According to Osho, a cult (sect) is any group that cages freedom with fixed beliefs, prescribed rituals, and ready-made catechisms—insisting on identities, doctrines, and destinations instead of living inquiry. It asks you to keep carrying the boat after crossing the river: cling to scriptures, words, and traditions rather than your own experience. True religion, by contrast, is open adventure, essence without adjectives, unbounded exploration.
A cult tells you what to believe and do, even after you can see for yourself; real spirituality lets you explore freely and drop the rules when they’re no longer needed.