Ask Osho!

Should we ignore heredity in the context of how a newborn baby acquires knowledge from the environment?

Synthesized from Source definition

"Your essential self transcends both heredity and conditioning; through meditation, you can step beyond body, brain, and mind to discover your pure being."

Core Insight:
According to Osho, we shouldn't ignore heredity: about ninety percent of a child's mind is shaped by environment, while roughly ten percent (body and brain capacities) comes through heredity and remains fluid. Mind is a social product, yet the essential self lies beyond both heredity and conditioning; through meditation one steps behind body, brain and mind to pure being.
Don’t ignore genes, but remember most learning comes from surroundings—and your deepest self is beyond both.
Why this matters practically
- Design education and parenting around rich environments, while accommodating innate learning speeds.
- Avoid genetic fatalism; most conditioning can be reshaped through context and practice.
- Use meditation to discover identity beyond conditioning, nurturing compassion and nonviolence.
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