Manuscripts ~ Reports Timeline Extraction

A correspondent has shared his research into Osho's Manuscripts. Some of Osho's early writings have turned out to be fact-based accounts of his travels, speeches, and the events of the time. The research is organized into four batches, corresponding to the particular groups of manuscripts where info was found. All info presented is annotated, ie which sheet of the manuscripts it derives from is clearly indicated, so one can also study them for oneself. In some cases, Osho's notes contain the full text of early unpublished discourses, though not in this batch, which has some text but nothing like complete.

Other batches in this series are:

(1) Manuscripts ~ Messages Timeline Extraction

(2) Manuscripts ~ Notebooks Timeline Extraction

(3) Manuscripts ~ Programmes Timeline Extraction

This batch, the fourth in the series, derives from a data-rich group of pages at Manuscripts ~ Reports, "Reports of Nation-Wide Programmes of Acharya Shri". One wondering that has been growing regarding these data-source manuscripts in general and which comes to a head with this batch in particular, is, "Is Osho really the author of these Reports, Programmes, etc?" Surely he would not refer to himself in the third person? Etc.

In fact, the first four lines of the first sheet in the batch declare, translated roughly:

News Department

Activation of the Wheel of Dharma

Countrywide Program of Acharyashri

Compilation: Natubhai Mehta

But does it matter for our purposes here? Perhaps this Natubhai-ji did gather the information and Osho copied it here. Perhaps Natubhai gathered it and wrote it. Or perhaps Osho did it all in Natubhai's name, which may itself be made up. Osho is said to have attributed his writings to others many times, and in fact continued that "tradition" in his discourses by making up questions, attributing them to his sannyasins and then "answering" them. In the end, the information in the manuscripts is as reliable as anything else we're going to get about that era that hasn't otherwise been authenticated. And like other sources, it is fallible.

These manuscripts do not include the year, so we will need to compare with existing Timelines to see how they fit. Our correspondent has done some of this himself too. See the Analysis below each section for details.

Dates	Event Description and Notes	Wiki Notes, Comments
	Sheets A-2 - A-4 -- (1967 - confirmed)	let's see about that
7-10 Apr	Sheet A-2 -- evenings, Bombay, Lectures at Cross Maidan. Message: Love life and live it to its totality or total depths because in temple called life, God resides.
	and mornings, C J Hall - Q & A Message: Religion is only one and it is your real nature but we have caught hold of the finger pointing to the moon instead of looking at the Moon.
11 Apr am	Poona, Hindvijay Theatre Lecture on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti
11 Apr pm	Sheet A-3 -- Poona, Addressed large public meeting. Message: Ask seed of drop of water about secret of religion.
14 Apr pm	Jabalpur Lecture at meeting of Sindhi Society
17 Apr pm	Sheet A-4 -- Jabalpur Lecture at Opening ceremony of Art exhibition. Message: One has to search, live and know religion and not try to search for it in religious literature.
22 Apr	Delhi, addressed the Servants of the People Society in Lala Lajpat Rai Bhavan.

Analysis to come.

The B group of sheets, next, also begins with four lines characterizing the collection. They are almost the same as those introducing the A sheets ...

News Department

Activation of the Wheel of Dharma

Countrywide Program of Acharyashri

Compilation: Jatu Bhai Mehta

... but no cigar.

Dates	Event Description and Notes	Wiki Notes, Comments
	Sheets B1 - ? --
5 - 8 May	Sheet B-1 -- Indore, daily addressed a large public gathering in the courtyard of Rajwada	See Analysis below re "Rajwada".
7 May	Evening, Addressed members of Lions Clubs Indore. (In timeline this date conflicts Birla Krida Kendra Bombay). Message: Faith has killed religion
8 May am	Sheet B-2R -- Indore, addressed a huge public gathering at Geetagyan Mandir (Ek naya dwar)

Re "Rajwada": sheet B1 has it as राजबाडे, which transliterates to Rajbade, with "Rajwada" the rendering of our correspondent. This rendering is likely correct, as Rajwada is an iconic palace in Indore.