Don’t chase pictures of God—notice the quiet awareness that’s noticing everything; that’s the real meeting with God.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, whenever the feeling of remembering God wells up within, some form or other also rises—mostly Sri Krishna or Sri Vishnu or Shiva. But I am assured by your saying that all forms lie within the limits of the mind and are imaginations. So please tell me: during the day, or at the time of meditation, whenever a strong urge for the remembrance of the Lord arises, what should be its form? They are—so in what form should I experience them?
“I had thought the ruins of love were all in vain; They turned out to be towns I had taken for desolations. I had taken every glance as too heavy for a tender nature; It was right before my eyes—yet how could I understand? Little did I know He himself would emerge as an equal partner; I had taken every heartbeat to be my own tale. Life turned out to be exam upon exam unending; I had thought life to be nothing but stories. The chronicle of my own being stood before me, Which till today I had taken for the tales of others.” What you have taken as “the other” is not other. But since you do not yet know yourself, the other appears as other. When you come to know yourself, the other is no longer other. “The chronicle of my own being stood before me, Which till…Read the full discourse →
Osho, I have no concern with anyone, no dealings; my only business is with what is truly mine: Your mention, Your care, Your remembrance, Your name.
Therefore, in my view, do not treat the remembrance of God and the remembrance of other things as enemies; otherwise you will be in trouble. Do this instead: take everything to be God. If your wife comes to mind, remember that it is God you are remembering—after all, she too is a form of God. If your son comes to mind, remember, it is God you are remembering. Do not set up any conflict between son and God, between wife and God, between husband and God. Otherwise you will be in difficulty. Whatever comes to mind, take your remembrance of God to be in that very thing. Slowly, you will find all opposition has dissolved. In whatever face appears, you will see His light. Peer into any eye and in that eye you will find His reflection. There are a thousand lakes, and one moon; the reflection of that moon…Read the full discourse →
Osho, devotees have had visions of God. And if we do not take His name, then how will we have the vision? If we do not visualize His form, then how will the vision happen?
If no vision happens, that is auspicious. Because there is no benefit in falling into any delusion or any imagination. Yes, it may be that the dream is very sweet and feels very good. But still, a dream is a dream. Imagination is imagination, no matter how much happiness it seems to give. And the imagination that gives pleasure is more dangerous than the one that gives pain. Why? Because it is easier to wake up from a painful imagination, whereas a pleasurable imagination makes you want to sleep even more; the desire to wake does not arise. Blessed are those who see painful dreams, because in them the urge will arise to break the dream. And unfortunate are those who see very pleasant dreams, because then the desire to awaken from those dreams does not arise. It becomes a very fatal, very poisonous, very intoxicating state. I am not…Read the full discourse →
Osho, in devotion the remembrance of the Name is greatly praised. In this context there is a popular couplet: “Keep chanting the name of Ram as long as there is breath in the body. Someday the Compassionate One will catch the hint in his ear.” Why doesn’t the Compassionate One listen quickly?
A mother is talking to her son. A new baby is due; nine months are complete. The mother is preparing the boy for the new guest in the house—this is necessary. The little boy… she tells him: You should be very happy. Your new brother is coming. From God’s house, your new brother is coming! But the child looks a little sad and a bit upset. The mother asks: What is it? Why are you upset and sad? Aren’t you happy that your new brother is coming? He says, No—because every day I pray to God that this time I should not get a brother. Send a little horse. It seems my prayer was not heard. Now no brother and such—I don’t want that. I want a horse. And he says to his mother, If it’s not too much trouble for you, then a horse… even now if something can…Read the full discourse →
Osho, how does the remembrance of the Divine begin? How am I to remember God? I have no clue to God at all.
Have you ever known any joy through the ego? The ego aches like a wound; the smallest things hurt. The greater the ego, the greater the pain in life. Remove the source of this pain. Then some true Master will knock at your door. Or, unawares, you will recognize a Master in one in whom you had never seen one before. Sometimes he was living right next door and you did not hear; you met daily on the road, exchanged greetings—and still you never saw. You need the eye to see; the ego does not allow such an eye to be born. Ego is a great curtain. One way is this. If this too feels hard—if letting the ego drop is not easy, if recognizing the Master is not easy—then there is another way: search in nature. In waterfalls, trees, winds, the moon and the stars. Do not search for…Read the full discourse →