Laxmi
A great change was in the offing for Laxmi. [Laxmi
refers to herself throughout in the third person.]
A clarion call, loud and clear was round the corner. Laxmi’s life was never
going to be the same. The Congress Mahila Vibhai [a
women's organization] invited Acharya Rajneesh [Osho's
name pre-1972] as a
guest and lead speaker on the silver jubilee meeting. Laxmi envisioned a bare
feet, customarily attired Jain monk with a begging bowl, with a mask on the
mouth covered in order to not suck in any tiny living beings, and a broom to
clean the place before sitting down.
Much to her surprise Acharya Rajneesh wore
a white khadi lungi (an ankle length cloth tied below torso) and a silk chaddar,
shawl around his shoulders. He was unlike a Jain monk. He walked in
gracefully casting a spell. On his way to the dais he passed by Laxmi. Frozen
and in deep silence, Laxmi forgot to welcome the guest [as
she was scheduled to do]. In complete awe Laxmi
couldn’t take her eyes off him. An extraordinary experience Laxmi sat still
listening intently. Deep down there was a strange recognition as though she had
known him earlier. There was a familiarity Laxmi could not explain. An inner
voice seemed to acknowledge that Laxmi had known him forever. Each cell and pore
of the body rang out in agreement with this feeling. He was no stranger.
However Laxmi was short of words to express the experience.
As he began to speak Laxmi sensed a deep
throbbing at her navel center and was carried away into another realm.
His command over Hindi and his lucidity was enthralling/enchanting like a
song from the spheres was flowing. Eyes closed Laxmi melted with the melody of
this divine music. Immobilized with awe, she did not get up to thank him at the
end of his speech [again, as she was supposed to]. Laxmi was mesmerized. The President who noticed this got up
and gave the vote of thanks. When the President’s sharp vote of thanks fell on
Laxmi’s ears, her eyes opened.
Later the President expressed disbelief of
Laxmi’s unusual inertia. Laxmi said, “Love has happened for the first time.
It is springtime. There is music all around. It is difficult to explain the
feeling .” Confused [the President] asked, “Love for the sadhu?” Laxmi
acknowledged love for him and said, “Yes. It is love for him, his eyes, and
his purity. Oh God, Acharya Rajneesh, where can one meet him?”
(excerpted from Laxmi's autobiography, Journey
of the Heart. This is an excellent though unedited source of early Osho
history)
Ma Yoga Laxmi, Indian, Osho's secretary from 1970-1981
approx
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