The long awaited book of Laxmi’s biography is to be published soon [December 11, 2017]. Kul Bhushan reports from Delhi.
The Only Life is the title of the biography of Osho’s first secretary, Ma Yoga Laxmi, written by Rashid Maxwell and due to be published by Simon & Schuster later this year. The news was announced at a special celebration on the occasion of Laxmi’s birthday on February 12, 2017 at Oshodham, New Delhi.
Four long-time Osho sannyasins shared their experiences with Laxmi during this well-attended event.
Dharm Jyoti, who was among the first group of Osho’s sannyasins:
“I had a heart-to-heart relationship with Ma Yoga Laxmi. I first met her in Bombay just after Osho moved there from Jabalpur and found her to be a small, spirited young woman who lived life on her own terms. Happy-go-lucky, she was involved in social work. During the Nargol meditation camp conducted by Osho, she had a very deep life-transforming experience and she started wearing orange clothes. When Osho appointed her as his secretary, she worked every day non-stop from 8 am to midnight attending to all tasks and never looked tired. All her decisions were based on what Osho told her. After she took sannyas, she became even more dedicated and devoted to Osho. Sitting in one pose for hours, she was totally with Osho.
“I saw her the last time before she left her body and found her happy, relaxed. She still had only one concern: how Osho’s work can move forward. I am truly inspired by her.”
Satya Vedant, professor emeritus and author:
“Always happy, always smiling, always laughing, Ma Yoga Laxmi was totally surrendered to her master, Osho. When questioned on accomplishment or problem, she always responded by saying, ‘It is his Leela (play), not Laxmi.’ Her surrender to her master was one hundred per cent. She always lived in the moment, managed to accomplish a vast amount of work in a few minutes, tackling different issues from kitchen to meeting the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The word disciple is related to discipline in English but in Sanskrit the word means one who learns, lives and breathes the master. Laxmi lived Osho, breathed Osho and remained with Osho all her life, like a true disciple.”
Anand Kul Bhushan, former newspaper editor and author:
“Who is Ma Laxmi? A small, frail, fragile, delicate young disciple…. No. She was not just a body. She was a bundle of energy, Osho’s energy. Anyone interacting with her was interacting with Osho’s energy. In her every breath, her every heartbeat, every task, Osho’s energy was flowing all the time. Laxmi operated in two dimensions: love and logic; sannyas and sansar: love and unconditional surrender for her master; logic for the world. When she spoke about her master, it was surrender, thankfulness and unbounded love in every second of her life. When she dealt with contractors, bank managers, politicians and everyone else, it was sheer logic. Both these dimensions happened at the same time. When Osho moved to Pune in 1974, the commune was not very developed. But her devotion and dedication was greatly responsible for its rapid blooming. A top Indian magazine named her as one of the four most powerful women in India at that time. Her response was, ‘It’s all his Leela!’
“Once she was standing by herself at an airport when an Osho sannyasin asked her, ‘Ma, are you alone?’ She turned to her side and said, ‘No, he is here with me.’
“Before coming to Delhi for her work, she would contact Om Prakash Saraswati for assistance and he, in turn, would depute Atul Anand to be with her around the clock. So her style of work, witnessing and surrender, permeated both of them and thus lives on till today.”
Atul Anand, Osho World Foundation:
“Before Osho left for USA, whenever Laxmi came to Delhi, I was with her to work for her current mission. It is my great and good fortune that I was blessed with her presence. In fact, this is the greatest fortune of my life. Of course, Osho is the biggest blessing in my life but Laxmi was my gateway to Osho. She was always transparent and devoted to Osho.
“The three stages of learning from a master are: student, disciple and devotee. Very few people graduate to become devotees. Only by becoming a devotee, they can be transformed as in the case of Laxmi. As the daughter of rich parents she became an Osho disciple and his secretary; and finally, when she was retired, she became his devotee. That’s when her transformation was complete.
“She was at her peak before Osho left for USA. But her real life story started after going to the USA. As Osho’s secretary, she had great power in Pune 1 but none after she went to the USA. Suffering from cancer and often penniless, she still thanked Osho for his compassion. She described everything as ‘a stick’ from Osho and when she was told by Osho to leave Pune after he returned from USA, she rang me and said, ‘The master has given me the final stick.’ Her trust and surrender never faltered until her last breath.
“The title of the book The Only Life refers to the fact that Laxmi had only one life; we have so many – our family, our career, our friends, and so on – but she had only one life, only for Osho.”
Kul Bhushan is a regular contributor
More articles by the same author on Osho News
Review by Osho News staff with links to where you can buy it from
The Only Life: Osho, Laxmi and a Journey of the Heart – A most significant and comprehensive book about Laxmi’s life written by Rashid Maxwell has been published on December 11, 2017; reviewed by Bhagawati
Related to Laxmi
Life is Just a Play: Remembering Ma Yoga Laxmi – a video documentary on Laxmi’s life with Osho
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