According to Osho, don’t start by trying to illuminate others—first become illumined. Light your own lamp; when it burns, light radiates of itself and guides even the distant. Real spirituality is supreme self-interest: realize your own being (swa-arth). From awakening, altruism happens naturally; otherwise, missionary zeal risks snuffing out others’ lights. Begin with inner transformation, not external crusades.
First light your own inner lamp, and then your light will shine by itself to help others.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, I want to bring light to the world. And you have also said this is your message. How should I begin this great work?
Jagdish! Have you found the light? Have you become illumined? If you had become illumined, you wouldn’t ask this question. Because one who is illumined doesn’t have to ask how to show light. Light begins to pour from him. When a lamp is lit, the lamp does not ask, “Now how should I light up the room?” The lamp is lit—there is light. The lamp is lit—light begins to fall on people’s paths. The lamp is lit—and even those wandering in distant darkness begin to see. Someone lost in a far-off forest can also see the lamp in someone’s hut. Once the lamp is lit, light flows of its own nature. You simply do not ask. Your lamp has not yet been lit. Yes, you want the pleasure of showing light! And such a delusion arises because your so‑called sadhus and saints keep telling you: Serve! Work for people’s welfare!…
I certainly want to become enlightened. But if I do, what difference does it make for the rest of the world?
But why are you worried about the rest of the world? Let the world worry about itself. And you are not worried about what will happen to the rest of the world if you remain ignorant.... If you are ignorant, what happens to the rest of the world? You create misery. Not that you knowingly do it, you are misery -- so whatsoever you do, you sow seeds of misery all around. Your hopes are meaningless; your being is significant. You may think you are helping others -- you hinder them. You may think you love others -- you may be simply killing them and murdering them. You may think you are teaching others, but you may be simply helping them to remain ignorant forever -- because what you hope, what you think, what you wish, is not significant. What you are is significant. Every day I see people around…
Just the day before yesterday, a young man came from Germany. He said, “Everything else is fine—I came to ask, there is so much poverty and suffering in the world; what can I do for that?” I asked him, “First let me ask you: are you beyond suffering, beyond worry?” He said, “I am not.” I said, “Then first take yourself out. This trick—‘the world suffers, I will bring the world out’—is a trick. It allows you to forget your own suffering. It gives you the convenience of turning your back on yourself. “How will you bring light to others when you have no light? How will you relight others’ lamps when your own is out? The danger is you might blow out someone else’s flame. Do me a kindness—don’t worry about others yet. Worry about yourself first.” Start at home. Change yourself.
Question: Third question: Osho, I want to awaken the world. What should I do? In the spiritual sense, saints have always known that you all are asleep even while awake. Krishna has spoken the famous line—remember its opposite as well; it is just as true. Krishna said: “Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ, tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī”—that which is night to all beings, therein the disciplined one is awake. That is half the statement. The yogi is awake even while asleep; his eyes are closed, yet within there is wakefulness. The non-yogi is asleep even while awake. This is the second half, which Krishna did not say. But I want you to remember it. It is more useful to you. The first will make sense when you become a yogi. For now, remember the second: with eyes open, you are asleep. Ramteerth, don’t ask yet about awakening the world.
Regard most earnestly your own heart. For through your own heart comes the one light which can illuminate life and make it clear to your eyes.
That is the reason why Shankara calls the world illusion. The more you move away from yourself, the more you are moving into illusion; and the more you go inward, the more you are moving into reality. Your personality is the gateway toward illusion, toward an unreal dream world. Throw that gate, throw that bridge completely. At least in meditation. I am not saying for you to go and move in society and be authentic. You will be in difficulty. If you feel happy to do it you can do it, but I'm not saying that; don't put the blame on me. The society will create troubles for you. It doesn't want your real faces, it wants your unreal faces. And it is okay as far as the society is concerned. Use an unreal face when you go out, but when you go within, throw that face completely. Don't get…