Sumit Paul
Recently, while talking to a British professor of philosophy at Cambridge regarding Nietzsche’s radical idea of Ubermensch (beyond-man in German), he told me that only India’s Osho Rajneesh fully understood Friedrich Nietzsche and his iconoclastic philosophy. This had me thinking. When one reads Osho and burrows into his idea of a Superman, one realises that it’s more complete and comprehensive than that of Nietzsche.
Nietzsche’s Ubermensch is the opposite of Jesus Christ. But Rajneesh’s Superman is one and only. He’s not pitted against anyone. In philosophical parlance, Osho’s Ubermensch is beyond a-priori and post-priori and also a-posteriori. In Osho’s words, the future man would be Ek Asamprikt Vyakti, an unaffiliated individual.
This is the core of the future human, as envisaged by Rajneesh, that he’d be completely unaffiliated. Actually, this Ubermensch has its roots in Jainism, a predominantly atheistic faith. Incidentally, Rajneesh was born into a Jain household in central India. His name was Chandra Mohan Jain. Mahavira’s Kaivalya gave birth to an unclustered and uncluttered existence. This free individual will be his own god and he’ll create his own charter of morality.
While simplifying Mahavir Sutram for philosophy students of Sagar University, Rajneesh made it clear way back in the 50s that the Superman of Mahavira would be ‘godlessly godly’! This is an oxymoron. How’s it possible for a godless person to become god(ly)? Isn’t the very statement self-contradictory and theologically ironic?
Rajneesh clarified that god was the sum total of all that’s perceived as go(o)d. He’s beyond morality and superimposed divinity. It’s really strange and so revolutionary to know that Mahavira ideated more than 2,600 years ago that a human could go beyond the intangible idea of an imaginary god and reach a stage from where he could look down upon the god which is an idea of ‘spotless perfection’ – ‘binduheen sarvoparitam’ according to Jain agamas – conceived and concocted by the humans.
Kevalam Vykatitvam – the sole existence in the whole Universe – was the Superman of Mahavira and Rajneesh. This Ubermensch would be a completely realised soul and an evolved identity for whom nothing would matter or be of any concern. He’d be beyond moral conundrums and ethical doubts. He’d be ‘Perfection beyond perfection(s)’.
He’ll not be anyone’s slave. Neither will he ever be the master of anyone. In the words of Rajneesh, “He’ll have no religion, no god/s, no country, no caste, no class and no concerns.” Nietzsche defined the Ubermensch as the ‘Epitome of all humans’. Rajneesh went further and called him, ‘Unalloyed consciousness far beyond godhood’. J Krishnamurti defined the Supreme Human as ‘The Arbiter of His Own Self and Entity who would be answerable to none and none would be answerable to him’. Rajneesh visualised a totally unaligned evolution of human self.
The question is: Are we evolving to become Rajneesh’s Superman or Nietzsche’s Ubermensch? Are we in any way unaligned? We’re collectively devolving. When we’re still stuck in the pettiest issues of religions, racial discrimination, countries, nationalism and caste-based considerations, can we claim to have evolved even a bit since the first human being came into existence thousands of years ago? We’re neck-deep in a quagmire of extreme obscurantism and ignorance. To quote Urdu poet Shakeel Badayuni, “Apni hasti ka bhi insaan ko irfaan na hua” – Alas, man hasn’t yet realised the potential of his own self.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.
Courtesy: The Times of India: Speaking Tree: 19th Jan, 2019
Sumit Paul
Recently, while talking to a British professor of philosophy at Cambridge regarding Nietzsche’s radical idea of Ubermensch (beyond-man in German), he told me that only India’s Osho Rajneesh fully understood Friedrich Nietzsche and his iconoclastic philosophy. This had me thinking. When one reads Osho and burrows into his idea of a Superman, one realises that it’s more complete and comprehensive than that of Nietzsche.
Nietzsche’s Ubermensch is the opposite of Jesus Christ. But Rajneesh’s Superman is one and only. He’s not pitted against anyone. In philosophical parlance, Osho’s Ubermensch is beyond a-priori and post-priori and also a-posteriori. In Osho’s words, the future man would be Ek Asamprikt Vyakti, an unaffiliated individual.
This is the core of the future human, as envisaged by Rajneesh, that he’d be completely unaffiliated. Actually, this Ubermensch has its roots in Jainism, a predominantly atheistic faith. Incidentally, Rajneesh was born into a Jain household in central India. His name was Chandra Mohan Jain. Mahavira’s Kaivalya gave birth to an unclustered and uncluttered existence. This free individual will be his own god and he’ll create his own charter of morality.
While simplifying Mahavir Sutram for philosophy students of Sagar University, Rajneesh made it clear way back in the 50s that the Superman of Mahavira would be ‘godlessly godly’! This is an oxymoron. How’s it possible for a godless person to become god(ly)? Isn’t the very statement self-contradictory and theologically ironic?
Rajneesh clarified that god was the sum total of all that’s perceived as go(o)d. He’s beyond morality and superimposed divinity. It’s really strange and so revolutionary to know that Mahavira ideated more than 2,600 years ago that a human could go beyond the intangible idea of an imaginary god and reach a stage from where he could look down upon the god which is an idea of ‘spotless perfection’ – ‘binduheen sarvoparitam’ according to Jain agamas – conceived and concocted by the humans.
Kevalam Vykatitvam – the sole existence in the whole Universe – was the Superman of Mahavira and Rajneesh. This Ubermensch would be a completely realised soul and an evolved identity for whom nothing would matter or be of any concern. He’d be beyond moral conundrums and ethical doubts. He’d be ‘Perfection beyond perfection(s)’.
He’ll not be anyone’s slave. Neither will he ever be the master of anyone. In the words of Rajneesh, “He’ll have no religion, no god/s, no country, no caste, no class and no concerns.” Nietzsche defined the Ubermensch as the ‘Epitome of all humans’. Rajneesh went further and called him, ‘Unalloyed consciousness far beyond godhood’. J Krishnamurti defined the Supreme Human as ‘The Arbiter of His Own Self and Entity who would be answerable to none and none would be answerable to him’. Rajneesh visualised a totally unaligned evolution of human self.
The question is: Are we evolving to become Rajneesh’s Superman or Nietzsche’s Ubermensch? Are we in any way unaligned? We’re collectively devolving. When we’re still stuck in the pettiest issues of religions, racial discrimination, countries, nationalism and caste-based considerations, can we claim to have evolved even a bit since the first human being came into existence thousands of years ago? We’re neck-deep in a quagmire of extreme obscurantism and ignorance. To quote Urdu poet Shakeel Badayuni, “Apni hasti ka bhi insaan ko irfaan na hua” – Alas, man hasn’t yet realised the potential of his own self.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.
Courtesy: The Times of India: Speaking Tree: 19th Jan, 2019