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Osho on Can the state of beholding a chosen deity be considered the state of supreme knowledge?

Can the state of beholding a chosen deity be considered the state of supreme knowledge?

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Supreme knowledge transcends the duality of the devotee and the deity; it is the moment when both dissolve into pure awareness, leaving only the essence of knowing.

— Osho
Synthesized from Source definition
Core Insight:
According to Osho, beholding a chosen deity (Kali, Krishna, Christ, etc.) is not supreme knowledge but the final threshold before it. Here, the world’s multiplicity has collapsed into two—the devotee and God—so duality still persists. Supreme knowledge is nonduality: when both seer and seen, knower and known, dissolve, leaving only pure knowing/awareness. At that point even the deity and the devotee are ‘dropped’—the ladder discarded.
Seeing your favorite god isn’t the final truth; the real end is when both you and the god disappear, and only quiet knowing remains.
Why this matters practically
- Avoids clinging to forms and methods; keeps practice moving beyond attachment.
- Points you toward nondual awareness, reducing ego and separation.
- Clarifies spiritual milestones so you don't mistake blissful visions for the goal.
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