Conditionings

Question: Maneesha's question: OUR BELOVED MASTER, ARE THERE CERTAIN CONDITIONINGS -- SUCH AS GUILT, FEAR, JEALOUSY -- THAT ARE NOT PECULIAR TO CHRISTIANITY ALONE BUT HAVE BEEN ENDORSED BY ALL RELIGIONS, IN ALL CULTURES SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL? Maneesha, no religion can exist without guilt. It is an absolute necessity for a religion that people should feel guilty. No religion can exist without creating fear in people -- fear of hell, fear of punishment, fear of eternal fire. No religion can gather masses and exploit them without guilt and fear. A guilty person feels somehow to find a savior. He has committed sin, and all religions create as many sins as possible. In fact, everything that makes you happy is a sin. Everything that makes you a long-faced Englishman is virtue. Guilt is needed absolutely -- but how to create guilt?

Why does religion create so much guilt?

Religion does not create guilt -- if it creates guilt it is not religion. Yes, Mohammedanism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, they create guilt. Let that be your definition of religion: if it creates guilt it is not a religion. It is something else pretending, something else garbed as religion, posing as religion -- but it is not religion. Religion creates celebration, not guilt. These are hidden things which don't want to expose themselves. These so-called religions are more political than religious. Their whole idea, desire, ambition, is how to dominate people, how to control people. And naturally, guilt is one of the best mechanisms ever evolved to control people, to dominate people. Make them feel guilty! Once they start feeling guilty they are in your control. All dictators do that, all politicians do that. And your priest is just a politician behind the mask. The popes, the SHANKARACHARYAS, are all politicians;…

Question: OSHO, WHY HAVE ALL THE RELIGIONS USED REPRESSION AS A BASIC STRATEGY? The mind says the woman is beautiful -- and if you feel a desire for beauty I don't see that there is anything wrong in it. If you feel a desire for ugliness, then something is wrong, then you are sick. Beauty has to be appreciated. When you see a beautiful painting, you would like to possess it. When you see anything beautiful, just by the side of it the idea comes as a shadow, "If this beautiful thing could be mine...." Now, these are all natural thoughts. But the priest will say, "The rains have not come because of your impure thoughts" -- and you are absolutely indefensible. You know it, you are ashamed of yourself. God is always right.

Question: OUR BELOVED MASTER, ONCE, WHEN UNGAN WAS IN YAKUSAN'S PRESENCE, THE MASTER SAID TO HIM, "WHAT DOES HYAKUJO OSHO USUALLY TEACH?" UNGAN REPLIED, "HE SAYS, `GO BEYOND THREE PHRASES,' OR `GO BEYOND SIX PHRASES AND GET IT.'" YAKUSAN COMMENTED, "WITH A DISTANCE OF SEVEN HUNDRED MILES BETWEEN US, FORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HYAKUJO." BUT THEN HE CONTINUED, "WHAT ELSE DOES HE TEACH?" UNGAN SAID, "ONCE, AFTER THE DISCOURSE, WHEN THE CONGREGATION STOOD UP FROM THEIR SEATS, HYAKUJO CALLED OUT TO THEM. WHEN THEY LOOKED BACK AT THE MASTER, HYAKUJO SAID, `WHAT IS THAT?'" YAKUSAN COMMENTED, "YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT EARLIER -- HYAKUJO IS STILL DOING WELL. THANKS TO YOU, I WAS ABLE TO SEE HYAKUJO.