Skip to content Skip to navigation

Breeze of Change

It's about time...It's about change. But is not every election about change. Change promised but not delivered.

This is a time when the world faces tremendous challenges for survival. Particularly India is a hot seat of fight against all primary real life problems. Gone 67 years since independence, still politicians are talking about food security bill. Fight against terrorism, rising commodity prices, falling economy, unemployment, illiteracy, access to quality and affordable healthcare, are just some of the real life problems we all face in this country today. The 2014 elections would have been no different than any other election except that it brought about a hope that change is possible. Across the country, people in cities and villages, living rooms and shacks are looking forward to a positive change in the country.


For Osho sannyasins, friends and people who have been reading and listening to Osho, it has not come as a surprise as it has, to many others. Osho has envisioned the need for such a change almost three decades ago.

“… a new dawn for the whole human race, a new innocence, a new childhood, a new satyuga -- the age of truth -- a new golden age is possible. But the positive people have to take the bold step of expressing themselves. They have not been doing that for the whole of history. They have enjoyed their experience, and they have thought their work was finished. I want you to remember always: When you have something to share, don't stop there; share it. Humanity is in need, as it has never been in need, of people who can create new hope for a new dawn.” –Osho (The New Dawn, Chapter 14, Question 1)

Power has the capacity to bring out the worst in a person. It has never been known in the whole history that power has brought out the best in anyone. Once a politician is in power, he becomes a totalitarian, he becomes dictatorial. He talks about democracy, but behind the democracy is dictatorship. It is always so. When the politician is not in power he is democratic; when he is in power all democracy disappears. It remains a mask, and all kinds of ugly desires start coming to the surface. But if a person is meditative, loving, power can bring the best out of him. Osho envisions the new humanity to make intelligent decisions and become aware of what is happening to their life and they have to do something about it.

If each individual does his bit towards a positive change, then change is definitely possible. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We have to become the change. This definitely reinforces the trust than anything is possible just you have to believe that you can.

Let merit will be the decisive factor because the ultimate merit dominates and influences the lower rungs and helps them to rise above their level. It has no vested interest, and because it has no vested interest, it is free and its insight is clear. It will be difficult for the intuitive person to explain anything to the instinctive person because they are so far apart, belonging to two different dimensions without any bridge. In the middle, the intellectual can be of immense help.

The universities, the colleges, the schools should not only teach political science but also teach political art, practical politics and prepare politicians, give them certain qualities. Then will come the day when the country will have leaders who are well-trained, cultured, know the art and the science of politics, and always ready to go to the professors, to the scholars. Then it will be possible to approach the highest level of meritocracy; the intuitive people. If this is possible then we will have, for the first time, something that is really human - giving dignity to humanity, integrity to individuals. For the first time you will have some real democracy in the world. What exists now as democracy is not democracy - it is mobocracy.

Osho further says, “we have to drop the idea that every man, just because he is twenty-one, is capable of choosing who is the right person to decide the fate of nations. Age cannot be the decisive factor. We have to change the decisive factor; that is changing the very foundation.

My suggestion is that only a person who is at least a matriculate should be able to vote. His age does not matter. For the local government, matriculation will be the qualification for the voters. And graduation from a university, at least a bachelor's degree, should be a necessary qualification for anybody running for election, for the candidates. A master's degree should be a minimum qualification for the one who is running for mayor. For the state elections, graduation with a bachelor's degree should be the minimum qualification for the voters. A master's degree in science, the arts, commerce, should be the necessary degree for the candidates. For the ministers an M.A. first class should be the minimum necessary qualification; more will be, of course, more appreciated. And anybody trying to become a minister will have to know something about the subject. His qualification should correspond to the subject matter that he is going to deal with in his ministership.”

Yes, that’s the change we as citizens of this country strive for, to leave the world more better and beautiful than we found it. Osho says, “Don't leave the world just the same as you have found it - make it a little better, make it a little more beautiful. Let there be a few more songs, a few more celebrations, let there be a few less wars, a few less politicians, let there be more love, less hatred.”

Author info

Ma Prem Naina's picture

Ma Prem Naina born in Jorhat, Assam, was initiated into Sannyas in 2003 at Oshodham, New Delhi. She is an MBA and also holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication. Deeply inspired by the love and dedication of the founder of the Osho World Foundation in Delhi, Swami Om Prakash Saraswati, she left her career as a producer/journalist to join in Osho’s caravanserai. She presently heads the publications and media relations at Osho World Foundation, New Delhi. www.oshoworld.com

Comments

Bhagawati's picture

Delighted to read this intelligent write-up on 'meritocracy instead of democracy' and also read the original Osho's excerpts. I applaud Naina's call for change!

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Namami Barak fest ends with Prez clarion call

20 Nov 2017 - 2:41pm | AT News
SILCHAR:President Ram Nath Kovind said only unity and integrity can help the country stand tall on this planet. In his address at the closing ceremony of the Namani Barak festival in Silchar on...

Akhil Gogoi arrested

11 Apr 2011 - 12:31am | Raktim Baruah
Peasant leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi was today arrested at Guwahati by the city police. He was arrested from the Guwahati Press club premise where he organised a press conference. The police...

Run for unity in Kokrajhar

31 Oct 2017 - 4:40pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Kojrajhar organized the run for unity on Tuesday on the occasion of the Rastriya Ekta Divos commemorating the birth anniversary of Ballav Bhai Patel. Hundreds of people participanted from different...

APCC to Himanta

19 Oct 2013 - 9:04am | AT News
Dissident ministers and MLAs held a number of meetings to clear strategies to corner chief minister Tarun Gogoi and his trusted ministers in the CLP meet on Saturday. The chief minister also is in...

