An encounter with Osho reveals the depth of his detachment from material offerings – by Ageh Bharti
I don’t remember the name of the auditorium, but it was somewhere in Bombay, in a densely packed area. The exact year escapes me too. What I do remember clearly is that Osho – then known as Acharya Rajneesh – was scheduled to give a lecture there. The hall could easily hold over 400 people, and I was fortunate to be among them.
After the lecture, as Osho made his way out towards his car, many people stepped forward to touch his feet. I had already moved ahead to be closer to him. Just as he was about to get into the car, an elderly, well-dressed woman approached him.
She told Osho that her husband had passed away, leaving behind an extra ₹16 lakhs specifically to be donated to a worthy cause. She wanted to give it to Osho – with a single request: that if an ashram were ever built, a statue of Lord Krishna should be placed in a suitable spot.
Osho listened, then replied calmly: “Please donate it to someone else. There are many sadhus in Bombay. I don’t accept anything with conditions.” And with that, he drove away.
It’s worth noting that ₹16 lakhs was a considerable amount at the time. Yet Osho’s principle was clear – he would not accept money tied to any expectations.
Later, when the ashram in Pune was eventually built, it included Krishna House, Lao Tzu House, Jesus House, Francis House, Eckhart House, and others – each named without obligation, and inspired by something deeper than money.
This memory came back to me recently when someone on Facebook accused Osho of being greedy, calling him just another man from a Jain family. I unfriended that person immediately.
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