Why do saints talk about transcendence as going upwards while Lao Tzu speaks of going downwards?
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definition
"Deepen your roots and the heights will arrive by themselves; transcendence is not a climb but a surrender to the ground beneath you."
According to Osho, saints speak of “upward” transcendence as the destination, while Lao Tzu prescribes the “downward” path—the method of rooting, humility, and sinking to the lowest like water. Life moves by inverse logic: deepen your roots and the heights arrive by themselves. Abandon striving for peaks; nourish the roots—presence, surrender, groundedness—and nature blooms the flower of transcendence without effortful ambition.
To rise high like a mountain, first sink low like water: stop chasing the top, grow deep roots in humility, and the height will come by itself.
Why this matters practically
- Shifts focus from outcome-chasing to present-moment practice, reducing anxiety.
- Cultivates humility and groundedness, building real inner stability.
- Aligns with natural growth—less ego-striving, more effortless unfolding.
- Cultivates humility and groundedness, building real inner stability.
- Aligns with natural growth—less ego-striving, more effortless unfolding.
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