Chanting (group)

The Chanting group was like Music Group in that it was not a growth- or insight-oriented "process", nor bodywork, nor was it assigned by Osho. It was a drop-in lose-yourself-in-celebration group, available every night after dinner during darshan, except during camps, the 11th to the 20th every month, for whoever wanted to join in.

Its soft sounds wafting over into the Darshan space are mentioned in a number of Darshan Diaries from Jul 1977 to Mar 1978. In particular, Far Beyond the Stars has an extended bit of Osho's guidance to its leader, Pushpa, who has a few questions. Maneesha gives the background:

[Pushpa's turn. She's the leader of the chanting group that happens every evening in the ashram's radha meditation hall. The group meets after the music group is finished, so the contrast between loud music and wild dancing, and the humming, soft sounds of the chanters, produces a vibe in the hall that is heavily charged with energy! From what transpires tonight, it seems that someone has told pushpa that the sanskrit words used in the mantras are being mispronounced. Pushpa's been having difficulty in being both spontaneous and correct.]

Don't bother too much about sanskrit and grammar and language; that will destroy the whole joy of it. You will become too much concerned with the rules of the language and the pronunciation and this and that, and that is not the real thing.

So last time [when the group came to darshan] it was not as it could have been. Invent! The english language is as divine as any sanskrit: any sound which feels aesthetic and beautiful, any sound which creates a thrill and joy in the heart, will do.

Even if it doesn't belong to any language -- that is not the point at all -- you can find just pure sounds that are more deep-going. Because when you use a certain word it has certain meanings; those meanings create a limitation. When you use a pure sound it has no limitations: it is infinite.

For example, if you say 'ram' it has a limitation: the hindu idea of god and everything is there. If you say 'allah' it has a limitation: the mohammedan concept is there to define it. If you say 'aum' the whole indian mind is behind it. For centuries they have repeated the word, they have put much energy into it, they have put much meaning into it. All that meaning is put in.

But you can find any sound which has no meaning, which belongs to no tradition; you can be inventive, and then there are no rules and no limitations, and no problems. and you can go more deeply into it. The whole thing is how to be lost in it, how to become the sound. When you are thinking about the grammar you cannot become the sound. Mm? the mind goes on keeping watch -- something may go wrong. You cannot go very deep.

So forget all grammar, forget all language; use any words and any sounds that you feel like. the whole point to remember is that the people who are chanting should be completely lost in it; they should become drunk.

So the best was your 'allah', mm? that day -- that was the best -- because people were really getting into it, and the reason was that no Mohammedan has been teaching you! Otherwise there are flaws, and then if a Mohammedan comes and he feels that this is wrong and you should not say it this way, then you will be disturbed.

[The Indian] disturbed you because she told you that sanskrit language has to be pronounced this way and that -- she disturbed... no need! It is good for her because for her it is not a problem but for you it will become a problem and it will not lead you where I want you to go. And for everybody it will become a problem.

And the second thing: when you come next time you should not do too many, mm? because when you do too many you don't get into it. Two are enough; fifteen minutes each will do. And when you are doing it there [in Radha Hall where the groups practise] do four -- fifteen minutes will do, or even sometimes thirty minutes... because the longer you go the deeper you go. In fact near around forty minutes one enters the unconscious depth.

So there is no need to change, because we are not worried about how many mantras you chanted; that is not the point. One mantra will do, but if you get into it then let it be there and go on and on and on and on so you completely lose yourself in it.

So when you do it here, you can do either one mantra or two at the most.

[She then asks if they can use percussion instruments.]

You will become like the music group...

Mm, then it will lose its distinctiveness....

It is better to keep to sound, only sound, because that again is a different thing. Then you become more interested in the music and the music affects you -- not your own sound. And chanting should be free of all instruments so a person can do it anywhere. If he is sitting in the forest or on the river bank or in his bedroom, he can do it. It should not be attached to anything that is needed; it should not have any requirement, just his own sound is enough.

Don't do that, mm? Just sound is good.

The whole point is: don't be too much worried about the letter... just the spirit. You can use words, I'm not saying not to. You can use hindu words, you can use christian words, you can use mohammedan words; that is not the problem. Just don't be too much worried about the letter. And if somebody comes, tell them that Osho is not insistent upon that, his insistence is to go into it and forget about yourself -- so we are not worried about the grammar.

Many people will come, particularly these people. There are always stupid people who look for the non-essential. If they see that you are doing a mantra and that you are not pronouncing it rightly they become too concerned -- as if something is going very very wrong or some sin is being committed. Don't be bothered by these, just tell them that you are not concerned. That's what I am saying, that if you invent some words, some sounds, that will be perfectly good. Then nobody can come and say 'What are you doing?' You are always right, mm?

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