What is Anuvrat?

The meaning of both words? Yes, I’ll tell you. Mahavrata means, for example, total ahimsa—living in absolute nonviolence; total aparigraha, total non-attachment. Anuvrata means: to the extent of one’s capacity. One person says, “I will keep possessions up to five rupees”—that is an anuvrata. Another says, “I will remain naked; I will keep no possessions at all”—that is a mahavrata.

Another story may help. An emperor was deeply impressed by a renunciate who lay naked under a neem tree. The emperor’s reverence grew and one day he said, “Not here—come to my palace; why lie here below? Come to the palace.” He had thought the renunciate would refuse: “I cannot go to a palace; I am non-possessive.” The renunciate said, “As you wish.” He stood up, staff in hand. The emperor felt uneasy. He had expected a refusal. “As you wish—let’s go to the palace!” A doubt arose in the emperor’s mind: “I have made a mistake. The man looks like he was waiting for the palace; perhaps he was under the neem only in the hope someone would take him to a palace. He did not refuse even once! What kind of non-possessive man is this? A non-possessive one should have said, ‘Never—I cannot enter a palace. A palace…

And if you go to a temple or mosque and swear: O Master, bless me, from now on I will always add two and two as four — it is clear you are deranged. And whoever blesses you is further gone than you. Your mind is broken. You suspect you will add two and two as five. To fight that suspicion you are making prior arrangements. You know your inner state that when I add, two and two will become five. 'No-no, swear, arrange in advance!' Then within you, you know two and two will become five, therefore take a vow and create a block so two and two will be four. But this is not knowledge; this is greed. The greedy man becomes vowed; the man of understanding is avratī. This does not mean there is no revolution in his life — only in his life does revolution happen!

Osho, you said that when awakening comes one should be aware of unconsciousness; there is no need to fight the various branches. Avrat alone is not enough; along with it, awakening is also necessary. So my point is: if awakening comes, then avrat will come on its own, won’t it?

No, no. Avrat is what we already are. That is, a vrati is one who lives by binding himself in rules; an avrati is one who does not live by binding himself in rules. We are already avrati, understand? There is no question of bringing it. We are already avrati. Some among us are vrati—temple-goers, mosque-goers, those who perform worship and rituals, who live by rules and religion—they are vrati; the rest are avrati. The vrati should become aware with regard to their vows; the avrati with regard to their non-vow. One has to become aware of exactly what one is doing. Then, with awakening, that which the vrati is trying to bring through vows will come. It will come—on its own.

Osho, I am worn out from practicing religion—vows, fasts, yama and niyama—I’ve tried them all and found nothing. What should I do now? I have come to your refuge to ask this.

So sometimes fasting is useful. But fasting is not a way of life. Otherwise you are choosing slow suicide; you begin enjoying torturing yourself; you turn perverse and violent toward yourself. Such fasting is abuse—self-abuse—and no one can protect you from it. And your mute body already suffers so much at your hands. Do not imagine this abuse will bring you religion. Yes, the body will dry and wither—but do not fall into the delusion that the lotus of the soul blooms because the body withers. There is no necessary connection. So all that you did—yamas and niyamas, vows and fasts—each has its own value in its own place. But when you take them as synonyms for religion, Dayanand, you go astray. They are not synonyms. Religion has only one synonym—meditation. Mahavira used an exact word for it: samayik. The Jains call the soul “samay”—the timeless time. Samayik means: abiding…

Osho, from the very beginning of life everyone is taught: speak the truth, do good deeds, do not be violent, do not sin. But we sannyasins are trying to walk exactly on this path; then why are we opposed? Please kindly explain this contradiction.

So Mahavira would not turn at night lest a bug be crushed. And naked Mahavira must have been tormented by bugs and mosquitoes—no doubt. Mahavira told his disciples: mosquitoes will disturb meditation—don’t worry; it’s a test. Mosquitoes have always been enemies of meditators! I once heard a mosquito telling his kids, “If you behave today, in the morning I will take you to Buddha Hall for discourse! But only if you behave!” Mosquitoes are old enemies. Mahavira said: mosquitoes will torture you; they will create obstacles in meditation. The ascetic pays them no attention; he remains in his meditation—let them bite; he won’t move a muscle. And Mahavira must have been all the more tormented—Jains say that when a snake bit him, milk flowed instead of blood! Will mosquitoes leave milk? So cheap—without going to a dairy—just suck Mahavira and drink milk! They must have swelled with joy! So Mahavira…