Osho's perspective on Experience
When Osho Spoke About Experience
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Question: Fourth question: Osho, for an hour to an hour and a half after the daily discourse, a kind of intoxication descends. In that time, far from talking, I don’t even feel like looking at anyone. A strange smile spreads on my face. Sometimes tears come, and then I want to be alone. If anyone disturbs me at that time, I feel irritable. Please say something. It’s going well. This is exactly how it should be. This is no temple; this is a tavern. If the intoxication doesn’t come here, then nothing has happened. If you don’t get blissfully drunk here, you’ve missed. There is no preaching on scriptures going on here; here wine is being poured. Here it’s the work of drunkards. The weak have no passage here. Here, drink me. And drown here so deeply that you lose all your senses.Read the full discourse →
Question: Fourth question: Osho, the other day while listening to your discourse, a strange kind of vibration arose in the heart and along the auditory nerves; since then even ordinary sounds set off odd ripples and waves of bliss. Please tell me: is there something in the voice of enlightened ones that produces a special effect? Also, in your presence there is a particular, delightful fragrance; at times it is felt in the ashram and sometimes during meditation as well. In this regard, please say whether certain moments in time have their own special fragrance too. If you listen, something is bound to tremble in the heart. If you give me a little space to enter within; if you do not stand blocking the way; if you do not shut the doors but open them—then the winds will come, the sun’s light will come, something will happen inside.Read the full discourse →
Question: Second question: Osho, when I read your discourses I am filled with wonder. But when I listen to them, only sound keeps reverberating. In the end, only emptiness remains, and a soft, delicate bliss. Is this your taste, Osho? Certainly. I am not saying anything to convince your intellect. My effort here is not to placate your mind. Sometimes I speak on devotion—then the effort is that your heart be stirred. Sometimes I speak on knowledge—then the effort is that you transcend both heart and intellect and become a witness. But I never speak for the intellect. The intellect is like an itch: the more you scratch… While scratching it feels pleasant; afterward a great soreness comes. I am not speaking for your intellect, not for your head. Either I speak for the heart, or I speak for that which is beyond both—beyond heart and intellect.Read the full discourse →
Question: First question: Osho, you sit in the tavern and, every morning and evening, you pour brimming goblet after goblet of wine. I do get intoxicated by your wine, but I don’t lose consciousness. What should I do? That was Ramakrishna’s state. When he became unconscious, he forgot the world, forgot his body. The Beloved was remembered; he stood before the Lord. So I say to you: having done so much, do this much more. Intoxication—the first step; now take the second. There are only two steps. With these two the journey is complete. First step: intoxication. Second: unconsciousness. And on the third, you do not remain—only God remains. It is but a two-step distance. It is the season of blossoms; the air is perfumed, O cupbearer. Look at the garden—it looks like paradise, O cupbearer. It is the season of flowers! Spring has arrived!Read the full discourse →
Are authentic experiences always the same?
definition"Authentic spiritual experiences are universally the same, yet the forms of religion are shaped by the social conditions that surround us."
"Use experience as a mirror, not a burden; watch, learn, and let go, for true transformation arises from alert awareness, not from the weight of past impressions."
"Listen with the heart, and love will keep each moment fresh; the mind collects burdens, but the heart remains forever light and new."
"Complete your experiences consciously; only then will you be ready to meet the master in any form that appears."
"Begin with seeing; true understanding arises from clarity, and only then does effortless action follow."
"The essential spiritual experience is one, yet religions are mere provisional maps, shaped by culture and time, interpreting the same inner truth through different symbols."
"Memory is a shadow of experience, creating a distance between the self and the moment; to truly live is to dissolve that gap and embrace the now."
"Real sadhana ends all sadhana; it is the art of resting in choiceless, grateful awareness, allowing existence to flower in its own time."
Should I live by anyone's experience?
definition"Live by your own experience; borrowed beliefs only create imitation, while firsthand seeing transforms."
Should a child have his own experience?
definition"A child must discover truth through their own experience; beliefs can only contract the mind, while open inquiry allows it to expand."
"The outer world may be in turmoil, but the real you, the witnessing center, remains untouched and eternal. Embrace the chaos without losing your essence, for true evolution lies within."
"True understanding of my discourse is like an inner champagne that dissolves the ego, awakening you to the beauty, truth, and ecstasy of existence."
"In profound meditation, you plunge into the unknowable, where thought falls silent and you simply live the mystery of truth, consciousness, and bliss."
"When you connect with your inner essence, you become a silent witness, experiencing the ecstasy of being beyond the confines of body and mind."
"To truly experience the flower is to be in the living now; the moment you name it, you transform the experience into a mere memory."
"When life is a dance of opposites, let go of clinging to methods; instead, act with effortless effort and flow with the vast intelligence of existence."
"When a taste arises in meditation, do not chase it or interpret it; simply witness its emergence and passing, for it is a sign that your meditation is deepening."
What happens when a wayward son continues to prefer the same path despite experiencing consequences?
outcome"When a wayward son chooses suffering over transformation, let go of your attempts to correct him; instead, focus on your own evolution, for your silent example may inspire genuine change."
"When joy blossoms in togetherness, the divine descends, the mind quiets, and life transforms into a playful worship."
"Genius cannot be refuted; only idols shatter. Speak your truth, and let those who resonate with it find their way back."
"The only difference between experiencing and indulging is awareness; with presence, every act becomes luminous, while without it, life turns mechanical and excessive."
"Experience is the direct, wordless encounter with reality; projection is merely the mind dressing the nameless in familiar symbols. Drop rigidity and seek the living experience beyond images."
"Words born of personal experience are alive, resonating with truth that transcends logic; they awaken the heart and catalyze inner revolution."
"The presence of enlightened beings can ignite your courage and longing, but the journey to realization is yours alone to walk."
"Experience is the only true teacher; the pain of mistakes and the joy of right actions are the currency of real wisdom, while borrowed knowledge remains empty. Embrace your own journey, for only through experimentation can you truly discover yourself."
Profound Quotes on Experience
Explore our structured collection of meaning-mapped quotes regarding Experience.
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