According to Osho, 'repent' is a three-dimensional, poetic term whose meaning shifts with context: about sin it means genuine repentance; when God calls, it means 'answer'—take responsibility and respond; when the kingdom is at hand, it means 'return'—come back to your source. Old sacred languages allow such multilayered meanings; rigidity flattens religion into prose.
Repent can mean say sorry, say “I’m here” when God calls, or go back home to your true self—depending on the situation.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
The bible uses the word 'repent'. Sometimes you translate it as 'return', sometimes as 'answer' and sometimes you leave it as 'repent'. Do you change the meaning as you need it?
Poetry is not so clear -- cannot be. It is a mystery. It is just early in the morning: a]l over you see a mist -- fresh, just born, But there are clouds; you cannot see far away. There is no need: poetry is not for the far away. It gives you an insight in looking to the near and the close and the intimate Science goes on searching for the far away; poetry goes on revealing, in a new way, the intimate the close, that which you had always known, that which is familiar -- the same path that you have been treading all your life. Poetry reveals the same path but with a new hue, a new color, a new light Suddenly you are transported to a new plane. I treat Jesus as a poet. He is a poet. And this has been very much misunderstood. People go…
Osho, what is the most astonishing law in this world?
A Sufi story. A thief, at night, began to climb into a house through a window. The window frame gave way, he fell, and broke his leg. The next day he went to court and blamed the householder for his broken leg. The owner was summoned and said in his defense: The one responsible is the carpenter who made the window. The carpenter was called; he said the contractor who built the wall hadn’t made the windowed section strong enough. In his defense the contractor said: My mistake happened because of a woman who was passing by—she drew my attention away. When the woman was presented in court, she said: At that time I was wearing a very fine dress. Normally no one even looks at me. So the fault lies with the dress, which was so exquisitely sewn. The judge said: Then summon the tailor who sewed it; he…
Question: BELOVED MASTER, WHAT IS TRUE REPENTANCE? Ramakrishna said, "That is the trouble: when you take the dip in the Ganges your sins jump out and sit on the trees, and they wait for you. How long can you remain in the water? The Ganges is really great and it does purify, but how long...? Finally, you will have to come out, and the moment you come out -- those sins are sitting on the trees, they jump on you. And sometimes it happens that somebody else's sins also jump on you -- just for a change they enjoy it. Those trees are full of sins. So you can go, but beware of the trees." The man said, "This is very difficult. How long can I remain in the water? Finally I have to come out, and I have to pass under those trees.
Question: MATTHEW 3 1 IN THOSE DAYS CAME JOHN THE BAPTIST, PREACHING IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAEA, 2 AND SAYING, REPENT YE: FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. 11 I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER UNTO REPENTANCE: BUT HE THAT COMETH AFTER ME IS MIGHTIER THAN I, WHOSE SHOES I AM NOT WORTHY TO BEAR: HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST, AND WITH FIRE: 13 THEN COMETH JESUS FROM GALILEE TO JORDAN UNTO JOHN, TO BE BAPTIZED OF HIM. 14 BUT JOHN FORBAD HIM, SAYING, I HAVE NEED TO BE BAPTIZED OF THEE, AND COMEST THOU TO ME? 15 AND JESUS ANSWERING SAID UNTO HIM, SUFFER IT TO BE SO NOW: FOR THUS IT BECOMETH US TO FULFILL ALL. RIGHTEOUSNESS. THEN HE SUFFERED HIM.
Question: First question: Osho, isn’t prayer nothing but repentance? Prayer is spontaneous. From within you a quiver of joy rises and spreads across worlds and horizons. From within you a feeling of bliss arises and you start dancing. A sense of supreme blessedness—that in this vast mystery, this existence, I too am! I—whose being was never necessary. I—without whom the world would run perfectly well—perhaps even better. I—who have no worthiness. And yet I am! In this incomparable existence, there is a place for me too! I am blessed. I am grateful. One who bows down in such gratitude, as branches laden with fruit bend down—one who is laden with the fruits of gratitude and whose branches have bent, bowed by the weight of blossoms—not because of any set, well-worn prayer, but from his own direct experience—in that bowing a stream of nectar will flow.