We often ask for things while we are inwardly asleep, so getting them can hurt us; wake up first, then you will not need to ask.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Beloved master, oscar wilde once said: "when the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers." would you please comment?
Devageet, Oscar Wilde is right. It often happens that what psychologists cannot explain about the human mind, the creative artist, the poet, can easily explore to the depths which are beyond logic, beyond reason, beyond scientific research. Oscar Wilde's statement is of tremendous value. When he says, "When the Gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers," he is saying something about our unconsciousness. We are not aware what we are doing, we are not aware what we are asking, we are not aware what we are praying for. Our consciousness is so superficial and our unconsciousness is so deep that it is bound to be that, if our prayers are fulfilled, it will not be a reward, it will be a punishment; because we had asked for something in our sleep and we will repent that we asked for it. For example, you are all aware of the…
A friend has asked: Osho, I sing bhajans and remember the Lord, yet not a single wish of mine is ever fulfilled!
So, seeing the poor fakir—his clothes not proper, his appearance uneducated, uncultured, rustic—the scholar thought, “What could this man be praying! And since my own prayer hasn’t yet been heard, who would be listening to his! How can the prayer of such an uncouth, rustic, uncultured fellow reach God! I have refined and refined mine, made it subtle and pure—and still my voice hasn’t reached; how could his reach!” Yet he became curious to hear what the fakir was saying, who was softly humming. The fakir was saying to God, “I don’t know language, nor do I know the arrangement of words. So I will recite the entire alphabet—A, B, C, D… all of it. You put it together, for in these letters all prayers are contained. You yourself compose the one that is fitting.” The scholar was alarmed: “This is the limit of stupidity! What is he saying! ‘I…
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…
Osho, you say, “Live here and now.” But when we look at ourselves, living here and now doesn’t feel appealing. Instead of living in the present, it feels more pleasant to live in fantasies of the future. So what should we do?
Therefore I say, live today. But you feel the present does not feel worth living. If the present does not feel worth living, tomorrow too will come only as the present; then that too will not feel worth living. The day after tomorrow will also come as the present; that too will not feel worth living. I call this self-destruction. Then you are committing suicide, not living. There is no other way to live. Only today exists, and it is today that has to be lived. Whether it feels worth living or not makes no difference. There is no other way. Living will happen only here. Do not fall into the delusion of tomorrow. The mirages of tomorrow have drowned many. Live today. Do not let this moment pass empty. This moment is an opportunity. Do not waste it like this. Make something of it. Take some juice out of…
Osho, there is a popular prayer: na tvahaṁ kāmaye rājyam, na svarga nāpunarbhavam | kāmaye duḥkhataptānāṁ prāṇinām ārti-nāśanam || Meaning: I desire neither kingdom for myself, nor heaven, nor even liberation. I only desire that the suffering of beings scorched by sorrow be brought to an end. Please be gracious and say something about this.
And where the “I” is not, the second half of this prayer—“I only desire that the suffering of beings tormented by sorrow be ended”—becomes transparent in a different way. To one whose “I” has vanished it is obvious that people are miserable because of their “I.” There is no other misery in the world. The “I” is misery. The “I” is the thorn stabbing in the chest. To one who has seen, “My ‘I’ has dropped and instantly bliss arose,” such a person cannot pray, “May the sufferings of people end.” He will make people understand, “You are responsible for your suffering; no one can end it until you drop this ‘I’.” That is why a Buddha will not say, “Pray.” He will say, “Having understood, help others understand. The question is not of prayer but of awakening.” Who will end their misery? Is there someone sitting in the sky…