Osho's perspective on Existence
When Osho Spoke About Existence
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, my condition has become like Trishanku. I can neither return to the past nor see any road ahead. If I am to go, where should I go?
And once the inner resonance becomes audible to you—call it Om, or whatever you like—once you hear that inner sound, then whether you are in the marketplace or at a shop or anywhere, it makes no difference. The veena within goes on playing. It has always been playing. Only you have not cultivated the habit of listening. You have not developed the capacity. You have not found the rhythm with it. So it is good that your condition has become like Trishanku: no path backward—give thanks to God! No way forward—great good fortune! Now sit down. Sit right where you are. Do not look back, nor forward. Close your eyes. There is nowhere to go. Come to yourself. What you seek is hidden within you. Where you are going is where it already resides. In the end it is discovered that what we were searching for was concealed in the…Read the full discourse →
Osho, where to go—we can’t see! We set out but there is no path! What are we seeking—we’ve no idea! We keep weaving dreams, breath by breath.
All peace, meditation—forgotten. Such bad company!” Religious leaders give blessings at marriages. Whenever there is a wedding, the guru blesses. It is a whole conspiracy. He blesses: “Live long, may your sorrows end now.” Three months later the young man returns: “Master, we don’t want to live long! Take back your blessing! And what was that you said—that now our sorrows will end—what did it mean? I wasn’t suffering before!” The priest said, “Child, I didn’t say which end. Sorrows have two ends. One where they begin, and one where they end. Two extremities. I never said which end had come. Now you know which end arrived.” And the priest said, “Don’t worry—however soon you die, it will feel as if you lived for ages.” For a married man, life feels long indeed. It just doesn’t pass. He devises ways to kill time—playing cards, reciting ballads of Alha-Udal, as if…Read the full discourse →
Beloved Osho, I don't know where I'm going, and I don't know what there is to do. Do I have what I need for this adventure?
There is no need to know where you are going. There is no need to know why you are going. All that is needed to be known is that you are going joyously, because if you are going joyously you cannot go wrong. If you are going dancing, singing, celebrating, the direction does not matter, the road does not matter, the goal does not matter. Every moment becomes paradise. Let me repeat it again to you: there is no goal in existence. There are only moments, and the art is to squeeze the moment, its whole juice, herenow. And as moments go on coming into your hands, go on squeezing all the juices that existence contains for you. In fact, you are where you are supposed to be, so if you are going somewhere it is just a morning walk. Don't be worried. There is no goal, you can turn…Read the full discourse →
It is difficult to understand. The first difficulty is to understand that there is nowhere to go. Even this much is hard to grasp. The whole arrangement of our chitta, our mind, keeps saying: move, go somewhere; here there is nothing. The entire mind is woven out of this tension — go somewhere, somewhere far lies the goal. The very base of mind is that the goal be far; otherwise the mind disappears. Because if the goal is far, one has to try to attain, to think, to plan, to find devices. And if the goal is far, it will not be attained today, it will be attained tomorrow. So the strain from today toward tomorrow has to be maintained. The mind lives in tension. And every tension, deep down, is the tension of reaching somewhere — whether it be wealth, fame, religion, or moksha.Read the full discourse →
"What seems like contradiction in existence is merely the dance of complementarity; in recognizing this, we align with the eternal flow of life and death."
Are you from outer space?
definition"You are not a local accident; your essence is cosmic, a part of the boundless universe. Recognize this, and freedom, humor, and nonattachment will naturally blossom within you."
Can stolen matches burn?
definition"Only the light you see for yourself can truly burn; borrowed beliefs are mere shadows of illumination."
"Poland exists, not as a joke, but as a reminder to embrace humor in the face of our collective absurdities."
Does existence always balance perfectly?
definition"True balance is not the absence of opposites, but the silence that transcends them; it is the awakening of a single sane presence amidst the chaos of existence."
Does one's existence disappear?
outcome"Your personal 'I' may dissolve, but existence itself is an unending, boundless presence that remains. The disappearance is of the separate self, not of reality."
Does the Vedas state whether God exists?
definition"The Vedas do not seek to prove God; they invite you to experience the fragrance of awareness that transcends words and beliefs."
"Existence is not indifferent; it is a profound paradox of love that allows freedom, even to the point of crucifying the divine. True love respects our choices, inviting us to embrace responsibility without the expectation of miraculous intervention."
"Your origin and destination are one; the journey is not about tracing the past, but awakening to your being in the present."
"You miss the essence of existence by turning being into a goal; in the silence of non-doing, the divine reveals itself."
How did we come into existence?
definition"You are not a product of origins; you are a momentary expression of the whole, like a wave in the ocean—just be and let the mystery of existence unfold."
"True action arises not from personal knowledge, but from the recognition of our shared essence; when we meet essence with essence, we transcend the masks of identity."
"Awakening begins the moment you truly see; what seems like delay is often the necessary maturation of your soul."
"There is nowhere to go; the journey unfolds in stillness, where being reveals itself beyond the compulsive urge to seek."
"Existence is not a personal God to be worshipped; it is an impersonal intelligence and love that invites you to simply tune in and experience the harmony of being."
"As you awaken to the ever-present support of existence, gratitude blossoms, transforming your trust in life into a profound religiousness."
"To know the unmanifest while living, turn inward and trace your essence back to the Whole, for in the beginning and the end, we are all one."
"In the nondual state, the oscillation between saint and sinner dissolves, revealing that existence is not about going back, but about embracing the effortless being that transcends all polarities."
"Existence is a nurturing force that sustains us effortlessly; when we awaken to this truth, trust replaces anxiety, allowing us to simply be."
"To penetrate the vast realms of existence, return to the center of your being, become utterly empty, and let life flow through you without the weight of stored knowledge. In this mirror-like awareness, each moment unfolds directly, inviting total responsiveness and effortless understanding."
"When the ego disappears, responsibilities remain, but they transform into a playful dance of existence, free from the weight of 'me' and infused with spontaneous awareness."
"When you explore the mysteries of existence, you find that the true journey is not outward, but a profound awakening within. The master reflects your own potential, guiding you to dissolve the ego and embrace the divine that resides in your heart."
"Sadness arises not from the sunset, but from the mind's habit of longing for a home elsewhere; when you stop seeking and simply witness, the division dissolves and peace emerges."
"When you lose connection with your body, you drift into the restless mind and close the door to the Divine; honor your body, for it is the temple through which presence and beauty flow."
"When man is effaced and God is found, the ego falls away, revealing your indestructible essence as the Divine, where effortless joy and clarity reside."
Profound Quotes on Existence
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