How can I distinguish between the ego and my true nature?

Beloved master, you continually speak of dropping the ego, but how can I do so when I can't distinguish between what is the ego and what is my true nature?

Anand Vedant, the ego cannot be dropped. It is just like darkness -- you cannot drop darkness, you can only bring light in. The moment light is, darkness is no more. You can say this is the way of dropping darkness, but don't take it literally. Darkness does not exist at all -- it is absence of light. Hence you cannot do anything directly to it. You can only do something to light -- either bring light in or take light out. If you want darkness, put the light off; if you don't want darkness, put the light on. The ego cannot be dropped. Meditation can be learned. Meditation functions as a light, meditation IS light. Become light, and you will not find the ego anywhere. If you want to drop it you will be in trouble, because who is this one who wants to drop it? It is the…

Osho, may the color of that flower fade so that only the fragrance remains; let the head go if it must, but let honor remain. Let Your glory be proven by my negation. May I efface myself so completely that only You remain.

No need to rush. Don’t even start trying to erase the “I.” The “I” is such a clever craftsman that if you set out to erase it, it will hide behind the eraser. One day the ego will rise and proclaim, Look, I have destroyed my ego! Now I am egoless! Who is as humble as I? Such a declaration is the ego’s own. Awaken within. Watch and recognize the routes of ego. There is no need to fight. Fight only if you wish to lose—if you want to be defeated. Then how does ego go? Ego dissolves through awareness alone—just as darkness disappears when a light is lit. You don’t have to shove darkness out! You don’t have to slash it with a sword! You don’t wrestle with darkness. If someone starts wrestling with darkness, thumping his chest, do you think he will ever win? He will die fighting,…

Beloved Osho, how can I leave my ego outside the front gate? It follows me like a shadow and even hides behind my back and then I am not able to see it.

I said, "I understand perfectly well. You don't understand with whom you are talking." But I did not leave the chair. I told him that whatever he wants to do, he can do. He can go to the vice-chancellor, he can bring the vice-chancellor... "I am going to remain in this chair." He said, "What is the purpose of all this mess?" I said, "The purpose is to show you that it is not my sitting in the chair that is hurting you, it is your ego. If you accept it I will leave the chair. If you don't accept, then you can bring anybody to help you... but as far as I know the students, nobody is going to help." He waited a minute. There was utter silence in the class. Everybody was afraid that if the vice-chancellor came and the proctor came, there was going to be trouble…

Osho, a Sufi poet has said— “Erase your very self if you desire rank, for the seed, mingling with dust, turns into flowers and gardens.” Osho, will you bestow your grace to erase my self, so that my inner seed may sprout, blossom, and bear fruit?

This so‑called fraternity of priests and saints is very clever. To the rich they say “Laxmi-Narayan”—to the poor, “Daridra-Narayan.” To the rich they say, “Your wealth is due to past merits.” To the poor they say, “Don’t worry; bear poverty with peace and contentment; ahead, a great rank awaits.” That is why no revolution has happened in this country in five thousand years. How could it? The poor are consoled, “In heaven you will be first—don’t worry.” He sits waiting for heaven—for tomorrow, which never comes. Tomorrow is an outright lie. Premmurti, first of all—do not desire rank. What will you do with rank? What does “rank” mean? That others will honor you! Why do we seek respect from others? Because we feel an inferiority complex within. This psychology must be understood clearly. The person who feels inferiority within seeks respect from others so that somehow the inner pit may…

Osho, whenever someone tells you that such-and-such is happening in meditation and you say, “Good, that is auspicious,” the ego grows even more. And at all other times the ego keeps raising its head. Even while writing this question the ego thought a lot about it, and still...?

And I tell you: only the shadow remains with you; you have lost the soul. Imagine what your plight must be! Losing a shadow caused such trouble; you have lost the soul and kept only the shadow. But perhaps you don’t notice much trouble because those among whom you live have also lost their souls. The truth is, if you gain your soul, the trouble begins—those without souls become your enemies. Otherwise, why would people stone Mahavira, insult Buddha, crucify Mansoor, poison Socrates, kill Jesus? The crowd is without soul. Whenever a soul-full person stands among them, they become very uneasy. What foolishness! They should learn from the soulful how to become soulful. But seeing a soulful person, they get anxious. They say, “His presence proves we failed to become what we should have become. We lost.” Anxiety arises: “Our life is wasted. Remove this man; his presence is a…