What is the way to befriend death and achieve liberation from it?

Osho! I am an internationally renowned man of letters, thinker, philosopher, scientist, and religious preceptor, and yet I seem to be living only death. If liberation from death is possible, then what is the way to befriend it and become one with it?

Before you fly from this cage, if only you realize “I am not the cage,” then there will be no need to enter another cage! You will dissolve into existence, become one. Then there will be neither birth nor death. Then your life is eternal. Then you become one with the eternal law. Esa dhammo sanantano! Buddha says: such is the eternal dharma. It makes no difference whether you are famous or unknown. What difference could that make? How many know you—what of it? Even if millions know you, what then? Do you know yourself or not—that is the question. And the strange thing is: why do people crave fame? Precisely so that others may know them. They do not know themselves, have never recognized themselves; there has never been any meeting with the soul; they have never even encountered themselves—no bridge to themselves—so they feel empty, and want to…

We have expressions in every language to avoid the word 'death', but whatsoever we do, it is there. And everybody knows that it is there. From the very moment a child is born death follows him. Every day it is with you, and one has to encounter it, and one has to see it face to face and one has to come to terms with it. The only way is meditation. Meditation means becoming aware of 'Who am I? Am I the body or the mind or am I something more, something different?' Meditation moans becoming aware inside your being, becoming alert, watchful, witnessing. And then those things are very simple: you can see that you are not the body, because one day the body was a small child, then it became a young person, then it became old -- and you are the same.

Osho, there is a great fear of death. Is there any way to be free of it?

I have heard that on his campaigns Alexander reached a place where he learned there was a spring whose water, if drunk, makes one immortal. He went in search of it. When he reached the spring, he rejoiced; never had he seen water so crystal clear. He was about to cup it in his palms when a crow perched on a branch said, “Stop, Alexander! You will regret it. First hear me.” Alexander was astonished—one marvel: water that grants immortality; another marvel: a speaking crow. “What do you want to say?” The crow said, “I too drank this water. I am no ordinary crow; as you are Alexander among men, I am Alexander among crows. I spent my life searching and found this spring. I drank—and now I writhe. I have been alive for thousands of years; I cannot die. I throw myself from cliffs, dash my head on rocks,…

Osho, when I was young I never even thought of death, and now that I have grown old, death keeps frightening me all the time. What should I do? Is it possible to get rid of death?

Ramnath, Freedom from death is not possible. But who told you that you will die? You have never died before, nor can you die now. The one who dies is not you; it is someone else. The body dies—that is merely a sheath. The mind dies—that is a subtler sheath. Within these two peripheries sits the master, the indweller, who is neither born nor dies. This life has happened many times. You are not new. You have come many times and gone many times. But the one seated within is eternal. Neither birth touches it, nor death touches it. Until you know and recognize that inner witness, this fear will go on tormenting you. When a person is young, naturally the worry about death does not take hold. Why should it? Human vision is not far-seeing. Our sight is shallow, small. We see just a few steps ahead. We have…

Someone asked Osho's views on death and dying.

There is nothing as sure as death. Where there is life, there is bound to be death. He who bears not this fact in mind, wastes life, whereas he who knows this truth, obtains that which is immortal. I do not feel depressed at anybody's death, because there is no need to feel anything about it. However, it is a matter of sorrow, no doubt, if I see a life wasted. We have not to grieve after a dead body, but over a wasted life. You know, King Janak was called 'videh', i.e., without or beyond the body. Once, a young minister of his asked him, 'Your Excellency! How can you be considered without a body, when you do have a physical body? The king smiled but said nothing. After a few days, however, the king invited the minister for lunch. Such an invitation from the king himself was a…