The shake-up from thinking for yourself lasts until we build a wiser, living order—then it settles on its own.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Orderly. Orderly. Everything was in perfect order. He created chaos. This Gandhi is a troublesome man—chaotic, anarchic. In fact, in the world... but how long will this anarchy last? Discernment will create anarchy only so long as belief is creating disorder. The day there are many people in the world with discernment—there will be no need for anarchy. Discernment will create its own order.
As yet, the order of discernment has not arisen in the world. The order that exists is of non-discernment—an order of ignorance. Until an order of knowledge comes into being, there will be rebellion. And I say: there should be; otherwise it is very dangerous if it does not happen. The condition of our country is this... We have been enduring poverty for four thousand, three thousand years! But we say it is the fruit of our karma. We did bad deeds in a past life; we are reaping their fruits, therefore we are poor. We have been repeating this for three thousand years. We could have eliminated poverty in our land long ago, but we have not been able to—and we will not be able to, so long as we keep repeating this. “There is order. There is no question of disturbing it.” We go on tolerating everything. We…
Osho, from dharma plus concept, or concept plus dharma, culture is created. And from culture, society and its traditions are formed. The Revered One has said that religion is against everyone. If religion remains opposed to all, won’t some kind of anarchy become inevitable? Please be kind enough to explain!
No award of this world can compare with the award of inner bliss. Let the body go, let age go, let wealth go—let everything go—if only the inner nectar remains, then everything remains! He who has lost the inner has lost all. He who has saved the inner has saved all. But ordinarily the Jain goes and returns corrupted. Why? He was already corrupt! It is not that he became corrupt—he was a paper flower, a false thing, a conditioning. Understand the difference between culture and dharma. Dharma is your own direct experience; culture is what has been taught by others. No matter how well-organized, what is taught by another does not liberate you; it binds you. So when I say dharma is rebellion, revolt, I mean—revolt against tradition, revolt against conditioning, revolt against spiritual slavery. But the religious person does not become anarchic. If the religious person became anarchic,…
Osho, so it has come down to a question of awareness.
It is only a question of awareness! Only a question of awareness! In the confusion of our daily life, can we have this impartial experience? Yes, yes, absolutely. Only in this very life can you have it. Nowhere else can you. This society as it exists—should it remain as it is, or does it also need to be changed? It needs to be changed every day. So will it change through this very experience? No, no, no. Not necessarily. If this experience happens, then this society will indeed change—change every day. It won’t even need to be what it was yesterday. Then you are talking of anarchism. That would mean that what is to be done could be different in each duty, in each situation. It certainly can be. And in this experience we also think: this is nothing; not this, not this, not this. And then further, further—there is…
Osho, you are always immersed in bliss—what is the secret of it? When will I be able to attain this ecstasy?
Yogananda, I have given you the name Yogananda; the whole secret is in it. A human being can live in two ways: either cut off from existence, or in oneness with it. Whoever lives separate will live in sorrow—anxiety and anguish. That is natural, for to live apart from existence is like a tree pulling its roots out of the earth and trying to live. It will wither; the leaves will droop, flowers will cease to bloom. Spring will come and keep coming, but that tree will never become a bride, never a bridegroom. For it there will be no spring. If the roots have been torn from the soil, what remedy can even the honeyed month of spring offer? Then where is bliss, where is ecstasy! Then there is no dawn—only a dark new-moon night, a night with no morning. Such a life is called ego. And the tree…
Did Mahavira also understand it this way? He certainly would. There is simply no other way; there is no other option. That is, as long as there is no discernment, some kind of regulatory arrangement will remain. But remember, discernment does not arise from an arrangement of rules. Therefore, the ongoing effort to awaken discernment must continue. And the arrangement of restraint and rules should be regarded only as a necessary evil. There is no glory in it.
A policeman stands at a crossroads and therefore people keep to the left and right—there is nothing fortunate about this. People should keep to the right and left on their own, and the policeman should be sent off; we are needlessly troubling one man. And for what are we troubling him? So that he keeps making people move left and right! And how mindless are people that if there were no policeman at that crossing, they wouldn’t even keep to the left and right! So it means that society has, till now, not even tried to produce intelligence! It is making a policeman do the work of discernment. Millions pass along this road, and one policeman has become a substitute for the discernment of millions! This policeman too is a man without discernment. Somehow he manages the left-right. But what difference does it make? People keep to their lanes a…