Seventh: Again a book by another disciple of Gurdjieff, Hartmann. The book is Our Life With Gurdjieff. Hartmann – I don’t know the exact pronunciation…because I can hear a little giggle somewhere. But don’t be bothered about the pronunciation. Hartmann and his wife were both disciples of Gurdjieff. Hartmann was a musician and played for Gurdjieff’s dances. Gurdjieff used dances as meditations, not only for the disciples but even for the people who saw the disciples dancing.

In New York, when he performed for the first time, Hartmann was playing the piano, the disciples were dancing, and the moment when Gurdjieff shouted “Stop!” – it was a stop exercise. Not you Devageet, you go on writing. When Gurdjieff shouted “Stop!” the dancers really stopped, in the middle of a dance! They were just on the edge of the stage. They all fell on top of one another on the floor, but still nobody moved! The audience was awestruck. They could not believe that people could be so obedient. Hartmann wrote the book Our Life With Gurdjieff and it is a beautiful description by a disciple. It will be helpful to anyone who is on the way.

What is the number?

“That was number seven, Osho.”

Good, you are hearing.

Eighth…and do you see my way of teaching? And do you see that even when I try to annoy you it is just to teach you something of which you may not be aware right now? But someday you will feel grateful.

Seventh…is that right?

“It is number eight, Osho.”

So good to be corrected by a disciple, immensely good. A master always feels blessed if a disciple corrects him. And it is only a question of numbers. When I am trying to correct you all, at least I can allow you to have a little pleasure as far as numbers are concerned. So what is the number now?

“It is number eight, Osho.”

Good. Sometimes I want to laugh…. Eighth? Good.

The eighth book I am going to talk about is written by Ramanuja, a Hindu mystic. It is called Shree Pasha. It is a commentary on Brahman Sutras. There are many commentaries on Brahman Sutras – I have already talked about Badrayana’s Brahman Sutras. Ramanuja comments on him in a way which is unique.

The original book is very dry, absolutely desertlike. Of course the desert also has its beauty and its truth, but Ramanuja in his Shree Pasha makes it a garden, an oasis. He makes it juicy. I love the book Ramanuja has written. I don’t like Ramanuja himself because he was a traditionalist. I hate the traditionalists, the orthodox, from my guts. I consider them to be fanatics – but what can I do, the book is beautiful; once in a while even a fanatic can do something beautiful. So forgive me for including it.