When you feel strong inside, don’t keep it; share it as kindness and joy, or it will make you feel heavy and sad.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, you speak of trust, love, and joy, but why don’t you explain power? These days an unbearable power is arising in me. What is it, and in this situation what stance should I take?
A friend of mine, an eminent Hindi litterateur, long-time president of the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and the oldest member of the Indian Parliament—an MP for fifty years—was close to Jugal Kishore Birla. He was interested in my work and said, “If Birla becomes interested, great help is possible.” He arranged a meeting. Birla spoke with me, became interested, and said, “I will give you as much as you need, whenever you need it. Only one thing I must know for sure: what use will it be put to?” I said, “Then let’s end the matter here. This won’t do; such a deal is not possible. If you must ask what I will do with what you give, keep it. That isn’t giving. If you can give unconditionally so that, in front of you, I could squander it on the street and you would not be able to ask, ‘What are…
A monk asked the buddha: what is most powerful and what is most illuminating? The buddha said: meekness is most powerful for it harbours no evil thoughts, and moreover it is restful and full of strength. As it is free from evils it is sure to be honoured by all. The most illuminating is a mind which is thoroughly cleansed of dirt, and which, remaining pure, retains no blemishes. From the time when there was yet no heaven and earth till the present day there is nothing in the ten quarters which is not seen or heard by such a mind. For it has gained all knowledge and for that reason it is called
When Buddha was alive, Ananda was listening so-so -- as you listen to me. You listen and yet you don't listen. You say, 'Okay. If I miss today, tomorrow I will be listening again, so what is the hurry? If this morning is missed, nothing is missed; other mornings will be following.' So he had listened half-asleep, half-awake. Maybe he was tired, maybe the night was not good and he had not slept. Maybe the journey was too long and too exhausting. And Buddha was saying the same thing again and again and again, so how long to listen? One starts feeling that one already knows. One starts feeling, 'Yes, I have heard this before, so what is the point? Why not take a little sleep? A little nap will be good.' But when Buddha was dying, Ananda must have been alert, utterly alert. He was really trembling -- the…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, POWER ... THE SENSES ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF ONE'S OWN MIND. IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THOROUGHLY LIKE THIS, THEN IT'S CALLED THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S NEITHER SELF NOR OTHERS. HEAVEN AND HELL ARE NOWHERE ELSE BUT IN THE HEART OF THE PERSON. ... AS SOON AS YOU BECOME AWARE OF GRADUALLY CONSERVING POWER IN THE MIDST OF THE AFFLICTIONS OF DAILY ACTIVITIES -- THIS IS HOW A PERSON ACHIEVES BUDDHAHOOD. ... WHEN YOU SEE IT AS IT REALLY IS, PRACTICE ACCORDING TO REALITY AND ACT ACCORDING TO REALITY. ... ONLY IF YOU ARRIVE AT THIS STAGE CAN YOU SAY THERE IS NO HEAVEN OR HELL, AND SUCH THINGS. YUNG CHIA SAID, "THERE ARE NEITHER HUMANS NOR BUDDHAS. THE UNIVERSE IS LIKE A BUBBLE IN THE OCEAN, ALL THE SAGES ARE LIKE FLASHES OF LIGHTNING." IF HE HADN'T GOTTEN TO THIS STAGE, HOW COULD YUNG CHIA HAVE SAID THIS?
Osho, when in Kundalini or Active Meditation energy is awakened, why is it then finished off by dancing?
Now you’ve come here—by mistake you’ve come. You’ve come to the wrong place. Here I teach pouring out. Here I teach sharing. Here I want to teach you the joy of spending. And you ask: “When in Kundalini or Active Meditation energy is awakened, why is it then finished off by dancing?” Dancing does not finish energy. Dancing refines energy. Dancing shares energy. And the more it is shared, the more is generated within you. The more creative a person is, the more powerful he is. If you have sung one song, you will become capable of singing a second—and the second will be deeper than the first. Then you will be capable of a third, deeper still. As you go on singing, you will find new layers opening, new depths appearing, new dimensions being touched within you. But out of fear you hold back your very first song, lest…
Beloved master, all my life I have been intrigued by power and the recognition I can take from it. Now, that seems very confined and petty. Yet, I sense also that there is a more authentic type of power, not dependent on other people or their reactions -- more within myself. Can you please talk about my attraction towards this?
It needs a deep insight to understand that whether you torture others or you torture yourself, there is no difference at all -- except that the other can defend himself. At least there is that possibility. If you start torturing yourself, there is nobody to defend you. You can do anything with your own body. This is simply masochism. It is not, in my understanding, finding the source of your inner being. Hence I would not like to call it power, because that word is contaminated. I would like to call it peace, love, compassion... you can choose the word. But power has been in the hands of violent people; whether they were violent with others or with themselves does not matter. I think the people who were violent with others were more natural and the people who were violent with themselves were absolutely psychotic. But the people who have…