Other Contents by Author

Why do we become joyous on a particular day and why in every culture and society, there are a few days in the year for celebration? People think someday, in the future we are going to be happy, joyful, celebrating. Osho’s vision is that, if you want to be happy, joyful, celebrating, then nothing is lacking. Right now, this very moment, dance; laugh, this very moment. This moment is all there is; celebrate it. For Osho, life is all. What else is there, he asks? If one loses life and gains the whole world instead, what has one gained really? And if you gain your life and lose the whole world, nothing is lost. Life is meant to be a celebration, not a contest, a competition. We need not be...
Sai  itna  dijiye, ja main kutumb  samaye || Main bhi  bhukha  na  rahu, sadhu  na  bhukha  jayeGive that much O God, suffice to envelop my clan || I should not suffer cravings, nor the visitor goes unfed-Saint Kabir In Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainsim, ‘dana’ that is giving or sharing is an important part of one’s religious practice. Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity and is an ancient practice in Indian traditions. Dana is mentioned in ancient texts as “paropkara” meaning benevolent deed. Here “dana” and “dakshina” differ as “dakshina” is a fee or gift in return for anything taken. “Bhiksha...
An ancient proverb says- we are and always will be connected to nature. With the ever increasing speed of urbanization, globalization and our new found addition of the screen, we need to be with nature more than ever to stay healthy and sane. We are so hassled and tired in our day to day activities that we are losing touch with our primary and most essential life’s source and missing out on the positive effects of nature. We come from nature and will go back to nature. Nature mothers us and provides us with all that is essential to be alive. Just as Osho says, “Your life is your breath”. Breath is the bridge between the body and the self and between the self and the universe. But how many...
An exceptional, genuine and a compassionate person who surrendered his life to giving. Walking alone in the path of selflessness and humility is a true story of a man named Jadav ‘Molai’ Payeng. This man has single-handedly created a thriving, 550 hectare forest from a 'barren' sandbar in the middle of the river Brahmaputra of Assam.Payeng belongs to the Mishing tribe and since 1979 Jadav has been planting trees.  His forest is larger than Central Park NYC (341 hectares). His forest has transformed what was once a barren wasteland, into a lush oasis. This place is full of trees Jadhav has planted them himself.  In beginning he found planting trees very difficult and...
Modern man is like an uprooted tree. He has forgotten how to relate with existence, his surrounding and more importantly with himself. He has forgotten how to whisper with the clouds and the trees and the mountains. He has completely forgotten the language of silence. It is the silence that becomes a bridge between man and the universe. On this earth there are almost 3000 languages and existence knows no other language except the language of silence.  All communication has disappeared from the world. Everybody is living a lonely life and man has never been so lonely. Communication has failed because a thick, dense indifference surrounds everybody that even a shout cannot be heard...
Hindus have chosen a beautiful word, Ramleela, to signify the drama of Rama's life. Leela means play, which implies an abundance of energy. Only Hindus have the concept of play in their religion. They say, "The world is God's play- leela." Leela means there is so much overflowing energy, just to sit idle is impossible! The energy is overflowing. God is infinite energy, and we are his overflowing. The whole existence is his overflowing. It is all his abundance that is flowing and he can never be exhausted. This energy which can never be emptied, is called Rama. There is no destiny, no fate for God. He is beyond destiny. Flowers bloom, the moon shines and the stars twinkle for what? Why do...
Marilyn Monroe, Robin Williams, Ernest Hemingway and back home in India, Nafisa Joseph, Viveka Babaji, Jiah Khan, more recently Pratyusha Banerjee, their way of choosing death reveals that their famous lifestyles are not as bright as the sparkling spotlights they walk through. More so, it is often a case of ignoring that darker side of life which, if consciously tackled, could become a breakthrough.Today the world we live in is a complex phenomenon, intertwined with several dynamics such as relationships, ambition, competition, anger, jealousy etc. Often, we all go through varied moods, and many of us have experienced depression, anxiety and stress. But taking one’s own life is an extreme...
Man has been conditioned down the centuries for goals, purposes and meanings, a goal-oriented ideology. All ideologies are goal-oriented. Because of these ideologies one cannot allow oneself to relax in the moment. The goading for achieving something continuously runs in the back of the mind. The whole education system is a strategy of poisoning the individual’s consciousness; a strategy of driving one crazy after goals and creating ambition. Ambition is neurosis. But this has been done for so long that it has become part and parcel of the human mind. Every university can become a place, not only to teach geography, history and other subjects; but to teach something very essential:...
When Bob Marley composed his very famous redemption song in 1980, he inspired millions with the lyrics -"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds". Probably at that time he had no idea how relevant  these words will be today, after 36 years. Outer slavery is not as complex as mental slavery because mental slavery is something that happens in an individual’s mind, invisible to others in the outside world.  Mental slavery is not somebody else's responsibility. It is just that we donot want to be responsible for our own acts and most importantly we are afraid of being free.  This fear is worse than anything that can happen to anybody....
Terrorism is not new, though it has come in a new incarnation. Throughout our history, invaders like the Huns, Taimur Lane, Nadirshah, Mahmood Gaznavi to Hitler, Stalin, Mao, all are part of a chain of terrorists. The major difference is now that terrorism is no longer limited to a particular area or a geographical territory. It has become globalized. Now everyone in the world feels threatened and terrorized. Terrorism is an ideological violence essentially rooted in unconscious human behavior. It shows its heinous form when governed by hypnotic conditioning. Osho points out, “Terrorism is not in the bombs, in your hand, terrorism is in your unconscious.”  Religion, in most cases, has...