Osho Driving Rolls Royces

Discourses

In December 1979, for the first time, a Rolls Royce is used to drive Osho to Buddha Hall for his discourse. And in an interview, Osho explains the difference between driving a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes.

Osho's first Rolls Royce

Q: What is so funny about your driving to discourse in a Rolls Royce?

There is a long story behind it! I was driving… I was coming in an Impala, and people like you started writing letters to me saying that, “This is a plumber’s car!”

I told Laxmi, “Change it!” So she bought a Buick – and people started writing to me that “This is a pimp’s car!”

So I told Laxmi, “Change it!” So she was bargaining for a Lincoln Continental. And people wrote to me, “This is good – this is a president’s car!”

I said, “That is worse – worse than being driven in a plumber’s or a pimp’s car!” So I told Laxmi, “Now, for a poor man like me, only a Rolls Royce will do!”

Now, please don’t make any objection to it… because coming from Lao Tzu to Buddha Hall, a helicopter won’t do. Don’t create troubles for me!

Osho, The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Vol 7, Ch 2, Q 3

 

Q: Do you know how many companies, how many Rajneesh enterprises there are in the world?

No, I don’t know and I don’t bother.

Q: But nevertheless, I mean, you enjoy a kind of luxury. Would you agree to that?

I am a perfect showman.

Q: At least even if you don’t own them, if you want to hire a Rolls Royce… I wouldn’t be able to afford it.

Not one? My people have managed to have ninety.

Q: But it’s very uneconomic to have ninety Rolls Royces and having them in the garage and use one every day.

We don’t bother about economics, economy, future. They are going to have 365.

Q: But wouldn’t it be better to let your people enjoy the fruits of their work a little bit more?

That is up to them. My commune has hundreds of other cars, hundreds of buses, four planes, they have everything. It is not that only I am enjoying luxury – they have everything. It is simply out of respect they will not use a Rolls Royce. And I am using it because I have tried all the cars and just by coincidence only the Rolls Royce seat suits my backbone.

Q: And a Mercedes wouldn’t be good enough?

I have tried it; it was not good enough. Not even other Rolls Royces, which are far more costly. I had a Corniche; it didn’t suit me. That was the costliest Rolls Royce. Then I had a Camargue – that was the number two Rolls Royce in cost; it didn’t suit me. Now I am on the third grade, the Silver Spur.

Q: But you would not, for instance, in special regard to our German readers, recommend a Mercedes for wealthy people with backaches?

No. I have used it. I would not recommend it.

Q: I am very much in doubt whether we will be able to print it, because they have big advertisements in ‘Spiegel’, you know.

You have to print it!

Q: All right, we promise.

… Because I love Germans. I have among my sannyasins a large number of Germans. And they are the most stable, intelligent, reliable, responsible people in the commune.

Q: They also provide the most money into the funds.

Certainly.

Osho, The Last Testament Vol, 1, Ch 2 (Interview with ‘Der Spiegel’, Germany)

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