Is the current state of humanity a pathological or sociological outcome of education, religion, society, or administration?

Do you feel, Osho, that all this is pathological or sociological in origin—an outcome of our education, perhaps of religion, society, or administration?

I hold that we should regard society as the machine and the individual as the life. To save the individual—even if society collapses—no worry! It won’t be that society vanishes; this society will pass, and a new society will take its place. When the individual becomes the center of education, the thousand kinds of pathology and mental illness that arise will diminish greatly. The social diseases we see—theft, murders, suicides—will also diminish greatly. What happens now is not visible to us. For example, across the world women commit many suicides. The cause is not women’s nature; the cause is the slavery imposed upon women. Slavery reaches a point where death seems better than life. In India, widows became satis; it was merely giving suicide a religious form, granting it a social sanction—nothing else. We created such a painful condition for widows that dying always seemed better to them. If widows…

But Osho, as I understand it, there are certain subjects like chemistry, physics, or medicine where positive values are essential. What are your views about that?

Einstein was doing an experiment. He had failed seven hundred times, yet every morning he came into the laboratory laughing, ready to begin again. The young assistant with him was exhausted. “Is this old man mad? Seven hundred failures—and again he starts fresh!” The youth was tired; he said, “We should drop this now. How many times have we been defeated?” Einstein said, “Defeated? You’re crazy—each time we have won.” “Where have we won? Every experiment has failed.” Einstein answered, “In seven hundred directions we have searched, and we now know truth is not there. We have succeeded seven hundred times. Truth is being endlessly eliminated into nearness. Suppose truth will reveal itself on the seven hundred and fifteenth attempt; then fourteen more eliminations are needed. Then only that will remain; it cannot escape. Where will it go? We have searched seven hundred paths and found it absent. That much…

Osho, today terror, terrorism seems to have spread over the whole world. What is the root source of this sickness and derangement in human beings? How was it produced? What is the diagnosis and the therapy? Can we hope that humanity will ever be free of terrorism?

And what a joke it is. When you worship madness, you announce that you too wish to live that madness. Granted, today you are helpless; granted, today you don’t have the courage; granted, the circumstances are not favorable—then tomorrow, or in the next life. But your worship shows the direction of your life and the longing within you. The simple, ordinary person, in whose life there is no excess—you won’t even notice him. He won’t come into your sight. And he alone is healthy. He will be blissful, peaceful, at ease—but not celebrated. In other words: we must change the values of our reverence. We have given too much honor to the egotistical. And the pathways of ego are very subtle. There is no greater illness than ego. From childhood we feed every child poison—our own children—with love, of course. Our intentions are not bad. I do not doubt your…

Osho, in human life crimes range from lies to rape and murder. Since ancient times sages and saints have inspired righteous action. In this context, please explain how today’s enlightened class should resolve the disorder-born problems of human life?

Now there are two kinds of people. One: those who harm others—you call them sinners, wrongdoers. Two: those who harm themselves for the good of others—you call them saints. There is not much difference between the two. One harms others; one harms himself—both harm. I call him a saint who harms no one—neither another, nor himself. Only when such a rare event happens does a ray of religion descend. This event does not happen to the crowd—it cannot. It is asked again: “In this context, please explain how today’s ‘enlightened’ class should solve the disorder-born problems of human life?” Whom do you call enlightened? Because you got a university degree? Because you managed to publish a few articles in two-bit newspapers? Whom do you call enlightened? Because you can spout a little nonsense in a logically dressed-up way? Whom do you call enlightened? “Enlightened” is a very big word. Do…

Beloved Osho, the world seems to be getting more and more crazy from day to day. Nobody knows what is going on and everything is upside down and confused. This is what is told in the newspapers. Is it real? And if so, is there any intrinsic balance in life which is keeping everything stable?

Buddhaprem, the world is the same; it has always been the same -- upside down, crazy, insane. In fact, only one thing new has happened in the world, and that is the awareness that we ARE crazy, that we are upside down, that something is basically wrong with us. And this is a great blessing -- this awareness. Of course it is only a beginning, just the abc of a long process, just a seed, but immensely pregnant. The world was never so aware of its insane ways as it is today. It has always been the same. In three thousand years man has fought five thousand wars. Can you say this humanity is sane? One cannot remember a time in human history when people were not destroying each other either in the name of religion or in the name of God or even in the name of peace, humanity,…