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Osho on How can my real suffering be caused by something that does not exist?

How can my real suffering be caused by something that does not exist?

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Your suffering arises not from reality, but from the illusions of the ego; when you awaken to your true self, the friction between what is and what you imagine dissolves.

— Osho
Synthesized from Source outcome
Core Insight:
According to Osho, suffering can be caused by the nonexistent because belief makes the unreal operative: like a nightmare, the fictitious ego feels real and collides with reality, producing pain and after-effects. You hurt wherever the 'I' is touched. Awakened awareness exposes the ego’s unreality; dropping self-centeredness ends the friction between what is and what is imagined.
Like a bad dream, your hurt feels real because you believe in a pretend 'I'; wake up with awareness and the hurt loses its grip.
Why this matters practically
- When you feel hurt, notice it's the 'I' that aches; use it to spot ego.
- Practice simple awareness or meditation to wake from the ego-dream.
- Drop self-centered views to reduce friction with reality.
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