|
LAUGH YOUR WAY TO GOD
Daily News Analysis, Mumbai
April 01, 2006
Osho’s unique contribution to spirituality has been to incorporate celebration in it. He does not want man to renounce this life and escape to the Himalayas, but to remain I the market place and learn the art of meditation. Life is unique gift that transcends religious seriousness and monotony, and enables us to expand beyond the limits of our intellect.
Osho was a rare guru in that he introduced laughter as meditation. Our noisy mind stops for a few moments when we laugh spontaneously, giving us a taste of meditation. Osho said, “A sense of humour has not been recognized by any religion as a religious quality. I declare it to be the highest spiritual quality. And if we can decide that every year, at a certain appointed hour, the whole world will laugh for an hour, it will help to dispel darkness, violence, and stupidity. This is because laughter is the only human characteristic which no animal possesses.
Osho told jokes during his discourses to create an atmosphere of laughter and used it as a device to awake people. He said, “ Laughter relaxes. And relaxation is spiritual. Laughter brings you to the earth, brings you down from your stupid ideas of being holier than thou. Laughter brings you to reality as it is. The world is a play of God, a cosmic joke. And unless you understand it as a cosmic joke you will never be able to understand the ultimate mystery. I am all for jokes, I am all for laughter”.
Osho even devised a ‘laughing technique’. When you wake up in the morning, before opening your eyes, stretch like a cat. Stretch every part of your body. Enjoy the stretching, enjoy the feeling of your body becoming awake, alive. After a few minutes of stretching with your eyes still closed, laugh. For five minutes, just laugh. At first, you will just be doing it. But soon, the sound of your very attempt to laugh will cause genuine laughter. Lose yourself in it.
|
GRAND HERITAGE REDUX
Today
11th April 2006
Spiritual Guru Osho would have been 75 this year, a reason for Leela Arts Academy to present Raja, a play by Rabindranath Tagore. Inspired by a Jataka tale, it is the story of a king who has never been seen in public.
Many stories abound to this, until the queen, who too hasn’t seen him, desires him to appear in public. Raja, who meets his beloved queen in a dark chamber, grantsher this wish.
The play, full of spiritual undercurrents, depicts the journey of the human soul. But though the plot was strong, the play itself was slow. While director Sanjeev Johri scored brilliantly in overall presentation of the play, the actors somehow couldn’t do justice to the central theme.
Stage direction seemed to be haphazard. Most of the space was left empty, giving it an incomplete feel.
Yes, some saving performances by Rekha Malhotra Johri (queen)and Danish Hussain (Dada) and couple of others did make it worthwhile watch. Bit of a drag in the middle, the Rabindra sangeet and colourful sets could soundly make up for all that would have made the play a complete entertainer.
|
|
OSHO’S 75 BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED WITH TAGORE’S PLAY RAJA
Asian Age
10th April 2006
New Delhi: As a part of Osho’s 75th birthday celebrations, Raja, a play written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was staged at the Kamani auditorium recently. Inspired by a Jataka tale, Raja is the story of an invisible king whom nobody from his gigantic kingdom has ever seen. His absence from the public eye generates myriad stories. His bad and beastly appearance is attributed to his hiding in a spooky dungeon-like room. Amid these mindless conjectures, the beautiful queen Sudershana hears his voice. But when it comes to face-to-face interaction, he gives her a miss too. Fed up with the dark chamber conversations with the king, Sudershana feels humiliated and one day she commands the king to appear before her. The story builds up to interesting climax when Raja takes Sudershana into a light of truth, spirituality and supreme happiness.
Talking about the play, director Sanjeev Johri said, "Replete with spiritual undercurrents, the play depicts the journey of human soul that originates from a mysterious source, and to which it must eventually return."
Interwoven with mellifluous music composed by Subrato Das and kathak dancer Saswati Sen’s choreography, the play had fine performances by the talented cast.
|
|
ALL POTTY OVER TEMPLES
Today
26th April 2006
Sweta Jain
Southern temples were the inspiration for Vinod Daroz whose pottery collection is on display at the Osho World galleria
A solo show of ceramics artist Vinod Daroz was recently inaugurated at Osho World galleria at Ansal Plaza. Architecture, especially that of the south Indian temples is his inspiration for his collection of pottery.
Various interesting shapes of bowls and platters, which are functional and sculptures, formed his collection. Informs Daroz, “I have used lots of multi color glazes and there is no lead in this pottery hence the bowls and platters can be used to keep eatables.”
Gotcha interested? There is more. A special sculpture in the shape of temples was really intriguing. It had symbolic depiction of a goddess that’s done in either platinum or gold. These pieces also have space to light a candle. But why has he mixed these expensive metals with the ceramics? “Its again been inspired by the temples of the south where they use a lot of gold to make various patterns etc.”
Daroz, who has been working on this concept for two years, has his studio in Baroda. Its his first solo show in Delhi that will be on till May 7.
|
|
On
the occasion of 70th Birthday of Our Beloved Master Dept. of Posts.
Govt. of India launched a Special Day Cover at a special function
in the capital. 
