Why do Shankara and others address us as fools before telling us to sing the praises of Govinda?

Osho, why do Shankara and you, before telling us to sing the praises of Govinda, always address us as fools?

Edison said, people say I know a great deal. My condition is like that of a small child on the seashore who has gathered a few shells and conches. That is the extent of my knowledge—just a few shells in my fists—while the vast ocean lies there, unknown to me. Your little knowledge seems very big to you! You have lit a small lamp; its flickering light falls a little around you, a small area gets illuminated—and you call this knowledge! And the infinite lies there filled with darkness; you have no awareness of it! When you understand your foolishness, you will say, “Is this knowledge—the flicker of a tiny lamp!” The infinite lies ahead to journey through, to explore, to search—and I, clutching these shells in my hands, am posing as a wise man! Then you will drop even this “knowledge.” And the day you know that you are…

“O fool, sing Govinda.” What is foolishness? Shankara is not insulting you by calling you a fool. It is an exceedingly loving address. Bhaj Govindam, Bhaj Govindam, Bhaj Govindam, mudha-mate. “O fool, praise the Lord, praise Govinda.” What does foolishness mean? Not ignorance. Foolishness means: being ignorant while believing you know. Foolishness belongs to the pundit, not to the ignorant. What is there to call the ignorant a fool for? He is simply ignorant—that is straightforward. Many times it has happened that the one who does not know comes to know, and the knower lags behind; for the ignorant has no ego; he is humble; he has no claim because he knows he does not know. But the pundit, without knowing, knows that he knows. He has learned words; scriptures weigh upon his head. He can recite grammar’s rules. And he sinks into them.

Beloved Osho, before telling us to sing the song of the divine why do you and shankara address us as 'idiot' every time?

Because you are! To call you anything else will be a lie! When Shankara says: OH IDIOT! SING THE SONG OF THE DIVINE, he says this with great love, he says this because of his compassion. He is not cursing you, he is not calling you names, because Shankara just cannot curse or call names; it is impossible for him. He is shaking you, he is waking you up. He is saying "Get up! It is morning and you are still sleeping." He is calling you 'idiot' because until he uses some strong words your sleep is not going to be disturbed and you are not going to wake up. He is calling you 'idiot' because this is true, this is a fact. Idiocy means unconsciousness. Idiocy means to live in sleep. Idiocy means to be without discretion. Idiocy means not being wakeful, not being conscious when you are angry.…

Oh idiot! Sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, because at the time of death the memorization of grammar will not save you.

OH IDIOT! DROP THE DESIRE OF ACCUMULATING WEALTH, AWAKEN RIGHT UNDERSTANDING, MAKE THE MIND DESIRELESS AND BE CONTENTED AND HAPPY WITH WHATSOEVER YOU GAIN THROUGH YOUR OWN LABOR. DO NOT BE INFATUATED BY THE BEAUTY, THE BREASTS, THE NAVEL AND THE WAISTLINE OF A WOMAN. THESE ARE NOTHING BUT CONTORTIONS OF FLESH AND FAT -- CONTEMPLATE UPON THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN. LIFE IS AS TRANSIENT AND UNSTABLE AS A DROPLET ON THE LOTUS LEAF. UNDERSTAND IT WELL THAT THE WORLD IS SUFFERING FROM THE DISEASE OF EGO AND IS WOUNDED BY SORROWS. THE FAMILY TAKES INTEREST IN YOU ONLY AS LONG AS YOU ARE CAPABLE OF EARNING MONEY. AS OLD AGE COMES AND THE BODY BECOMES DECREPIT, NO ONE IN THE HOUSE EVEN BOTHERS ABOUT YOU. ONLY AS LONG AS THERE IS LIFE IN THE BODY, DO THE PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY CARE FOR YOU. THE LIFE GONE OUT, THE…

...in a moment all will be destroyed. In a moment all will be gone. Before all dissolves, do something—before the last hour arrives, recognize the Timeless. Never once did you do devotion to Hari; you made a treasury of saints' words nowhere in your house. You run and race—for wealth, position, pride—but never remember the Divine. You forget what is worth remembering; what is not worth remembering, you remember incessantly. Look at your thoughts—what sort of things you think, what nonsense and jumble; what dreams you wander in. Seeing it yourself you will laugh at your own foolishness—yet again you will be caught in the same net; the mind will wrap you again. Never once did you do devotion to Hari; you never made the saints' words into a home. You never remembered Ram; nor sought a home in the words of the saints.