According to Osho, the “fragrance” you feel here isn’t something left behind; it arises from meditativeness flowering within. If you meditate and become the temple, the fragrance—love, silence, trust, a grateful song—goes with you like a shadow, perceptible to others. Distinction is no longer clothes or malas but your being. Don’t hoard it; share and spread this inner religiousness everywhere.
It comes from inside you—meditate and you’ll carry that peaceful, loving feeling wherever you go, and others will sense it too.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Beloved Osho, passing through the gate of this mandir for the first time in eight years, I felt a kind of fragrance which has stayed with me ever since. Is it possible to take this fragrance with me when I leave? Oh, beloved master, it is so beautiful, and I am so grateful to spend this time with you, even if I cannot take this fragrance with me.
Prem Maharaj, the fragrance that you have felt in this temple of seekers is not something that you can leave behind. This fragrance contains love, meditativeness, silence, trust, life-affirmative values, a song of gratitude, a dance with the trees and with the stars... This fragrance is an experience of a totally new atmosphere that does not exist in the outside world. If you meditate, you will become the same temple. Then, wherever you go the fragrance will go with you like a shadow; even others will feel it. It is not the first time that such a question has come to me. The moment they enter the gate many people have felt suddenly, as if they are entering into another world -- the air is different, the vibe is different -- as if they have come home. And there is bound to be a certain fragrance, because so many people…
Beloved master, I have experienced the fragrance and the nectar of the buddhafield while I have been here. How do we keep this with us whilst we are away, especially in the midst of anti-buddhafield forces?
My sannyasins have to learn it -- whether they are in Poona or Chicago they have to learn to connect with me, to contact me with closed eyes. Then I am forever; then whenever they close their eyes they will be surrounded by me. It will not be a form, it will not be a face, it will be simply fragrance; it will not be a flower but only fragrance. You can catch hold of a flower but you cannot catch hold of fragrance. You can experience it but there is no way to keep it in your fist. You cannot touch it, but you can be moved, tremendously moved by it, transformed by it, transmuted by it. And there are a few meditations which are done with half-closed and half-open eyes; Buddha particularly insisted on doing your meditation with eyes half-closed and half-open. Why? His path is the middle…
Sarvatra bhavana gandhah the feeling of that everywhere is gandha -- the only fragrance.
THE INDIAN metaphysics divides Existence into two realms. One is "this" -- that which can be pointed out; and another is "That" -- that which is beyond this, which cannot be pointed out. The Sanskrit word for Truth is SATYA. This Sanskrit word is very meaningful and very beautiful. It is a combination of two words: sat and tat. Sat means "this" and tat means "That", satya means "this plus That is Truth". So first we should understand what "this" is and what "That" is. That which can be perceived, that which can be understood, that which can be comprehended, that which can be pointed out, fingered out, that which can be shown, that which can be seen -- all belong to "this". That which cannot be seen but yet is, that which cannot be comprehended but yet is, that which cannot be contemplated but yet is, belongs to "That".…
Do you know why you are checked at the gate? It is a very esoteric thing -- because your smell gives indications of your spiritual growth, of what centre you are at. If your smell is foul that means you are just at the lowest centre. As you start rising the bad smell starts changing into a beautiful fragrance. And it is just a coincidence that just now the first person, Myriam ... her name meant living fragrance. And suddenly you come here... (much laughter). But every mountain is followed by a valley! If you can go beyond the meaning there is no need to worry. So remember that one has to go beyond all that stinks. Mind stings, ego stinks, jealousy stinks, possessiveness stinks, hatred, anger, greed -- these are all stinking things and if you cling to them you remain stinking. And people cling!
Question: And someone has asked that in your presence a special, delightful fragrance is experienced—and sometimes in the ashram, sometimes even during meditation, it is felt. That fragrance too is yours. Kasturi kundal basai—the musk resides in the navel. My effort is only this much: to turn you toward yourself, to give you a push toward your own being. Where are you running? Where are you searching for musk? It is hidden in your own navel. Yes, sometimes while listening to me you will sense the fragrance. You will think, “It is his.” It is yours! Listening, you became quiet; listening, you became still; listening, absorption arose—and in that absorption your own fragrance touched you and filled you. That is why it will arise sometimes in meditation too. If it were mine, how would it arise in your meditation! I have nothing to do with it.