"...and nothing has ever happened"

This is the name of Swami Chaitanya Bharti's (now usually called Gurudev) book. Bharti was one of the first six persons initiated into sannyas by Osho in 1970, and is now widely regarded in India as enlightened himself.

This is what "Life Positive", India’s leading personal growth magazine, has to say about the book:

' Swami Chaitanya Bharti, known to his followers as Gurudev, is one of the first generation disciples of Osho – who before his death assigned to him the responsibility of conducting meditation workshops in his name. The title of the book is taken from the last line of a poem by Ramana Maharshi. It implies that at the highest level of enlightenment nothing exists, nothing will happen and nothing has ever happened.

Though this statement seems very nebulous and vague to the average mind, as one imbibes Gurudev’s teachings, things begin to get clearer. It is a compilation of his talks and views that he shared with his disciples in workshops conducted in Goa and Panchgani.

Throughout the book, Gurudev comes across as a teacher who will spare no effort to see that his disciples reach their goal. He is a friend to all, but he can be stern and rough, if that be the student’s need for learning and transformation. The talks are down-to-earth and simple, and he cajoles and coaxes the gathering to be light-hearted and non-serious. According to him, it is the serious minded people who commit major mistakes, with the potential for causing injury to others.

His talks are punctuated with jokes and anecdotes designed to make people laugh. He says that laughing out aloud is also a form of meditation in which one forgets oneself. There are frequent cries of ‘Ho Jaaye’ as a cue for the audience to start laughing.

He takes us through the five levels of consciousness, starting from the first level, where we blame the other person if something goes wrong; through the next four levels of sharing the blame; blaming oneself; blaming no one; and finally, accepting that nothing ever happened.

The essence of the book is that the whole world and our entire existence is maya, a leela or illusion, and nothing else. He touches on the topic of taboos related to sex and non-vegetarianism, explaining how our minds are conditioned by our parents, our faith, our beliefs, and our customs.

The book is interspersed with articles and poems written by his students. It ends with a guided course on the art of meditation. An excellent book, it will touch your heart and change your outlook on life. ...Dr. P.V. Vaidyanathan

To order contact :Mr. Ajay Jain, The Word Book Shop, 899 Bootee Street, Camp, PUNE 411 001, (MS) India Tel : +9120 2613 3118 / 2613 6086 E-mail : word@vsnl.com

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