man was so flat, just like a flat tire, nothing in him, nothing of any worth, not even junk. And it was not only apparent to me: one of my disciples, a woman follower, Nirmala Srivastava, was with me -- even she could see, even she proved to be far more intelligent than Muktananda. We stayed only fifteen minutes; it was a sheer wastage of time. And the moment our car moved away, Nirmala told me, "This man is absolutely common, very ordinary. Why did you waste your time? -- even fifteen minutes is an unnecessary wastage!"

 

I looked at her, and immediately I knew that some idea had entered into her head -- and it had entered. The idea was: "If such a fool like Muktananda can become a saint, then why can't I become a saint?" And the idea worked out well. Now Nirmala Srivastava is a great saint, is traveling around the world, having many devotees. That day it transpired, looking at Muktananda. Now she is 'Her Holiness, the World Mother -- LAGAJJANANI -- Mataji, Nirmalaji Deviji Srivastavaji.'

 

Now she has many followers, doing the same thing that Muktananda is doing -- raising people's kundalini. Once she could see that this fool can raise people's kundalini, then "Why can't I raise it?" And she is certainly far more intelligent than Muktananda, far more capable, far more skillful, far more intellectual. Muktananda is not a saint.

 

-Osho, "Philosophia Ultima, #15, Q2"