Do flowering, awakening, and self-realization all mean enlightenment, or is there a difference?

Beloved Osho, a short time ago you said that spring has come and many sannyasins are ready to flower. Do "flowering," "awakening" and "self-realization" all mean enlightenment, the ultimate truth? Or is there a difference? And can a person, after attaining, fall back into identification with the mind?

From enlightenment, falling is simply impossible. You are gone -- and gone forever; not even a shadow or a trace of you is left behind. Up to self-realization the possibility remains -- it becomes less and less, but it remains. You can start being egoistic about your self-realization: "I have known, I am a realized person. I am a saint, I have encountered God" -- but that "I" is there, howsoever pious. Even its shadow is dangerous; it can pull you back. I have heard a very beautiful story about Jesus.... Jesus was walking through Jerusalem when he saw an angry crowd shouting and screaming at a woman. He came closer and heard the mob accusing the woman of adultery. Jesus strode to the front of the mob, held up his arms and said, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." The crowd fell silent, but one…

Beloved Osho, what is the relationship between meditation and witnessing? In what way are mind and ego dissolved by them? Is surrender possible without attaining complete egolessness? To what extent are orange clothes and the mala helpful for meditation and witnessing? Also please explain the difference between witnessing, wakefulness and right remembering.

Then there are some who say doing has no attraction for them, but thoughts come rushing in waves. They are thinkers-they have no juice for doing. They have no interest in the outer, but great waves arise within, a great tempest. And they cannot be inside for a single moment without thoughts. They say, "If we sit silently more thoughts come. When we sit silently more thoughts than usual come. Just mention worship, prayer, meditation, and a great deluge of thoughts -- -armies -- come in wave after wave and drown us. What should we do?" The master says, "Drink meditation mixed in with your thoughts. Don't stop your thoughts, but when thoughts come observe them. Don't get lost in them, stand a little apart, at a distance. Calmly watching your thoughts, you will gradually attain witnessing. Add meditation to your thoughts." Then there are some who say, "We have…

Question: does transcendence come with the opening of the sahasrar?

No, transcendence is beyond the opening. But enlightenment has two connotations. One, the dying mind - the ending mind, the mind that is going to die, the mind that has come to its peak, the mind that has come to its last - conceives of the enlightenment. But a barrier has come and now the mind will not go beyond this. The mind knows that it is ending, and with its ending the mind also knows the end of suffering; the mind also knows the end of division; the mind also knows the end of the conflict that was there. All this ends and the mind conceives of this as enlightenment, but it is still the mind that is conceiving of it. So this is enlightenment conceived of by the mind. When the mind has gone, then the real enlightenment comes. Now you have transcended, but you cannot talk about…

Chidaaptih pushpam what are the flowers for the worship? -- to be filled with consciousness.

To be a Buddha is not only blissful. It is blissful as far as Buddha himself is concerned. He comes to a peak experience of bliss. But at the same time he has to pay very dearly, because he becomes so sensitive that everything around him gives him pain. He suffers because of others' suffering. A beggar meets you: you pass him unconsciously; there is no problem, it is very convenient. If you become conscious, then it is not so convenient. Then you are bound to come to realize that you have a hand in it, you are part of this ugly world. You are responsible for all that is, whether it is a Vietnam war or a Hindu-Mohammedan riot or poverty. Whatsoever is there, if you become conscious you become responsible. It is difficult now to escape. This is the cost to be paid. So never think that Buddha…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE MANY STATES ON THE WAY TO ENLIGHTENMENT I AM NOT EVEN ABLE TO SEE WHERE I AM ON THE WAY. I ALWAYS THINK I MUST BE THOUSANDS OF LIFETIMES AWAY FROM THE HIGHEST STATE. ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU ARE SAYING THAT IT CAN HAPPEN NOW AND HERE, FOR ALL OF US. I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT A QUICK CHANGE CAN BE POSSIBLE -- FROM A STATE OF UNAWARENESS LIKE MY OWN, TO A STATE OF TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS. IN MY REALITY I OFTEN SEE MYSELF AS AN IDIOT, VERY STUPID. I DO HAVE A TASTE OF UNDERSTANDING, ESPECIALLY THROUGH YOUR SO-CALLED CONTRADICTIONS, BUT THIS UNDERSTANDING CREATES IN ME EVEN MORE ABSURDITIES. FOR EXAMPLE: "THE HIGHEST FREEDOM IS IN THE HIGHEST SLAVERY." I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED -- AND AT THE SAME TIME, I AM NOT.