Kul Bhushan reports on the proposal made during the recent inauguration of Osho Chair at VNSG University in Gujarat.
An Osho University should be established in India. This proposal was mooted at the inauguration of the Osho Chair at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat (VNSG) University in Surat, Gujarat. The VNSG University took the credit for establishing the first Osho Chair at an Indian university on 22nd January 2017.
The highlight of the day-long inauguration was a rousing speech by the guest of honour and a well-known Gujarati spiritual icon, Pujya Shree Morari Bapu, an avid Osho admirer. He proposed the establishment of a full-fledged Osho University to explore Osho’s vision for the benefit of humanity.
In addition to the main inspirational speakers, the music and meditation sessions were also a great success as the jam-packed convention hall of around 2,500 Osho lovers was enveloped by the Osho milieu.
Following the media coverage of this event across India, other universities have expressed interest in establishing Osho departments and academies for similar educational pursuits. Similarly, a postgraduate student at the Delhi University wrote a thesis on Osho’s vision on education in 2004 and so did another student in 2011. A national seminar on Osho’s unique concept, Zorba the Buddha, was held at the department of philosophy at the Government M. K. B. Arts and Commerce College for Women, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in 2011.
The Osho Chair for Research in Human Consciousness and the Study of Individual and Collective Awareness at V.N.G.S University will present, discuss and publish its findings, host at least two seminars on Osho’s vision and how it applies to the current scenario; organise meditation events and lectures on Osho’s vision by renowned guest speakers. In fact, the foundation of this work was laid in 2006 when a university scholar wrote a thesis on Osho’s vision on education. Since then, three other postgraduate students undertook similar research work on Osho’s vision at this university. A fortnight before this inauguration, a two-day workshop on Art of Counselling, Managing Stress and Emotional Wellness was held in the light of Osho’s vision at this campus.
The inauguration of the Osho Chair appropriately started with a video of discourse by Osho watched in rapt attention by the audience. In his address the Vice Chancellor of VNSG University, Dr. Dakshesh Thakkar, said India is the birthplace of such enlightened souls as Buddha, Mahavir, Kabir, Meera, Raman and Osho. Their words are not mere words but life transforming ‘mantras’ (spiritual aphorisms).
Presenting the aims of the Osho Chair, Dr. Satya Vedant, professor emeritus and author, said that Osho is like a mega sun that lights our lives and our potential. Osho’s dynamic ideas and observations bring a revolution to the education system and motivate us to come closer to mediation for realizing our full potential. This is the real education that brings nirvana.
Award-winning movie and TV scriptwriter Kamlesh Pandey who has penned such blockbusters as ‘Rang de Basanti’, among others, related his journey as an Osho disciple and said his whole life has been inspired by Osho; adding that he eats, drinks, sleeps and breathes Osho. He believes that in future, history will be defined by two periods: before Osho and after Osho.
In his inaugural address, Pujya Morari Bapu recalled how after reading Osho, he was motivated to attend the discourses of the enlightened master. Nobody in the world can speak Hindi like Osho. He maintained that talking about Osho is sheer bliss and when he talks about Osho, people criticize him but this does not bother him at all. Osho has revived many, many enlightened masters whom we did not know at all. He urged everyone to share Osho’s vision at every opportunity. He welcomed the establishment of an Osho Chair and added that an Osho University should be established as well.
After lunch, the event morphed into an Osho celebration with live music by Swami Prem Arup from Chandigarh and Swami Prem Anadi from Pune, as the participants sang and danced to meditative music.
“In view of the current state of affairs, the insights given by the enlightened mystic, Osho, are extremely relevant and valuable for not only revolutionizing the whole understanding of what life is all about but also for enhancing the quality of individual and collective responsibility for the well-being of humanity as a whole,” said Satya Vedant, hoping for more such instructions based on Osho’s enlightened vision.
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Kul Bhushan is a regular contributor
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