Why does the speaker include themselves when describing foolishness and unconsciousness?

I want to ask: you just said that we are foolish. Why don’t you tell us, “You are foolish”? Why do you include yourself with us and call yourself foolish? You say: we are foolish, we are unconscious. Say to us—“You are unconscious, you are foolish.” The moment has come when you can even address us as “you.”

I have understood your point. You understand mine too. I am with you. Even if you are asleep, I am with you; after all, a waking man can also sit with a sleeping man. And what is the difference between the sleeping and the awake? A very small difference: if the sleeping man’s eyes open, he too is awake. But while living among the sleeping, it is better at least to keep up the pretense that you too are asleep. Don’t annoy them unnecessarily. They have the crowd. They have the society. They have the world. You are alone. And that is not the point anyway. The point is to awaken them. So we must not create enmity; we must create friendship. That is why I do not say, “You are blind.” I say, “We are blind.” But only one who has eyes can say, “We are blind.” A blind…

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…

Question: First question: Osho, in the Srimad Bhagavatam there is this verse: yas ca mūḍhatamo loke yas ca buddheḥ paraṁ gataḥ | tau ubhau sukhamevaite kliśyaty antarito janaḥ || “In this world, the extremely foolish and the one who has gone beyond the intellect—both are at ease. But the one who is in between is afflicted.” Is it really so, Osho? Anand Maitreya! Certainly, it is so. “Fool” means asleep, without awareness—living, but not knowing why. He walks, gets up, sits down—mechanically. How a life passes by, when birth turns into death, when day fades into night—nothing is really noticed. One so unconscious cannot be aware of suffering. Where can the sense of suffering exist in unconsciousness? He endures suffering, but has no awareness of it; therefore he believes, “I am happy.” Almost everyone lives under this illusion that all is well. Ask anyone, “How are you?

How long the night to the watchman, how long the road to the weary traveler, how long the wandering of many lives to the fool who misses the way.

IF THE TRAVELER CANNOT FIND MASTER OR FRIEND TO GO WITH HIM, LET HIM TRAVEL ON ALONE RATHER THAN WITH A FOOL FOR COMPANY. "MY CHILDREN, MY WEALTH!" SO THE FOOL TROUBLES HIMSELF. BUT HOW HAS HE CHILDREN OR WEALTH? HE IS NOT EVEN HIS OWN MASTER. THE FOOL WHO KNOWS HE IS A FOOL IS THAT MUCH WISER. THE FOOL WHO THINKS HE IS WISE IS A FOOL INDEED. DOES THE SPOON TASTE THE SOUP? A FOOL MAY LIVE ALL HIS LIFE IN THE COMPANY OF A MASTER AND STILL MISS THE WAY. THE TONGUE TASTES THE SOUP. IF YOU ARE AWAKE IN THE PRESENCE OF A MASTER ONE MOMENT WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY. THE FOOL IS HIS OWN ENEMY. THE MISCHIEF HE DOES IS HIS UNDOING. HOW BITTERLY HE SUFFERS! WHY DO WHAT YOU WILL REGRET? WHY BRING TEARS UPON YOURSELF? DO ONLY WHAT YOU DO NOT…

While practicing zazen, just sitting, I discovered that I had become the greatest fool on earth. But suddenly I remembered one proverb: when ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise. Though this stupidity has made me a fool, I have never been so full as I am now. I have now fallen in love with this zazen stupidity. I invoke your blessings so that I remain a fool till eternity.

I have heard about one man who made a will when he died. And in the will he said, 'Write on my tomb: Born such-and-such year, died when thirty, buried when seventy.' Almost always it happens that people die near about thirty, then they are buried at seventy. That's another thing: burial is one thing, dying is another thing. When society comes to know that you are dead that's another thing. I have heard about a priest -- a Catholic priest of course -- who died, and for three days he could not understand what had happened. Then he came to his church and tried to communicate with his successor, and said, 'Be aware. I died, but for three days I did not think that I was dead because I was more dead while I was alive. I was feeling more alive so I did not think that I was…