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Osho on What happens to man's ego when God is denied?

What happens to man's ego when God is denied?

Denying God does not diminish the ego; it merely shifts its ground, allowing it to thrive in new beliefs of disbelief. True liberation comes not from clinging to concepts, but from the silent seeing that dissolves both God and self.

— Osho
According to Osho, denying God does not kill the ego; it often feeds it. The same ego that boasts 'I believe' can also boast 'I disbelieve.' Without awareness, the ego simply relocates and may even swell, judging others from a new stance. Only dropping both concepts—God and the self (anatta)—through direct, silent seeing dissolves the ego and reveals nirvana.

Even if you say there’s no God, your pride can still puff up; only letting go of both “God” and “me” makes pride vanish.

In His Own Words

From the Discourses

Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.

Es Dhammo Sanantano · Discourse 57
1976-04-08 · Pune · Hindi · English translation

And is it not so that by denying God, man’s ego will become even more blind?

It can happen. It depends on man. It depends on you. You can turn God’s existence into ego, so of course you can turn God’s nonexistence into ego as well. People strut about because “we trust in God, we are believers.” Watch a man going to the temple—he looks at others as if everyone else is headed for hell, while he is going to the temple! It is said that the Prophet Muhammad once took a young man to the mosque. After the prayer, as they started back—people were still asleep, it was hot, they had been up late, many were lying out along the road—the young man said, “Look, Prophet, these sinners are still sleeping!” It was his first time going with the Prophet himself! Muhammad stopped right there. He said, “I made a mistake bringing you to the mosque. Your prayer was wasted, my prayer is spoiled; I…
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Athato Bhakti Jigyasa · Discourse 26
1978-03-16 · Pune · Hindi · English translation

Osho, may the color of that flower fade so that only the fragrance remains; let the head go if it must, but let honor remain. Let Your glory be proven by my negation. May I efface myself so completely that only You remain.

No need to rush. Don’t even start trying to erase the “I.” The “I” is such a clever craftsman that if you set out to erase it, it will hide behind the eraser. One day the ego will rise and proclaim, Look, I have destroyed my ego! Now I am egoless! Who is as humble as I? Such a declaration is the ego’s own. Awaken within. Watch and recognize the routes of ego. There is no need to fight. Fight only if you wish to lose—if you want to be defeated. Then how does ego go? Ego dissolves through awareness alone—just as darkness disappears when a light is lit. You don’t have to shove darkness out! You don’t have to slash it with a sword! You don’t wrestle with darkness. If someone starts wrestling with darkness, thumping his chest, do you think he will ever win? He will die fighting,…
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From The False To The Truth · Discourse 18
1985-07-16 · Rajneeshmandir · English
Question: BELOVED OSHO, ARE THESE ILLUSIONS OF GOD AND EGO ONE AND THE SAME? Yes. The moment ego is found illusory, immediately God also disappears. Ego is an imaginary center in individuals, and God is the imaginary center of the whole universe. They are related to each other, dependent on each other. Neither God can exist without ego in you, nor can ego exist without God there above, in heaven. God is the ego of the whole. It is not a coincidence that all the religions emphasize both together -- God and you. They try to make your ego more and more -- at least in appearance -- a reality. To make the ego they have all kinds of disciplines: you have to do this, you have not to do this -- because the ego cannot exist when you are not doing anything.
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Death Is Divine · Discourse 8
1978-10-08 · Buddha Hall · English
Question: OSHO! KILL ME, O LORD, KILL ME! KILL ME, I CRAVE DEATH. KILL THAT DEATH OSHO DIED AND SAW. I AM SUCH A STONE, I CAN NOT COMPLETELY MELT. I AM UPSET. WHAT SHOULD I DO? How does the ego die? The ego dies by accepting what you are. You say, I am fine as I am, where I am is good. I remain just as god made me. Whatever his will is, is my will. If you let go of tension for the future -- this should be, that should be -- the ego is gone. The ego lives on a foundation of past and future. Consider the fact a little. The ego claims that in the past I did this, I did that: it is all past. And ego says I will go on doing it, I will do it and show you. It is all future.
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Jyun Macchali Bin Neer · Discourse 1
1980-09-21 · Pune · Hindi · English translation

Yesterday Dhabbu-ji was saying, Osho, I finished my worship and then saw my little niece, a while later, sitting on the same seat with eyes closed, hands folded, swaying and singing: “Do bechaare, bina sahaare, phirte maare-maare!” (Two poor fellows, without support, roam around hounded!)

Dhabbu-ji told me this, and I burst out laughing. I asked, “Ninu, what’s this?” She said, “Please be quiet, I’m doing puja, Uncle!” Dhabbu-ji said, “Puja? But that’s a film song, not a hymn!” She quickly shot back, “In puja you and Grandma also sing ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’—that’s a song from the pictures too.” What difference does it make what you’re singing? Whether it’s a bhajan or a film song—within your sleep, all is equal. Even if you dream of heaven, it makes no difference. Even if gods appear in your dream, nothing changes. When you wake up, you’ll find all dreams were false. Some people are lost in worldly dreams; others are lost in dreams of renunciation. And these renouncers you’ve kept calling “great souls.” Their sleep is just like yours—no real difference at all. Even their dreams are like yours, because a dream is a dream; what…
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