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Osho on What happens when there is difficulty in living?

What happens when there is difficulty in living?

When you drop your calculations and trust the flow of existence, you will find that there is no difficulty in living, only the illusion of it.

— Osho
According to Osho, 'difficulty in living' is created by our urge to arrange, secure, and predict life. When we drop calculations, accept whatever comes, and serve existence without hoarding, life organizes itself; needs reveal themselves only by their fulfillment, and what doesn't happen poses no problem. Trusting the flow dissolves worry—there is, in truth, no difficulty, except the idea that it must be difficult.

Stop trying to control everything and just do what’s needed now, and life will carry you so the “hard part” fades.

In His Own Words

From the Discourses

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

No, Osho, what happens is that our mind is in one of two states. Either I feel I will be able to solve it, or I’m afraid that I won’t be able to solve it...

Because of that ignorance, we create many problems we don’t even suspect. For instance, in India almost everyone assumes that the sexual act is devastating. Physiologically that is absolutely wrong—completely wrong. In fact, sexual inactivity is devastating. Activity is not devastating. And it is also interesting that anyone who thinks he can go to extremes in sexual activity is mistaken. The body has checks. You cannot go to extremes; there are bodily checks. Nature has arranged it so you cannot expend surplus force beyond what the body allows. But one can misuse it, right? Even misuse is not possible—if you use full understanding. As far as sex has been understood, misuse is not possible. Misuse is impossible. Then not just sex—by that argument you can’t misuse anything! If we extend that very argument, you can’t misuse anything! No, no—you can misuse many things. Why not sex? Because the entire arrangement…
From Ignorance To Innocence · Discourse 23 1984-12-22 Lao Tzu Grove English
Question: OSHO, IS THERE ANY POINT IN LIVING? I said, "You forget all that. Close the door and do what I say." He did, because he had to do it; otherwise I would have thrown him out, saying, "And being my guest, you cannot even do this simple thing for me? Then don't bother me at all, just get lost." So he tied both my hands to two pillars, and he asked me a question. I tried in every possible way, but my hands were tied; I could not say anything to him. I simply said, "Please untie my hands." He said, "But I cannot understand what this is all about." I said, "It is simply that I was trying to see whether I could speak without my hands. I cannot." What to say about hands...
The New Dawn · Discourse 26Question 2 1987-07-01 Chuang Tzu Auditorium English

Beloved Osho, for twelve years, as a sannyasin, I have repeatedly risked living above the income I could make, and so far have not only survived, but at times been immeasurably blessed. But since my re-entry into chinese society and becoming forty-eight years old, I've become more sensible and worry about health insurance and creating a financial base for myself. What does it mean for a sannyasin to live in society without falling into the mental traps of stability, and missing the growth in trust, possible in a state of insecurity?

They told the mother, "This is not good." She said, "It is not your business to be worried. Each time the boy has to go anywhere, carry him to the car. When he comes back, carry him to the room. He is my boy, my only boy, and I have to give him all the luxury, all the comfort possible. And don't be worried, we can afford it; whatever your charges are, they will be paid." Now, can this boy ever think of becoming meditative, conscious, alert? Can even the idea of searching for truth arise in him? No, he will remain just a vegetable. You have seen, just a few years ago there were hippies all around the world. They were all below the age of thirty. And a strange phenomenon was happening, nobody has been observing it ... after thirty, where do those hippies disappear? After thirty they…
The New Dawn · Discourse 2Question 4 1987-06-19 Chuang Tzu Auditorium English

Beloved Osho, life is so exciting when I am open to each moment and not asking where it is going to take me next. The problems disappear and nothing can harm me. The moment my mind comes in saying, "watch out!" the fear arises and life looks dangerous, and I take only calculated steps. How can I remain with the relaxed, joyful, and trusting experience?

Indradhanu, mind is a coward. Those who listen to it become utterly cowardly. Mind is not an adventurer, it is very cautious. It takes every step with long thinking and calculation until it is certain that there is no risk, till it has seen others taking the step and there has been no danger; hence, listening to the mind is the most disturbing phenomenon in your growth. Everything is going good with you, but immediately the mind comes in and says, "Watch out!" Once and for all say to the mind, "Shut up! I am watching in; why should I watch out?" Because you listen to it, "Fear arises and life looks dangerous, and I take only calculated steps." You stop living. Mind is a mechanism, dead. Do you know that the mind can be taken out of your skull and kept separately? Only oxygen and necessary nourishment has to…

Osho, the life I am living, and the way I am living—Is this what life is?

He didn’t listen. He came just now, greatly repentant—didn’t become chief minister, and is no longer even a minister. He said, Now tell me meditation. I said: Now come again—when the chance to become chief minister arises once more in your life. People want meditation free—without giving up anything. And meditation is the most precious thing in life. There is no gem greater than it. Even if you give up everything for it—you have lost nothing. Take to meditation, Madhukar! Your very name is sweet—Madhukar, honeybee! Within, the true flower is in bloom. Come inside. Hum its song there. There is the real nectar. Whoever has drunk it is satisfied forever. If to the blossoming mangoes the maddened bees do not come, how am I to know that springtime has arrived? Granted, the sky seems open now and washed, wide-spread, blue upon blue, the frost-burned lawn turns yellow-green again on…