Communal Conflict

Osho, these days in the country, what do you have to say about the communal conflicts taking place in the name of religion?

So, Bansal, don’t bring up the word “these days.” This has always been so. Quarrels in the name of religion have been continuous. Quarrels have been only in the name of religion. The reason is clear: we harbor a fundamental misconception about religion. As with a lamp—when it burns there is light; when it goes out, the light ends—so when a Buddha, a Mahavira, a Lao Tzu, a Jesus-like person ignites, there is light; and when that person departs, the light departs. But the lamp goes out and we get busy worshiping the darkness. Once the lamp is extinguished, only darkness remains. Granted there was a lamp there once and there once was light—but now there is only darkness. When the lamp burns, there is religion; when the worship of darkness begins, there is a sect. And what will sects do if not fight? What will the blind do if…

Osho, what is the relationship between meditation and patience?

If you sit to meditate to remove mental restlessness, you will keep looking back again and again: “Has it gone yet?” And the irony is that when you begin to meditate, restlessness will increase. Because what has been repressed will start surfacing; catharsis will begin. The rubbish you have kept hidden within and never allowed to express—meditation will break open those doors too. It will clean the house. Dust piled up for years, for births, will rise again; there will be gusts and storms. For a while even the little peace you had will be lost. Then you will panic: “I came for peace, and even what I had is gone.” Without patience, you could even become unhinged, because meditation brings such a great storm. The disease is not from a day or two; it’s from lifetimes. Meditation will break through all the layers to reach your innermost core. In…

Osho, in human life crimes range from lies to rape and murder. Since ancient times sages and saints have inspired righteous action. In this context, please explain how today’s enlightened class should resolve the disorder-born problems of human life?

Now there are two kinds of people. One: those who harm others—you call them sinners, wrongdoers. Two: those who harm themselves for the good of others—you call them saints. There is not much difference between the two. One harms others; one harms himself—both harm. I call him a saint who harms no one—neither another, nor himself. Only when such a rare event happens does a ray of religion descend. This event does not happen to the crowd—it cannot. It is asked again: “In this context, please explain how today’s ‘enlightened’ class should solve the disorder-born problems of human life?” Whom do you call enlightened? Because you got a university degree? Because you managed to publish a few articles in two-bit newspapers? Whom do you call enlightened? Because you can spout a little nonsense in a logically dressed-up way? Whom do you call enlightened? “Enlightened” is a very big word. Do…

Osho, these days the papers are filled with reports of communal riots erupting all over india. No real reasons for this violence and destruction of property are being given, just vague references to "anti-social elements," whatever that phrase means. Can you throw any light on what is happening in this country, on why there is this obvious and angry unrest?

Hindi speaking people start killing non Hindi speaking people; non Hindi speaking people start killing Hindi speaking people. The Gujaratis start fighting with the Marathis, the Mohammedans with the Hindus the Jainas with the Hindus, the Sikhs with the non-Sikhs. Anybody is ready to fight with anybody else; just a small excuse, real or invented, is needed. The fight happens first, then later on we discover why it has happened. People are gathering so much poison, anger, that these flare-ups are bound to happen. And then politicians have no understanding, so they simply go on dumping the whole thing on "anti-social elements," as if these anti-social elements appear only once in a while and then suddenly disappear. They are always there, but the riots are not always there. For years these anti-social elements become very peaceful and very Gandhian, very non-violent, and then one day suddenly they erupt, and they…