According to Osho, quietness is lost by the mind's addiction to 'more' - even more meditation or intoxication. Drop the demand for more and turn from the outer wine to the inner thirst. Dive into the seeker, not the sought: sit in awareness, inquire 'Who am I?', and let the race stop. In this present, desire-free seeing, fulfillment and silence arise here and now.
Stop wanting more; just watch the wanting inside you, sit quietly, and your calm will show up by itself.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, not a single aspiration or desire in life has been fulfilled. In every way, only failure has come to hand. I am sunk in despondency, and now I have only one wish left: that somehow the mind may become quiet. Please show the way.
The mind’s peace does not come by effort; the distilled essence of deep living is this: no desire leads to peace—desire agitates. So at least do not make this new desire. Do this much at least. Now just be still. Say, “All right—whatever will be, will be. If the mind is restless, let the mind be restless. What will we do! What has our doing ever changed? The outer didn’t get set right—how will the inner?” Now say, “Lord, Thy will. If You want to keep me restless, keep me restless. If You want to keep me mad, keep me mad. However You keep me, thus will I remain. I consent to Your will. ‘Jihi vidhi rakhain Ram, tihi vidhi rahiye’—however Ram keeps one, in that way remain. However You keep us—so shall we remain. If You want to keep me restless, surely You have some will in it. You…
Some friends have asked: Osho, for the realization of non-duality (Advaita), how should the mind be oriented? In what way, on which path, should life be set in motion? How can Advaita bear fruit?
Join these three to what I said earlier, and it will be clear how to take step by step on the path of Advaita. In truth, only the first steps need be told. Take one, and the second becomes visible; take the second, and the third appears. Only those fail who never take the first step. Those who do—win. The first step, and half the journey is done—because with it comes a freshness and joy that pulls your feet onward, and onward. Over these three days I have said a few things about this journey. Even saying “I have said” is not quite right. As I said this morning: “Because there is the sun, a blade of grass flowers”—but I also say, “Perhaps because the blade flowers, the sun is.” Such is the interrelatedness. I could not have said what I did had even one of you not been present.…
(Osho remains silent for a few minutes, then begins to offer suggestions.)
Keep looking within... keep looking within... let everything outside become dead. Let it go... utterly dead... remain just watching... remain only the witness... drop everything... as if you have died... as if everything outside has died—the body too... thoughts too... only an inner flame remains, watching. Only the seer remains, only the witness remains. Let go... let go... let go completely... (Silence… solitude… hush…) Whatever happens, let it happen... let go completely... keep only looking within and let go completely... drop every grip... (Silence… solitude… hush…) The mind has become quiet and empty... the mind has become utterly empty... the mind has become quiet and empty... the mind has become utterly empty... the mind has become utterly empty... If there is even a slight holding, drop that too... let go completely... dissolve... as if you are not. The mind has become empty... the mind quiet and empty... the mind has…
Osho, my eyes are like the monsoon months of Sawan and Bhadon, yet my mind remains thirsty...
Your sorrow is so deep it could have awakened you. But there are many lullaby-singers, many patting you to sleep, saying, “So far it hasn’t worked? No problem—tomorrow it will. Trust in fate, in God. Worship, recite, perform havan and yajña. Until now you tried by yourself; now rope in God and try to get it. Your effort so far wasn’t total—now try with your whole being. Bring a deeper method, a more intense yoga, gather every tactic, fight unitedly and victory will be yours.” Such people say, “Nothing is impossible.” I had a teacher—he had no real clue. He taught me in matriculation. He quoted Alexander’s famous line: “Nothing is impossible.” And he delivered an impassioned oration to prove that nothing is impossible. I stood up and said, “However beautifully you speak, this is not true, because Alexander’s own life proclaims his defeat. What difference does his statement make?…
Osho, to abide in oneself beyond the knower, knowledge, and the known—can one live in that state for an entire lifetime? Just as a lake is sometimes calm, sometimes playful, and sometimes stormy, does the self-realized one remain unaffected by worldly circumstances in the same way? Osho, dispel my ignorance!
Spring means harmony between season and mood. Meditation means harmony between you and the whole. You become harmonious. Whatever is, is perfectly okay—accepted. Nowhere any refusal, nowhere any opposition. Whatever is happening is auspicious. That is trust; that is meditation. Such meditation naturally takes you into an altogether new experience. Storms will rise; they will not stop because you meditate. Diseases will not stop coming to the body because you meditate. They will come. A thorn will sometimes pierce the foot. Raman had cancer; so did Ramakrishna—great storms came! Ramakrishna got cancer of the throat; he could neither eat nor drink. Vivekananda said to him, “What is not in your power! Why don’t you pray to the Lord at least to allow food and water to pass? We suffer watching you writhe.” Ramakrishna said, “Ah, it never even occurred to me to pray. How could it occur—to one whose prayer…