According to Osho, you remember useless things because the mind feeds on the nonessential and defends its dominance by blocking what nourishes your essence. The thick circumference admits trivia that decorates the surface but prevents essentials from reaching the center. Only a tiny portion penetrates, so truth fades. Deliberate awareness—listening totally, meditation—thins the circumference, letting the essential imprint and endure.
Your mind prefers gossip over truth, so it keeps the deep stuff from sinking in; be more aware so the important things reach your heart and stay.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Why can I remember the useless things for years, but not the essential ones? I forget the essential almost immediately.
The essential ones are against your mind. The mind is continuously afraid of allowing any truth to enter you. It finds a thousand and one ways to avoid the truth, because the truth is going to shatter it. It allows only that which is supportive. And because mind itself is rubbish, it collects rubbish, and very joyously. What Buddha has said will be forgotten. Buddha used to repeat each statement three times. Once somebody asked, "Why do you repeat three times?" He said, "Because I know, the first time you don't hear at all. The second time you hear, but you hear something else that I have not said. The third time I hope that you hear that which is said, exactly that which is said." It is very difficult to read Buddhist scriptures, because each statement repeated three times becomes very tiring. So now they have invented a device:…
Osho, why do I go on forgetting myself?
A little intelligence is needed. Otherwise rather than the so-called religious people becoming religious, they become simply guilt-ridden, they become repentant, they start feeling about themselves as if they are condemned, as if they are not the chosen ones; as if God has thrown them into the dark night and has forgotten them; as if it may have happened to a Buddha or a Kabir or a Krishna or a Zarathustra, but it is not going to happen to them. "They were special people; that's why it happened to them. They were already born enlightened; that's why it happened to them: it can't happen to me, I am an ordinary person." Just to avoid remembering, people have created all kinds of theories. Hindus say Krishna is an incarnation of God. Christians say Jesus is the only-begotten son of God -- mind you, the only-begotten. And all others are bastards? The…
Since I have been here, I have lost my ability to concentrate. It is hard for me to utter a logical sentence. And I have become very forgetful. I feel myself as a stupid child. Is that the way to me intelligence you talk about?
Legs in perfect order are needed so that whenever you need to, you can walk, you can run. But when there Is no need, you can relax, and the legs will no longer be functioning. But your concentration has become almost as focused as if you are continuously preparing for an Olympic! Runners in an Olympic cannot relax. They have to run a particular amount every morning and evening; they are continuously on the go. If they relax for a few days they will lose their skill. But I call all Olympics political, ambitious, foolish. There is no need. Competition is foolish. There is no need. If you enjoy running -- perfectly good. Run. and enjoy. But why compete? What is the point of competition? Competition brings illness, unhealthiness; competition brings jealousy, and a thousand and one diseases. Meditation will allow you to concentrate whenever the need arises, but if…
Osho, why is your memory so miraculous? By the time afternoon comes I even forget what I had for breakfast. Would you kindly share the secret of a good memory?
“So then,” I said, “my concern is with the inner stream. What have I to do with scriptures? If it appears in scripture, fine; if not, fine. I am no scriptural scholar, nor am I interested in being one.” Therefore, when I give quotations, do not assume you will surely find the exact citation. You may find it—or you may not. But the listener will certainly feel that I speak with such force that it must be so. The force is not because it is in scripture; the force is because I know from my own experience that this is the truth. Whether it is in the scriptures or not, it is so. Even if all the scriptures were destroyed, what I am saying would still be true. Even if all the scriptures were opposed, what I am saying would still be true. And even if all the scriptures were…
In the middle age hua-tzu of yang-li in sung lost his memory. He would receive a present in the morning and forget it by the evening; give a present in the evening and forget it by the morning. In the street he would forget to walk; at home he would forget to sit down. Today he would not remember yesterday; tomorrow he would not remember today.
HIS FAMILY WERE TROUBLED ABOUT IT AND INVITED A DIVINER TO TELL HIS FORTUNE BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THEY INVITED A SHAMAN TO PERFORM AN AUSPICIOUS RITE BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THEY INVITED A DOCTOR TO TREAT HIM BUT IT DID NO GOOD. THERE WAS A CONFUCIAN OF LU WHO ACTING AS HIS OWN GO-BETWEEN CLAIMED THAT HE COULD CURE IT. HUA-TZU'S WIFE AND CHILDREN OFFERED HALF OF THEIR PROPERTY IN RETURN FOR HIS SKILL. THE CONFUCIAN TOLD THEM: 'THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A DISEASE WHICH CAN BE DIVINED BY HEXAGRAMS AND OMENS, OR CHARMED AWAY BY AUSPICIOUS PRAYERS, OR TREATED BY MEDICINES AND THE NEEDLE. I SHALL TRY REFORMING HIS MIND CHANGING HIS THOUGHTS THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT HE WILL RECOVER.' THEN THE CONFUCIAN TRIED STRIPPING HUA-TZU AND HE LOOKED FOR HIS CLOTHES; TRIED STARVING HIM AND HE LOOKED FOR FOOD; TRIED SHUTTING HIM UP IN THE…