What happens when I seek freedom from the web of words?

This web has been woven out of words. So it is apt to ask whether understanding comes through words.

Certainly something can be done; but that doing has nothing to do with the laboratory. It pertains to the inner being. As long as there is resolve, will, and “I am,” death is certain. The day “I am” is no more, there is no way for death. The whole never dies; this Vast never dies. Waves come and go; the ocean remains. While I am a wave, I will die; when I am the ocean, there is no way to die. In this aphorism, Ram points toward that vast ocean. It has nothing to do with Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. Ram is the Hindus’ beloved word for the Divine—and a very sweet word. It has no connection with any person, any historical figure. To take refuge in Ram means: effacing oneself and taking refuge in the All. “I am not. This expanse, this immensity, this Brahman—this is.” Apart from this…

Beloved Osho, before we ask anything we would like to offer our gratitude and greetings to you. The mystics have always said that "there is nowhere to go but in." you also say the same. We are familiar with the words, but our understanding of it does not go beyond the verbal level. Could you please explain the deeper meaning of it?

Understanding at the verbal level is not worth calling understanding. In the world of religion there is no greater deception than words. The words can be understood, there is no difficulty in that, but that which is hidden behind the words remains uncomprehended, and that is the real difficulty. When the word is understood, but not that which lies behind the word, life becomes a great turmoil. We create the illusion of knowing when we do not know, and nothing is more dangerous than assuming that one knows when one does not. Life begins at the point where knowing happens. Life is transformed through knowing. But if we live under the illusion that we know religion because we know the words, then our mind travels in one direction while our life travels in another, and often these directions are completely opposite. This is why hypocrisy comes to be a daily…

Osho, I have been entangled in the scriptures all along; and you say scriptures are futile. What should I do now?

In the hands of one who knows, not only scriptures but the smallest happenings of life take on deep and grave meaning. Tattooed words, but trenches of meaning being dug— Sir is busy tattooing, tattooing and tattooing! “Malpua” scrawled across the belly, “house” written on the brow; “dhoti–kurta” written on the body— the devils laugh! On the back, “mountain ranges” inscribed, on the chest, “cremation ground”; tears labeled “pearls,” and read out as “charity”! On the ears, “sweet jaggery-balls” written, on the hands, “favor”; on the cheeks, “Ganga–Yamuna” written— and they keep taking a bath. Write “favor” on the hand—will it become favor? Write “meditation” on the forehead—will it become meditation? On the cheeks, “Ganga–Yamuna” written— and they keep taking a bath. Tattooed words, but trenches of meaning being dug— Sir is busy tattooing, tattooing and tattooing! The pundit goes on tattooing and re-tattooing. The pundit’s world is profoundly false.…

A friend has asked—and I have heard it from you—that God is not in words but in truth. I too want to be free of this web of words. But I feel afraid. A drowning man clings to a straw. Reciting the Gita makes me feel everything is going fine. If I drop it, won’t there be a spiritual fall? Might I become a sinner?

I say: I drank water, and my thirst was quenched. Now if you seize upon my statement, your thirst will not be quenched. Drink water, and thirst will go. There is not a drop of water in the word “water.” However much you keep drinking the word “water,” your thirst will not be quenched. A deception can happen: one can persuade oneself—“I am drinking so much water”—repeating “water, water” from morning till night. What thirst? It can also happen that you become so absorbed in the word “water” that you no longer notice the thirst—but the thirst does not go. And whenever the rote of the word “water” stops, you will notice again that the thirst is present. You will have to drink water; the word will not help. Therefore fear arises if you are only replacing one word with another. But there is no need for fear if you…

bibles, korans, gitas cannot give it to you -- they are all words, they are beautiful they were spoken by beautiful people but that does not make any difference even if buddha says the word rose it does not become a rose even if jesus says the word fire it does not become fire but beautiful people can be so hypnotic that you start believing in their words christians, hindus, mohammedans, buddhists are all doing the same they have all forgotten the reality and are clinging to the labels they are all clinging to the cages maybe they are golden cages but the bird, the alive bird, the singing bird is no more there the search of sannyas is for the alive, the singing bird man has two alternatives two possible orientations one is character, the other is consciousness character is imposed from the outside it is a political and…