Osho's perspective on Awakening
When Osho Spoke About Awakening
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, on the journey of awakening, are rasa, virasa, and sva-rasa merely waystations? Kindly explain.
Such a moment comes now and then in your life—at moments of love, or of prayer, or of meditation. If you have a deep love with someone, sometimes such an exalted peak arises within that neither the lover remains nor the beloved remains. Then Rasa ripens. Then Rasa showers. That Rasa is the Rasa of the Divine. Hence in love the first ray of the experience of God descends; or in some deep absorption of meditation, where the distinction of self and other dissolves and the sky of nonduality opens—there too, God showers. The questioner has asked rightly, but about rasa… He asks: Are rasa, virasa, and sva-rasa merely stages? Rasa is not a stage. Rasa is the source—and the final destination as well. For the ultimate destination can only be that which has also been the source. In the end we return to the source. The circle of life…
Osho, you say we cannot take full responsibility for ourselves until we are 'awakened '. The western growth movement says we cannot be awakened until we take full responsibility for ourselves. Is there a conflict?
For ninety-nine percent? Patanjali will be the way. So I don't discard Patanjali -- I don't discard anything. Everything is accepted and used. Use all the methods skillfully and you will be benefited by all. And don't become obsessed with a method. Don't say that "I believe in gradual growth." If you say, "I believe in gradual growth," then you are preventing the possibility of sudden enlightenment. Maybe you are the person -- who knows? -- you are Hui Neng! Even Hui Neng was not aware until he became enlightened. Who knows?! Somebody may be here who is a Hui Neng, a potential Hui Neng, and if he starts thinking that "No, it is not possible. I don't believe in sudden enlightenment," that very idea will prevent him. Then he will listen to the four lines of the Diamond Sutra and will not become enlightened because of his idea. I…
Osho, why do I want to wake up when, as you say, awakening only happens when I am not? This seems very paradoxical.
Deva Satyarthi, THE EGO IS NOT YOUR REAL SELF; the ego is a false entity, arbitrary. It is the ego that is your sleep, that surrounds you like a darkness, like a cloud. Hidden behind this darkness is your real self, your real being, which wants to wake up, which wants to get out of all this smoke, out of all this darkness, which wants to get out of the prison of the ego. There is really no paradox, it only appears so. It appears paradoxical. Your question seems relevant... but you have two selves. One is the real: the one that you were born with, the one that was even before your birth, the one that will be there even when death has happened, the one that is running underneath like a hidden current. And the other is created by you, by your family, by your church, by your…
Question: BELOVED MASTER, CAN SOMEONE WHO IS NOT OPEN WAKE UP? Deva Ashoka, it is impossible to wake up if you are not open. Opening to existence is what waking up is all about: open to the sun, to the moon, to the rain, to the wind, open to this whole celebration of the trees, of the rocks, the earth and the stars, of animals, birds, people. Existence is a celebration, a continuous festival, a carnival. If you are not open, if you are closed, if you don't have any windows and doors towards existence, how can you wake up? Waking up and being open are synonymous. People remain closed in their minds. They never come out of their minds and they never allow reality to penetrate to their hearts. A very transparent China Wall divides them from the world. And the world is divine, existence is God.
"Rasa is not a waystation on the journey of awakening; it is the destination itself, where self and other dissolve into the freedom of nondual existence."
Can someone who is not open wake up?
definition"Awakening and openness are inseparable; to truly wake up, one must surrender the ego and embrace the unknown with a vulnerable heart."
"The same eyes that sleep can also wake; the same eyes that cry can laugh. Trust in your capacity, for the hour of collective awakening will come, and then I will laugh with you."
"Awakening happens not by escaping the world, but by fully engaging with it; the true renunciation is an inward journey that transforms your ordinary life into a mirror of awareness."
"Awakening is not a personal achievement; it is the realization that you are not separate from existence, but a part of its eternal enlightenment."
"You do not need more; you need to turn inward and embrace the chaos of your mind, for in that turmoil lies the seed of your awakening."
"Become the silent witness of your thoughts, watching them pass without identification, and in that stillness, you will find a peace beyond the mind."
"You recognize the awakened not by their outer signs, but by the way their presence quenches your own thirst for truth, bringing harmony and silence within."
"Awakening does not come from stopping the gaze upon yourself, but from looking rightly—beyond the ego, into the pure awareness of your changeless nature."
"The awakened one can only guide those who are willing to admit their ignorance; when the heart opens and the mind becomes childlike, the truth reveals itself effortlessly."
"Awakening and discernment are one; when awareness blossoms, right action flows effortlessly, and wrong simply fades away."
"Cultivate awareness, for it is the lamp that dispels the darkness of separation, revealing the ever-present reality that has always been within you."
"The shock you feel is not the whip, but its shadow—a gentle reminder to awaken from the slumber of your mind. Embrace this moment of alertness, for it is the doorway to transformation."
"Awakening and responsibility are not at odds; they dance together, each igniting the other, revealing that true responsibility emerges from the light of awareness."
"After awakening, the quest for knowledge fades, for true understanding lies not in accumulating facts, but in the freedom from the need to know."
"Awakening can unfold like a gentle tide or strike like a lightning bolt; both paths lead to the same shore of realization."
"Only the awakening of awareness can shatter the dream of the dreamer; it is consciousness, not death or birth, that liberates us from the trance of desire."
"To That, whether you escape or awaken makes no difference; it remains the unchanging essence of everything and nothing, untouched by your experiences."
"To be awake is to act from love and compassion, standing for truth and freedom while remaining centered in the face of a world that prefers to sleep."
"After total awakening, there is no 'after'—the journey dissolves into the timeless, where inquiry becomes meaningless and the mind's questions fall silent."
"Without a great inner awakening, even the mightiest material foundations will crumble before the living evidence of awakened souls."
What happens when I am awakened?
outcome"Awakening is not merely a sudden jolt; it is the gentle unfolding of consciousness at the right moment, where integration and guidance lead you to true centeredness."
"Allow your heart's overflow to express itself; in tears or laughter, you deepen your roots and strengthen your authenticity."
"Waiting for spiritual awakening only deepens your sleep; true awakening happens in the present moment, when you decide to be fully alert and witness your own existence."
"Waking from deep relaxation as a new-born child signifies a return to your original innocence, where the noise of the mind fades and a fresh, unburdened awareness emerges. Embrace this rebirth, for it reveals the clarity and vitality of your true nature."
Profound Quotes on Awakening
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