According to Osho, being a 'representative' is a borrowed role - a mouthpiece for tradition or authority. Truth cannot be represented; it can only be lived. Drop secondhand identities and speak from your own seeing; presence, not proxy, is authentic.
Don’t speak for others or ideas—be yourself and let your lived truth be your message.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Question: Osho, I have read your writings and listened to you. Your voice is very captivating and your words very clear. Sometimes you speak on Mahavira, sometimes you discuss Krishna, sometimes you talk about Buddha, and sometimes you say much about Christ and Mohammed as well. You offer an exceptionally powerful exegesis of the Gita; you do not miss analyzing the Vedas and Upanishads; you even go and preach in churches. And yet you say from the outset that you are not influenced by any of the above figures—that you have nothing to do with them, that you do not “accept” them. On the other hand, you keep striking at ancient beliefs and scriptures, you criticize religions. Then what is it—do you want to start your own sect or doctrine? Or are you wanting to declare that your knowledge is vast? Or do you want to confuse people?
You say by just being here right now is all we need to know truth. Why do I find it the hardest thing to do? And if I do it, who is here?
Truth is -- you have nothing to do for it; you have just to be. Truth is already there. You are not to invent it, you have only to discover it. Even that word is not right, because truth is not covered -- your being is covered. It is as if the sun has risen but you are sitting with closed eyes. The sun is not covered, only your eyes are covered. Open your eyes and the light is there. If you are in darkness it is because you are keeping your eyes shut. When I say just be, I mean be open. I mean don't try to be something else. Because in the very effort of being somebody else you will be strained, you will be tense, you will be under a stress, and you will remain closed. You can open only when you accept whatsoever you are. If…
How can I be authentic? How can I speak and act the truth when the society and the world on which I have to depend for my worldly needs are based upon lies and untruth
Then be untrue. Then don't create any misery for yourself. But the life for which you are going to be untrue will be taken away from you sooner or later. Death is certain. So if you want to live in an untrue society, comfortably -- then live comfortably. But that comfort is not leading you anywhere except death. Whatsoever you call a comfortable and convenient life, I call only a comfortable way to die. It is slow suicide. But the choice is yours. I am not forcing any goal, any structure on you. I am simply stating bare facts: that if you want to be comfortably, conveniently dying, compromise with the lies that surround you. But you will never feel comfortable deep down. An unease will remain inside your heart. And I know well that if you become authentic and true, it is going to be arduous. Otherwise, why should…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, THEN SAID A TEACHER, SPEAK TO US OF TEACHING. AND HE SAID: NO MAN CAN REVEAL TO YOU AUGHT BUT THAT WHICH ALREADY LIES HALF ASLEEP IN THE DAWNING OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE. THE TEACHER WHO WALKS IN THE SHADOW OF THE TEMPLE, AMONG HIS FOLLOWERS, GIVES NOT OF HIS WISDOM BUT RATHER OF HIS FAITH AND HIS LOVINGNESS. IF HE IS INDEED WISE HE DOES NOT BID YOU ENTER THE HOUSE OF HIS WISDOM, BUT RATHER LEADS YOU TO THE THRESHOLD OF YOUR OWN MIND. THE ASTRONOMER MAY SPEAK TO YOU OF HIS UNDERSTANDING OF SPACE, BUT HE CANNOT GIVE YOU HIS UNDERSTANDING. THE MUSICIAN MAY SING TO YOU OF THE RHYTHM WHICH IS IN ALL SPACE, BUT HE CANNOT GIVE YOU THE EAR WHICH ARRESTS THE RHYTHM, NOR THE VOICE THAT ECHOES IT.
Osho, you have been speaking about the importance of being oneself. Could you talk about the paradox of being an individual and melting into the commune?
But the pseudo-religions have done just the opposite. They are against love. You can understand now, why they are against love: because love will destroy the personality, and the pseudo-religion depends on your personality. The pseudo-religions have made a great effort -- all these churches and priests and sermons -- and what are they doing? Their whole work is to create the personality. They manufacture personality -- of course, different kinds of personality: a Hindu personality, a Christian personality, a Mohammedan personality. These are different models of personalities. All these religions are just like factories creating different models of cars, but the function is the same. The pseudo-religions are all afraid of love. They talk about love, and they teach you marriage. They talk about love and they say marriages are made in heaven. It is not something that you have to find out; God has already found the person…