What is the significance of the towel transfer in Sannyas?

[Osho gives sannyas:] Just raise your hands, close your eyes, and feel utterly open. These hands are the gestures of openness. Feel receptive, because sannyas has to be received; you cannot take it, you can only receive it. It is a gift: you can allow it to happen. There is no need to grab it. The only need is to give way, to let it happen. Feel great energy showering on you, as if you are standing under a waterfall. Energy is splashing on you and the body starts swaying, the body starts feeling drunk. Go into it, and if something starts happening in the body, allow it. Tao is the name for that which cannot be named, a name for the nameless -- just like god or dhamma or truth or logos. These are not really names, but human helplessness.

Osho, you have said that sannyas is the realization of truth. Then are ochre robes and the mala also essential for sannyas? And can a person not walk on your path without initiation? Kindly guide.

The day before yesterday a friend asked—he has taken sannyas, a simple-hearted man—he asked, “What is the scientific reason for this mala?” How can a mala possibly have a scientific reason? Its reason is religious, inward—not scientific. I told him, “If you want something ‘scientific,’ ask Laxmi.” A scientific reason? Does love ever have a scientific reason? A young man fell in love with Mulla Nasruddin’s daughter. He came and said, “I am in love with your daughter; please permit me to marry her.” Mulla said, “First prove it—what is the cause of your love?” The young man replied, “There is no cause, sir! Love has happened. Where there is a cause, can there be love? Where there is a cause, there is business, a bargain. Love is causeless.” Your love has happened with me; mine with you. Now some symbol becomes necessary. Think of this mala as the seven…

bibles, korans, gitas cannot give it to you -- they are all words, they are beautiful they were spoken by beautiful people but that does not make any difference even if buddha says the word rose it does not become a rose even if jesus says the word fire it does not become fire but beautiful people can be so hypnotic that you start believing in their words christians, hindus, mohammedans, buddhists are all doing the same they have all forgotten the reality and are clinging to the labels they are all clinging to the cages maybe they are golden cages but the bird, the alive bird, the singing bird is no more there the search of sannyas is for the alive, the singing bird man has two alternatives two possible orientations one is character, the other is consciousness character is imposed from the outside it is a political and…

Osho, even after arriving at the camp why does a divide still appear? Does the distance vanish the moment one takes sannyas? Is your blessing only for sannyasins? Is it not for all living beings?

Blessing is for everyone. But it is not that just because I give it you will receive it; you will receive it only if you take it. The river is flowing—flowing for all. Trees will drink, animals and birds will drink, humans will drink. But only the one who drinks will be quenched. If you stand stiff on the bank, the river will not jump into your cupped hands. You will have to bend, you will have to form your palms into a cup—only then will you be able to drink. If you do not drink, if the water is not drunk, then do not complain about the river. The river was flowing. But man is very upside down. If he does not receive blessing, he thinks the blessing must not have been given. But do you have the capacity to receive? Will you accept blessing? Blessing is not a…

And the moment you know your being you have found the key, the master key which can unlock many many doors. In fact that one key is enough to unlock all the doors. I call that key the truth, your truth, your experienced truth. So drop all beliefs, drop all lies which others have taught you, and go innocently, empty, knowing nothing. And soon you will find a great treasure, a great wisdom, within yourself. It is already there just waiting for you to come empty-handed. Meditation means going inside empty-handed, empty of all belief, of all knowledge. (He was replaced by Satoshi, whom Osho renamed Dharmananda. It means the bliss that arises out of knowing the nature of existence, Osho explained.) Without knowing it, whatsoever we do is bound to create misery.