What is the function of mind in religion?

Question: BELOVED OSHO, WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF MIND IN RELIGION? The mind is the most complex phenomenon in the whole of existence. It will be a little difficult to understand the function of mind in religion. You will have to go through three doors. The first is the modern western psychology's attitude about mind. Psychology says mind has three functions: cognition, thinking, feeling. Through cognition you become aware of the whole objective world around you. Everything that you see, hear, taste, smell, touch -- it is all cognition. The world is known through cognition. The five senses are the five ways of knowing the world. But through cognition there is no way to know yourself. Just because through cognition you can know only the world of things, Western psychology has dropped the idea of being, of your innermost self.

Osho, what is mind?

As I see it, mind is not an object—it is only a function. This fan is running. There is the fan’s moving state and there is its still state. When the fan stops, we do not ask where the “movement” went, because movement was not an object. Movement was simply an activity of the fan. The fan that was moving has become still. The being within us—its moving state is the mind, and its still state is the soul.

What is the difference between philosophy, psychology and religion?

Consciousness can go either out or in; these are the two ways available for consciousness. When consciousness goes out, it thinks above the object, the other, the thou. When consciousness tomes in, thinking disappears -- because there is no other, no object. It falls into subjectivity. When consciousness goes out, philosophy is erected. Philosophy is thinking about objects. Philosophy is extra version. When consciousness goes in, it forgets all about objects, it starts enjoying the being of subjectivity, of inferiority. You are simply there enjoying the very fact of being alive, the very fact of being conscious. No object is these, you are pure subjectivity. No thought is there, you are pure consciousness. Extra version is philosophy, introversion is psychology and transcendence of both is religion. Buddha uses two words. For the outside he uses DHATU, the object. Philosophy is concerned with the object. It forgets the observer, it remembers…

Osho, it seems Buddha put all his emphasis on knowing and understanding the mind. Is a human being made by the mind? Are all talks about the soul and God useless?

Pandits go on chattering; they have no idea what they are saying. The enlightened fall silent, because they know. How can the most sacred be said? Bring it to the lips and it becomes false. Words are too small. Can they contain the vast? They cannot. It is like trying to bind the sky in your fist—the fist will close, the sky will remain outside. In the same way words get bound, and God remains outside. The word “God” is not God. Your rote of “God, God” has nothing to do with God; it is a disease of your mind. We do know the truth of Paradise, but to console the heart, Ghalib, this fancy is pleasing. You know it well. Your heaven, your liberation, your God—you know very well the truth of them: this “God” of yours is nothing. It is overheard talk. A rumor. You heard it from…

We have learnt from you that freedom lies in the transcendence of the mind, and it is the knowledge and the understanding of the mind which brings about its transcendence. The major part of religion deals with the mind, and so does psychology. As modern psychology has successfully discovered and revealed the structure and process of the mind, would you call it a religion? Or a branch of religion? Or a parallel religion? How do psychology and religion differ from each other? Kindly point out whether psychology and religion can be helpful to each other.

The rabbi was completely taken aback. "But my dear Mr. Steinberg, that is impossible! Who has ever heard of a dog being Bar Mitzvahed? There has never in the history of the Jewish religion been any mention of such a thing. It would be a scandal. The temple would be a laughing-stock. My orders would be revoked, the sisterhood would be abandoned, the building campaign would be halted, the gentiles would be hysterical, and the board of directors would have my neck!" Steinberg was unmoved. Without so much as the bat of an eyelash, he addressed the rabbi again. "For the occasion, I am donating to the temple the amount -- in cash! -- of five thousand dollars." "Mr. Steinberg," the rabbi beamed, "why didn't you tell me in the first place the dog is Jewish?" When it comes to money then even a dog becomes Jewish. When it comes…