Did we forget to drop our egos after abandoning external symbols of spirituality?

Beloved master, we dropped red clothes, malas, temples, gachchhamis, worship. Did we forget something -- like dropping our egos?

Just look how easily you can drop red clothes, how easily you can drop your malas, how easily you can drop gachchhamis, because you were never authentically and sincerely in love with them. You pretended, you were hypocrites. You had pretended you loved your mala, but the moment you found the chance to drop it, you dropped it immediately. And you must be thinking you dropped it because I have said so. But I have been telling you for years continuously to drop the ego -- that you don't drop. Strange... I said only one day, "Drop the malas," and you were so happy and so clapping, rejoicing. But when I say, "Drop the ego," you don't clap. You know that you are not going to drop it. Ego seems to you to be very precious, and ego is nothing but poison. The mala cannot harm you, red clothes cannot…

Before it comes into existence one lives moment to moment. Who cares to remember the past? So the child up to the third or fourth year remains spontaneous, wild, natural, outside society, on the fringe. It is a cultivated phenomenon, hence it can be dropped. If it were natural there would be no way to drop it. Because it is put together by society it can be easily dismantled. And that's what sannyas is all about, dismantling the ego. The process is painful because you have to become too attached to it. But once you understand that the ego is the root cause of all your misery, you are ready to go through the surgery. It is better to be finished with it in one stroke rather than to go on being miserable for your whole life.

Becoming a sannyasin means a commitment That you will try now for the real birth And you will deliberately drop many kinds of Stupid ideas which dominate the mind. Mind is full of stupidities And much has to be done. Man is almost like a raw diamond. A jeweller can understand the hidden beauty Of the raw diamond Ordinarily you will not be able To see any beauty in it, It will look like just an ordinary stone Maybe a little cclourful, maybe a little shining But nothing very special. Before the Kohinoor. The greatest diamond in the world, Was found in Golconda, in India, The person who found it in his field Had it for three years And had no idea what it was. He just thought it was a beautiful stone. His children played with it for three years.

So put all your energies into one efforts How to be more aware. And if one puts one's total energies into awareness It is bound to happen -- it is our birthright. But one should not be half-hearted. It can't happen half-heartedly It happens only when You are one hundred per cent in it, into it When nothing is being held back, When you have put all your cards on the table The trump card included. When you are not hiding anything When you put yourself in totally It immediately happens. And that happening is a great revolution. It transforms you from the lowest to the highest From the gross to the subtle From the visible to the invisible, It takes you from the mind to the no-mind. And to live in the no-mind is to be wise. To function out of no-mind Is to function out of wisdom.

Yesterday Dhabbu-ji was saying, Osho, I finished my worship and then saw my little niece, a while later, sitting on the same seat with eyes closed, hands folded, swaying and singing: “Do bechaare, bina sahaare, phirte maare-maare!” (Two poor fellows, without support, roam around hounded!)

Dhabbu-ji told me this, and I burst out laughing. I asked, “Ninu, what’s this?” She said, “Please be quiet, I’m doing puja, Uncle!” Dhabbu-ji said, “Puja? But that’s a film song, not a hymn!” She quickly shot back, “In puja you and Grandma also sing ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’—that’s a song from the pictures too.” What difference does it make what you’re singing? Whether it’s a bhajan or a film song—within your sleep, all is equal. Even if you dream of heaven, it makes no difference. Even if gods appear in your dream, nothing changes. When you wake up, you’ll find all dreams were false. Some people are lost in worldly dreams; others are lost in dreams of renunciation. And these renouncers you’ve kept calling “great souls.” Their sleep is just like yours—no real difference at all. Even their dreams are like yours, because a dream is a dream; what…