“You cannot be adventurous when you are unhappy. Adventure needs a subtle happiness in you. Then you can leave the known…only with a dancing heart…happy, blissful, positive…can take you into the uncharted”.

Osho: The Book Of Secrets III, 1976

Continuation from last issue………

As a player Laxmi recalls doing physical exercises that helped deep breathing. Many years later Laxmi realized why as a child she was fond of the game hootutu. Laxmi realized the significance of deep breathing after meeting Osho. “Hoo” is vital as it hits the navel center each time we chant it. Hootutu has the potential to lead one to meditation because of the importance laid on deep breathing.

Laxmi loved to experiment in the laboratory cleaning salt, sugar and working with mercury and aluminum foil. A repair mechanic suggested that Laxmi get learning sets and learn how to repair radios at home. Soon Laxmi repaired iron, clock and typewriters nearly mechanical household goods.

Laxmi had had an unusual experience in a ferry wheel cradle once in her childhood. Laxmi saw the cradle go round and round. It was an adventure. On the face of it was just a merry go round that turned round and round at the navel center. However deep inside all seemed to come to have come to stand still. The thought process had suddenly stopped. Laxmi felt she had entered into a timeless zone. With an intense vibration at the navel center Laxmi was very fearful. Years later Laxmi had a similar experience while meditating at Nargol, Gujarat. However the experience this time at Nargol was one of ecstasy.

Back at home Laxmi’s father was influenced by the freedom fighters, in particular with ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. More so with Gandhi’s charisma. Laxmi’s father met leading leaders, including Gandhi, Sri Valllabhai Patel, Sri Morarji bhai, Acharya Kriplani whenever required. Stating that he had a family to rear Laxmi’s father he offered to help the freedom struggle with funds. During his stay at the Kurwa family house in Kutch, Gujarat, Gandhi gained nearly three pound weight and stated in his diary that he would like to revisit it. But a fanatic Hindu assassinated him in the following year.

Laxmi shared a beautiful relationship with her father. Enamored she embraced his values and practices. None else in the family cared about these details. Laxmi’s father offered prayers to the picture of Mahatma Gandhi each morning. Laxmi imitated him and during these moments of silence. Laxmi had yet another glimpse of timelessness, of a brief look into eternity. This silence refreshed her. Laxmi shared this joy with Mataji confirmed a prayer from the heart gets an ear from the gods. Many years later Osho said to be present in a moment transports one into a timeless zone. Like a brief look into eternity and then one returns. He said this brief experience refreshes one.

In accordance with the Mahatma’s endeavor to provide employment and means to make a living to millions of jobless Indians, Laxmi’s father always wore white hand spun khadi topi, cotton cap and clothes. Khadi was a symbol of nationalists during the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi. Yet he adorned it on his head only in the presence of Gandhi, and en route office. He would take it off just as he reached the office. In league with her father Laxmi from late childhood always wore white except to school and for a celebration of her brother’s wedding. This was until she met Osho.

Many years later when Laxmi met Osho she realized Osho differed from Gandhi in many ways. Also Osho drew Laxmi’s attention to this issue. He told Laxmi as a young man, like millions of others, he was fascinated with India seeking freedom from the British. This was because Indians wanted to be free in their own country. However Gandhi was for the freedom of the mind, while Osho was for inner freedom. He focused on freedom of self, from the dictates and clutches of mind games and conditioning of the mind. Osho talked about the intrinsic real freedom.

There was a sharp contrast between Laxmi’s father and his brother. While uncle lived an aristocratic life father lived a plain life. Laxmi’s father fasted once or twice in a month and lived frugally. He was loving, soft-spoken, social, moderate, progressive modern in his outlook and more involved in the business.

Laxmi was influenced by the tenets of Hinduism at a tender age. She had read Hindus in India attribute spiritual reasons to covering of the head. It is a way of protecting sahastrhar, seventh chakra (psychic center). Located at the top center of the head it is referred to as the lotus with thousand petals in body sciences of yoga. For centuries Brahmins wear chotis, a tuft of hair in the center of the back of the head. Sikhs too tuck their hair under a turban. For the same reason, Laxmi wore a scarf on her head for several years, until her arrival in USA. Isabel, Laxmi’s assistant in Pune, once told Osho that Laxmi looked beautiful even without the scarf and requested him to ask Laxmi to drop the scarf. Osho asked her to stop wearing the scarf. Laxmi complied.

During her childhood Laxmi along with the children in the family got small pox. Hit by a severe bout Laxmi was very sad as at the end she lost her long and beautiful hair. In addition Laxmi’s skin lost its luster and was densely spotted with chick- pea marks. Only ten years old, Laxmi was sensitive about her physical appearance. Her friends and staff at school did not accept this change in her physical appearance. Laxmi’s friends and teachers, because of the changed appearance, rejected Laxmi. Ignored and neglected, Laxmi felt she was no longer beautiful. Lonely Laxmi was uncomfortable at school and felt like an outsider.

Much to her relief during vacations the family vaid treated her. With regular application of chickpea powder, milk and almond drops followed by a shower and two hours of swimming Laxmi’s face recovered its luster. The cascading hair and spotless skin were restored. School reopened. The love and affection of her teachers and friends was restored. Laxmi could not understand this. Confused, Laxmi felt except for the intelligent people most were governed by the physical appearance of a person.

To be continued…..