What is the dream that has driven continuous activity for the last twenty-five to thirty years?

Beloved Osho, what is that dream for which, disregarding all obstacles and hindrances, you have been continuously active for the last twenty-five to thirty years?

In no language of the world is there a word for the human being like “manushya.” In Arabic and languages derived from Arabic, in Hebrew and languages derived from Hebrew, the words mean: a figure of clay. “Admi” means: a figure of clay. “Man” means: a figure of clay. Only “manushya” carries the acknowledgment that you are not a figure of clay; you are consciousness; you are of the nature of the immortal; within you is the supreme light of life. The lamp may be of clay, but the flame is not clay. This body may be of earth, but that which is awake within it, which is conscious, is not earth. While the whole world engaged itself in the search for clay, a few remained dedicated to the search for the flame. Harshida, you ask, “What is your dream?” The same as it has always been for the buddhas:…

Osho, why have you chosen this dead country as the field of your work?

Precisely for that! Because it is dead, it must be revived. What is the point of reviving those who are already alive? One treats the sick, not the healthy. This country is dead, and has been dead for centuries. It must be breathed back to life. And this country is a precious one. It ought not be dead. Its deadness is a costly loss. This country must live. It must be rejuvenated, for it holds a great treasure. If it is reawakened, light will spread to the whole world. But the country lies dead. It lies like a corpse upon its own treasure. It neither benefits from that wealth itself, nor allows anyone else to benefit from it. Life must be breathed into this corpse; it must be awakened—because no other land holds such a treasury. That is exactly my predicament. This country is dead, yet it holds a vast…

Osho, from your powerful discourse yesterday it was clearly felt that you are awakening India to its limitless potential. It is India’s supreme good fortune to have a guide like you, and yet why does it not accept what you say? Why does it not move on the path of all-round development? Why instead does it scorn and ignore you? Osho, I request you to say something.

I heard of a circus man whose act was to lie on a bed of nails. Sharp spikes that would leave your hand bleeding if you touched them—he would lie on them. There is an art to it; there are points on your back where there is no sensation. If you don’t believe it, ask someone—your wife will enjoy it—to prick your back with a needle. Wherever you feel pain, say “Ram! Ram!” and wherever you feel nothing, have her mark it. There are many points where you won’t feel the prick—no sensitivity. The art is to align those points; the spikes must touch only those spots. One day, on a day off, he was laying out his bed of nails at home. His wife was shocked: “What are you doing? It’s a holiday!” He said, “It is—but how will I sleep? I’m habituated. Unless I lie on this spiked…

Osho, in one discourse you said that India is declining in its spiritual values. Please tell us whether any ray of hope is visible ahead?

Love! Do not be in opposition to the naturalness of life; do not deny life. Embrace life, with a great yes. For through that embrace one day you will be able to embrace God too. God is hidden here—in these trees, in these people, in these hills, in these mountains. Learn to love this existence. Your so-called religion teaches you to hate existence—teaches you to hate the nature outside and the nature within you. Love nature, for nature is God’s veil. Love nature, and you will be able to lift the veil. There is certainly a ray of hope. The ray of hope is never destroyed. However dark the new-moon night becomes, the morning will come. Morning is bound to come. However long the night of new moon, and however deeply this country has sunk into wrong notions, still there are some who are thinking, reflecting, meditating. It is precisely…

Osho, these days our country’s policy-makers keep talking about taking the nation into the twenty-first century. Especially in the last year and a half or two, this debate has intensified—that the country must be taken into the twenty-first century. Do you think this is possible in the present circumstances?

From the other direction came a Sardarji. Seeing him, he said, “He’s killed himself! The man is sitting backward and riding so fast!” In his panic, he collided with him. The man fell and lost consciousness. The Sardarji said, “Now I’m in trouble too! What kind of man is this? Let me somehow set his head straight. There’s no one around to help.” So he gave a big yank—the Sikh’s yank—“Wahe Guruji ki Fateh! Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa!”—and turned the man’s face the other way. Just then the police arrived. “What’s the matter?” they asked. The Sardarji said, “What’s the matter? This poor fellow was sitting backward on the motorcycle.” “Is he alive?” they asked. “He was,” the Sardarji said. “Strange fellow—so long as his head was backwards, he was alive. I somehow straightened it—by Guruji’s grace his head did turn—but his breathing stopped. Now you handle the breathing; I’ve…