How can we know that a person has realized the truth?

Question: BELOVED MASTER, HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT A PERSON HAS REALIZED THE TRUTH? Only by realizing the truth. Otherwise, how can you know? Truth is not something objective, that a person can show, "Look, I have realized the truth." Only by realizing it will you start seeing its qualities. And those qualities will make you aware of all those people who have realized it, because the same qualities will be radiating -- the same beauty, the same grace, the same honesty, the same truth, the same courage, the same integrity. But right now you can only believe, and I am not a person to support any belief. All beliefs are blinding. When the truth can be realized, when the truth is in your very being, why bother about whether somebody else has realized it or not? Somebody may be pretending, somebody may be acting.

Osho, what does realization feel like? How can a seeker know that something has truly happened? How can one distinguish reality from self-created imagination? How can others recognize the attainment of one who is realized?

You ask: “How can a seeker know that something has truly happened?” When you have a headache, how do you know you have a headache? When I was in school, I had a Muslim teacher—perhaps he is still alive—Rahamuddin, a lovely man, but very strict in one thing: it was almost impossible to get leave from him. He himself never took leave and would not grant it to students. I often needed leave. I would say my stomach hurts, or my head hurts. He said, “Listen, I accept fever; I do not accept stomachache or headache. If you have fever, I can at least take your hand and feel it. But how am I to know whether you truly have a stomachache or headache?” I said, “Since you ask, let me ask you—have you ever had a headache? A stomachache?” He said, “I have.” I said, “What proof can you…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, WHAT IS THE CRITERION OF THE TRUTH? Gautam Buddha used to say, "Buddhas only show the way; nobody can walk the way for you. You will have to walk and you will have to find ... and those who have found it have all become dumb." It is almost like giving a dumb man delicious sweets .... It is not that he does not know the taste; he knows. He rejoices, but if you want to ask how it tastes, of course he cannot say anything; he is dumb. All those who have known truth become dumb about truth. They can tell you how to reach it; they can show you the way. They can take you to the window, to the door, but you have to find it within yourself, following the path alone ... the ultimate experience.

Osho, how do you know that Sahjobai was self-realized? Are her words themselves sufficient proof?

The question is a little difficult. Words cannot be sufficient proof, because words can be borrowed. What is said can be a repetition of what someone else said. Therefore words cannot be sufficient proof; at most they can be insufficient proof. Understand this a little rightly. Insufficient proof means that from words one can get a hint. But it will only be a hint. Whether it is certainly right is hard to say. From words we do get an indication. When you repeat someone else’s words, some mistake is bound to happen. It is not very difficult to recognize a pundit’s words. A pundit’s words are caught at once, because he repeats; he himself knows nothing. However much he tries to repeat exactly, still some mistake is certain, because inside him there is nothing but confusion, and on top of that he is trying to repeat. The one who is…

Osho, kindly explain—what is the way to recognize enlightened ones?

If you go near an enlightened one, you will recognize. How could it be otherwise! It may be that a blind man cannot see the sun, but when the morning sun spreads its rays, he feels its touch. He experiences its warmth, its heat. He comes to know that night has gone. Birds have begun to sing, the morning hymn has begun. He knows that a moment ago all was silent, asleep, dead; now life has revived, a hum is there. The sun may not be seen, but its warmth is felt. Even the blind senses the sun. He knows when night has passed and day has come. Granted you do not yet have the inner eye—but if you go near an enlightened one, that gust from the Malaya will touch you. You will bathe in it. You will be freshened. That piece of moonlight will shower upon you. You…