Osho's perspective on Experience
When Osho Spoke About Experience
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, what is the difference between surrender and blind imitation?
So be careful: the freedom you allow yourself, allow the other too. You have no right to judge another as blindly credulous or as a surrendered being. Drop that concern. You cannot judge anyway—how will you enter another’s heart? How will you know? Think only about yourself. See within whether, up to now, you have lived by blind belief or by surrender. Decide only there; leave worrying about others. Otherwise, all your judgments will be wrong. Jesus said: Judge not; do not set yourself up as a judge in relation to another. To the friend who has asked: if you are asking for yourself, good. Drop worrying about others. Look within and see: whatever I have been clinging to till now—have I ever staked my life to hold it? Have I meditated for it? Have I loved for it? Or am I just clutching what culture, society, civilization handed me?…
Is the memory of an experience an experience?
Yes, the memory of an experience is an experience. It has now become a past memory. And once it becomes memory, you are immediately separate. So you are always separate from the experience. For example, today you say, “I was once a child”; you are now completely separate from that experience of childhood. How can you be one with it? That has become memory. Now you are entirely different. But when you were a child, you simply were; and when there was the experience of childhood, you were not separate.
Osho, you always emphasize experience. I have done everything—worship and rituals, yoga and meditation, vows and fasting! And for some years I even lived like an old-style sadhu. Yet nothing came of all that. What should I do now?
You have done nothing. Do you even know what fasting is? Fasting—upavas—means to dwell near, to sit close to the Divine. It does not mean starving. Yes, it often happens that sitting close to Him you forget food; you forget to eat. In real fasting, food is not in the focus—God is; and God is so much in focus that you forget the body. Then food does not come to mind: that is fasting. When you fast, the exact opposite happens. What you do should not be called upavas; that is why we have another word—anashan, a hunger strike. You go on a hunger strike: “Today I will not eat.” But have you seen what a man does when he decides to fast? “Tomorrow I mustn’t eat”—so tonight he stuffs himself. He makes up for tomorrow today. Is that fasting? And what will you do tomorrow all day? You will…
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.
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
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