According to Osho, doing something totally means remaining in sam—the even, tranquil middle. Totality is wholeness without excess; both overdoing and underdoing miss it. When present, you heed the body’s wise 'enough' rather than the mind’s restless cravings. Thus, total action is balanced, harmonious, and right-measured, embodying equanimity, not extremism.
Doing anything totally means being fully present and stopping at the natural 'enough'—the balanced middle—instead of chasing extremes.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, on the one hand you say that whatever you do, do it totally, and on the other hand you say, don’t overdo anything, remain in the middle. Would you kindly resolve this apparent contradiction?
And the mind makes you overdo. It says, “Raise the danger mark a bit. Don’t listen to the body—what is there in the body? The body is blind; what intelligence does it have?” One day the mind makes you eat too much; then, when there is discomfort the next day, the mind says, “Now fast—one day a month you must fast; one day a week is very good for health. Now fast.” Even then the body says, “Brother, I am hungry; eat.” The mind says, “Fast.” Gradually these perverse activities of the mind destroy the body’s subtle sensitivity. Then the body stops speaking. When it is not heard, it slowly becomes mute. With this mute body you commit excesses. Psychologists have conducted experiments and very surprising conclusions have come to hand. They have shown that if small children are seated near food, you think they will overeat. You are mistaken;…
How can one be total yet not extreme in all that one experiences?
Sometimes, while I was travelling in India, in many places many people asked me one question again and again. The question seems to be very pertinent and relevant. They have asked me, "Why is it so, that in India there have been so many saints, and yet the country is so immoral?" I have told them it is natural. When a country produces so many saints it has to produce the same number of sinners; otherwise the balance will be lost. When the country produces all the teerthankeras, twentyfour; all the avataras, twenty four; all the Buddhas, twentyfour; then where will the sinners go? And how can a Buddha exist if all the sinners are not here? A Buddha exists in an ocean of sinners; there is no other way. For one Buddha to exist millions of sinners are needed. In fact, because of those sinners he looks so enlightened:…
On the one hand you say, 'whatever you do, do it totally -- with samagrata.' and on the other hand you say, 'don't go to extremes in anything, remain in the middle.' can you please remove this apparent contradiction.
Anand Maitreya! It is not a contradiction. Think about the word samagrata -- totality. Consider some other words of this line: santulan -- balance, samadhi, samanvay -- harmony, samyaktva -- rightness, samta -- equanimity, sambodhi -- enlightenment, samvet -- collective, samagrata -- totality. These have all arisen out of one small root: 'sam.' Sam means peaceful, tranquil. Samta -- equanimity comes from it, samanvay -- harmony comes from it, also sambodhi and samadhi. This same sam is present in samagrata -- totality. Samagrata is not at the extreme, samagrata is never extreme. Because the state of sam is only in the middle. So when I say do it totally, I am not saying go to extremes. Such an idea can come to you. It seems to you that if you do it totally, it will become extreme. If it becomes extreme, then totality is missed. There are two ways to…
Osho, you have said that if any action is total, energy is not lost. Please explain what you mean by total action. And also, in the process of sexual intercourse, what does it mean to be total or complete? Does it mean there is no loss of energy?
And here is the delightful paradox: if one becomes total in action, anger gradually becomes impossible—because total anger burns you up, it scorches you. Hatred becomes difficult—because complete hatred becomes poison; blisters rise in every pore. Enmity becomes difficult—because enmity then appears as self-destruction, as driving a dagger into one’s own chest. We can be angry only so long as we act incompletely. We can be enemies only so long as our acts are not total. The day our acts are complete, that day only the flower of love can bloom in our life. The day our act is complete, prayer becomes the very longing of our being. The day each act of our life becomes whole, that day God alone remains the one truth for us. When oneness arises within, oneness is seen without. As long as there are two within, there are two without. Not even two—there are…
When the deep meaning of things is not understood the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
THE WAY IS PERFECT LIKE VAST SPACE WHERE NOTHING IS LACKING AND NOTHING IS IN EXCESS. INDEED, IT IS DUE TO OUR CHOOSING TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THAT WE DO NOT SEE THE TRUE NATURE OF THINGS. LIVE NEITHER IN THE ENTANGLEMENTS OF OUTER THINGS, NOR IN INNER FEELINGS OF EMPTINESS. BE SERENE WITHOUT STRIVING ACTIVITY IN THE ONENESS OF THINGS AND SUCH ERRONEOUS VIEWS WILL DISAPPEAR BY THEMSELVES. WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP ACTIVITY TO ACHIEVE PASSIVITY YOUR VERY EFFORT FILLS YOU WITH ACTIVITY. AS LONG AS YOU REMAIN IN ONE EXTREME OR THE OTHER YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ONENESS. THOSE WHO DO NOT LIVE IN THE SINGLE WAY FAIL IN BOTH ACTIVITY AND PASSIVITY, ASSERTION AND DENIAL. Logic will say something absolutely different. Logic will say, "Practice rest the whole day, so in the night you can rest beautifully." Mulla Nasruddin went to his doctor. Coughing, he entered.…