Esotericism

Osho: is all esotericism nonsense?

"Well, it's simple, sir," stated the operator. "The call to heaven was long distance, while the one to hell was only a local call!" Yes, Viramo, all esotericism is nonsense -- except Almasto's esoteric questions. She has again asked. She says, "Osho, can I ask a few more esoteric questions?" I love her esoteric questions -- they are REALLY esoteric! First: How many Gandhians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Almasto, five. First of all Urinjibhai Morarjibhai Desai to hold the lightbulb, and the other four to turn the table he is standing on. This is called non-violent Gandhian revolution! Second: How many communists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Almasto, two. One to screw in the lightbulb and one to pass out pamphlets. Third: How many Jews does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Almasto, three. One to call the cleaning woman and two…

Beloved master, theosophists have talked about different groups of masters existing physically or even non-physically. How many of these groups exist today? What are these esoteric groups, and how do they influence seekers and the world's activity? Please tell us about your relationship with these esoteric groups of masters.

The locks will go on changing. They will never be the same. So not only are dead keys to be preserved, but also the science for changing these keys whenever there is any change in the lock. That is preserved in esoteric groups. You cannot preserve it in books because the locks are not known. They will change, they will go on changing. No book can write about all these possibilities of locks, about all the combinations of locks. They will go on changing. The condition changes, education changes, culture changes, everything changes, so the locks become different. Howsoever the key is preserved, it will always be faulty in a way. It will not suit the lock. So the key must be handed over to a living group of wise ones who can always change the key also. That is the difference between esoteric knowledge and exoteric tradition. Exoteric tradition…

The word 'esoteric' has been used in a very sacred sense. Would you please tell us what inspires you to use it in a ridiculous and humorous sense?

So I want to dissolve all distinctions, because through distinctions ego exists. So I don't say what is sacred and what is ordinary. To me the ordinary is extraordinary, the mundane is sacred. the day-to-day life is holy life -- hence I use the word 'esoteric' as a ridiculous word. It hurts many people because there are many people who think that if religion is obvious then where will they find their ego-trip? If everything is unhidden from the very beginning, then their ego has no challenge. Ego is challenged only by the difficult. This is my observation: that if you find one hundred person interested in religious enquiry ninety-nine will be there only because God is almost impossible. That gives the thrill, that makes them feel good -- that they are going to attain the impossible. Others are only working for the possible and they are working for the…

Beloved Osho, I have been accused of being esoteric ever since I have been a sannyasin. Why is `esoteric' a four-letter word?

It is; there is no question of why. A four-letter word is a four-letter word. All esoterics is nonsense. But the question is significant. Because you became a sannyasin, naturally people must have assumed that you have become esoteric. You are no longer part of the ordinary world; you are searching for truth, going into higher stages of consciousness. People must have thought that you had become esoteric. They don't know anything about my sannyas. The old sannyas is a four-letter word, it is esoteric. Esoteric means all kinds of nonsense -- that you have seven bodies, that you have fourteen stages of consciousness... In India there is a small, very rich community known as Radhaswamis. They are making a temple in the memory of their dead master in Agra, because he lived in Agra. They want to defeat the Taj Mahal in Agra. For one hundred years the work…