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According to Osho, 'constitution' means an individual's psycho-physical makeup—the designed structure of a being—whereas 'prakriti' is utterly different: the primordial, uncreated, beginningless nature or material that precedes and underlies all creation. Srishti is what is made; pralaya is dissolution. Like a house, the plan is constitution; the earth, air, and heat it’s built from are prakriti. No exact European equivalent exists.
No: constitution is your body-and-mind’s design, while prakriti is the timeless stuff everything comes from, existing even before anything was made.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
You mentioned that there is no comparable word for prakriti in the english language. Isn't the word constitution similar in meaning to prakriti?
No, it's not the same meaning. Constitution in that sense means an individual's makeup, his psycho-physical structure. Constitution in this sense means one's system, one's physical and psychological makeup as such. Prakriti is something very different. Normally we use prakriti in the sense that "That man's constitution is such...." But this kind of usage is not correct. Prakriti means that which was before creation -- precreated. And pralaya means: post-creation -- that which follows the creation, the end of creation. So prakriti means that which was even before the creation came to be, that which didn't need to be created -- which has always been, beginningless. That which already is. Srishti means the created -- that which came to be. There is no word in European languages which stands for prakriti, because these languages are influenced by Christianity. In Europe there are words such as the 'creation', and the 'creator'.…
Osho, you said that in English there is no word for prakriti (nature). Isn’t “constitution” a word like nature? As when one says “he is constitutionally like that,” doesn’t it mean “he is born with…”?
No, not that meaning. “Constitutionally” means his constitution is like that. “Constitution” means a statute, a framework. Yes, as with a person: “constitutionally” means that person’s structure is such, that person’s constitution is such. The word prakriti is something very different. We use it in the sense of “so-and-so’s nature is like this.” That is not a correct usage. Prakriti means before the making (kriti). Pralaya means after the making. Prakriti means that which was there even when nothing had been made; that which does not need to be made at all, that which is beginningless, that which simply is. Srishti means that which is made. In the European languages there is no word for prakriti, because they are influenced by Christianity. So in Europe there is creation and creator. In the languages of this land there is the word prakriti—and even then, not in all. In Sankhya, Vaisheshika, Jain—their…
Still it is given thee to fight and overcome thy foolish passions: learn thou to subdue them.
BE SOBER; DILIGENT, AND CHASTE; AVOID ALL WRATH. IN PUBLIC OR IN SECRET NE'ER PERMIT THOU ANY EVIL; AND ABOVE ALL ELSE RESPECT THYSELF. SPEAK NOT NOR ACT BEFORE THOU HAST REFLECTED; BE JUST. ... REMEMBER THAT A POWER INVINCIBLE ORDAINS TO DIE; ... THAT RICHES AND THE HONOURS EASILY ACQUIRED, ARE EASY THUS TO LOSE. AS TO THE EVILS WHICH DESTINY INVOLVES, JUDGE THEM WHAT THEY ARE; ENDURE THEM ALL AND STRIVE, AS MUCH AS THOU ART ABLE, TO MODIFY THE TRAITS. THE GODS, TO THE MOST CRUEL, HAVE NOT EXPOSED THE SAGE. EVEN AS TRUTH, DOES ERROR HAVE ITS LOVERS; WITH PRUDENCE THE PHILOSOPHER APPROVES OR BLAMES; IF ERROR TRIUMPH, HE DEPARTS AND WAITS. PYTHAGORAS WAS THE FIRST TO COIN AND USE THE words 'philosophy' and 'philosopher'. 'Philosophy' means love of wisdom, and 'philosopher' means a friend of wisdom. Before Pythagoras, other words were used for the same…
Question: IT IS ALL-PERVADING, IT IS THE PUREST, IT IS BODILESS, IT IS INDESTRUCTIBLE, IT IS WITHOUT SINEWS, IT IS SPOTLESS, IT IS SINLESS, IT IS ALL-SEEING, IT IS ALL-KNOWING, IT IS THE BEST AMONG THE BEST, A small atom produces a tremendous amount of electricity, and by transforming it into electricity the atom was destroyed -- it was no more. So science now says that its old notion of duality -- matter and energy -- is gone. Now only energy remains. But I tell you, there still exists one more distinction, and that is the distinction of energy and consciousness. When we touch electricity we know it is energy, but when we talk with a person we don't feel that he is simply energy, we feel his consciousness also. If the electric current is on, this tape recorder here will work, it will speak.
Question: what is prana and how is it manifested in each of the seven bodies?
When the magnetic force is in you, when it is coming into you, you are great; when it has gone from you, you are just a nobody. And this is changing back and forth, just like day and night; the circle revolves, the wheel revolves. So even a person like Napoleon had his impotent moments and even a very cowardly person has his moments of bravery. In judo there is a technique to know when a person is powerless. That is the moment to attack him. When he is powerful you are bound to be defeated, so you have to know the moment when his magnetic power is going out and attack him then, and you should incite him to attack you when your magnetic force is coming in. This coming in and going out of the magnetic force corresponds to your breathing. That is why, when you have to…