According to Osho, a question asked without already “knowing” is a door to revelation: in the innocence of not-knowing, the mind is open, receptive, egoless. To such a question, life answers a resounding “Yes—Yes—Yes”: an unconditional affirmation that invites trust, presence, and transformation, rather than mere information. Real questioning dissolves conclusions and lets truth enter directly.
When you truly don’t know and ask from your heart, you open the door for life to say a big “yes” and show you what’s real.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Buddha used to say to his disciples, 'Please never ask any metaphysical questions!' He had formulated ten questions, and whenever he came to a town, his disciples would go in the town and say what those ten questions were, asking, 'Please, don't ask Buddha these ten questions -- about god about life about death about soul about moksha, nirvana.' Everything was in those ten questions... in fact nothing was left to ask! And Buddha used to say, 'Nobody knows! Those who pretend to know are not even honest -- insincere people... hypocrites.' So in fact, 'I don't know' is the only answer about every question that can be asked... that can possibly be asked. And don't think it is ridiculous, because if you think it is ridiculous you will be searching for some answer, some knowledge. No, it is simple -- that's how it is. How can anything be known?
Before you ask something, I must tell you that there are two types of questioning. One type of questioning comes not because you do not know, but because you know something. It comes out of your so-called knowledge. You have the answer already and then you raise the question. It is so stupid! Whatever you know, you have not really known it. Otherwise there would have been no question. And secondly, because the question has been raised by a preconceived answer, you are not ready to receive a new answer. Whenever there is such questioning it is absolutely useless. It leads you nowhere. Never ask because you know something. If you know, it is good. Then there is no need of a king. And if you do not know, then ask as if you are ignorant, as if you do not know.
A friend has asked: Osho, if we come to know, accept, and recognize that this knowledge is not ours, what will happen within us? What will change? Will there be a revolution?
The minister too stood astonished. “What happened?” The youth said, The very thought that I have been called back and am heir to the throne—and everything changed in that moment. I became another man. The beggar who had been within me for five years—where has he vanished? I cannot find him though I search. My whole consciousness has become different. A small remembrance: for five years he held the notion “I am a beggar,” so he was abject; his eyes were abject; his face dull. In a moment a recognition, a remembrance, an awakening occurred: “I am an emperor”—and everything changed. That abjectness dissolved from his eyes; eyes once dull filled with brilliance; life-energy that had grown sluggish became vibrant; breaths that seemed dead inhaled the air of life again. What happened to that youth? The day you realize that what you have so far taken as knowledge is worth…
Can I know a question the answer of which you do not know?
And who can solve your question if you cannot solve it? And how can anybody else solve it? Your question implies your whole life in it; it is not just a question, it is only an indicator of a thousand and one things. When you ask a question, that question nobody else can ask, only you can ask it. That is specific, because to ask that question you had to live a certain kind of life, you had to be conditioned in a certain way, you had to pass through certain experiences. Nobody else has passed through those experiences except you. The question arises in you; it is the flowering of all the nonsense that has been taught to you, all the scriptures that have been fed into your bio-computer, all the books that you have read. The churches, the priests, the parents -- all are implied in it. A…
Beloved Osho, going inside to feel the question, I was reminded of the time I first sat at your feet, twelve precious years ago. I said, "I have no question." you then lovingly diffused me. Osho, I never want to recover from this love. Do I need to know the question?
Once he remained in such a state for six days continuously. Every effort was made to wake him, but all efforts failed. And finally when he awoke, the first thing he said, with tears in his eyes, was, "Why have you people forced me to wake up? I was enjoying myself so deeply, and you go on pulling me to the outside world, where there is nothing. I have known everything; I have experienced everything and found that it cannot give me lasting peace or eternal bliss or the realization of my own self. So, whenever I go inside myself, please, don't disturb me." Naturally his followers became very much concerned; six days is too long a period, and he remained in a coma. All the reports that reached to Keshav Chandra proved that this man was hysterical, whimsical, a crackpot. But the people who used to come to him…