Ask Osho!

What is the significance of ancient gods in mythology?

Synthesized from Source definition

"Ancient gods reflect our original innocence, inviting us to reclaim the wholeness of existence beyond the divisions of reason. In mythology, we find the path back to a mature, undivided living that transcends guilt and sin."

Core Insight:
According to Osho, ancient gods are poetic mirrors of humanity’s original pagan innocence—reverence for existence itself. They signify a stage before reason split life into right/wrong, guilt/sin. God is not a person but this living totality. Mythology points us back to living wholly; after losing simplicity through reason, we must consciously regain it—the mature, second innocence of undivided, total living.
Those old gods are stories showing how people once loved life as it is; the real “god” is life now, and growing up means forgetting that simplicity and then wisely finding it again.
Why this matters practically
- Live totally in the present instead of chasing ideals and feeling guilty.
- Use reason, but don’t let it divide you—return to a felt wholeness.
- Practice a “second innocence”: simple awareness, eat when hungry, sleep when sleepy.
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