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Osho on What is reincarnation?

What is reincarnation?

“

Reincarnation is not the return of the same ego but the continuation of change; it is the essence that evolves, not the illusion of a fixed identity.

— Osho
Synthesized from Source definition
Core Insight:
According to Osho, reincarnation is widely misunderstood: people imagine the same ego returning “unchanged” in another form—an absurdity he mocks with the joke about recognizing a rabbi in a cow’s dung. His point is that clinging to personal identity misses the essence; what changes continues, not the fixed personality or ego.
You don’t come back exactly the same; life keeps changing, not your old ego returning.
Why this matters practically
- Loosens attachment to ego and roles.
- Encourages present-moment transformation over future fantasies.
- Reduces fear of death by seeing life as ongoing change.
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