Guidance

Beloved Osho, what is the difference between the emptiness of the child before the formation of the ego and the awakened childlikeness of a buddha?

Whether you are for it or against it doesn't matter -- your concern shows where your ego is hanging. And I will include the capitalist in it also: his whole concern is how to gather money, hoard money -- because money has power over matter. You can purchase any material thing through money. You cannot purchase anything spiritual, you cannot purchase anything that has any intrinsic value; you can purchase only things. If you want to purchase love, you cannot purchase; but you can purchase sex. Sex is the material part of love. Through money, matter can be purchased, possessed. Now you will be surprised: I include the communist and the capitalist both in the same category, and they are enemies, just as I include Charvaka and Mahatma Gandhi in the same category, and they are enemies. They are enemies, but their concern is the same. The capitalist is trying…

Beloved Osho, I have been your sannyasin for seven years and I am unable to express my gratitude, as it gave my life direction and joy and grace and more. Now, being here for only one week, I realize that I have always had a need for personal guidance from somebody tuning into me and my questions. This strong need was only reinforced during a counseling session today, here. Beloved master, would you please comment?

But Leo Tolstoy was a Gandhian, you will be surprised to know. Although Gandhi came later, in the last days of Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and he had written a few letters to each other. And Mahatma Gandhi declared that he has been under three masters; one is Leo Tolstoy, another is Henry Thoreau, and the third is a Jaina monk, Shrimad Rajchandra. These three people impressed Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was working in South Africa but he was very much impressed by the lifestyle of Leo Tolstoy. His wife was so angry that they were not even talking to each other. Talking meant always a fight. They had different natures. Tolstoy was trying hard to make his wife live a simple life, the life of poverty because, "blessed are the poor." He was a fanatical follower of Jesus Christ. Literally, he was living a poor life -- and the…

The master bankei's talks were attended not only by zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.

HIS LARGE AUDIENCES ANGERED A PRIEST OF THE NICHIREN SECT BECAUSE THE ADHERENTS HAD LEFT TO HEAR ABOUT ZEN. THE SELF-CENTERED NICHIREN PRIEST CAME TO THE TEMPLE, DETERMINED TO DEBATE WITH BANKEI. "HEY, ZEN TEACHER!" HE CALLED OUT. "WAIT A MINUTE. WHOEVER RESPECTS YOU WILL OBEY WHAT YOU SAY, BUT A MAN LIKE MYSELF DOES NOT RESPECT YOU. CAN YOU MAKE ME OBEY YOU?" "COME UP BESIDE ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU, " SAID BANKEI. PROUDLY THE PRIEST PUSHED HIS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD TO THE TEACHER. BANKEI SMILED. "COME OVER TO MY LEFT SIDE." THE PRIEST OBEYED. "NO," SAID BANKEI, "WE MAY TALK BETTER IF YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. STEP OVER HERE." THE PRIEST STEPPED PROUDLY OVER TO THE RIGHT. "YOU SEE," OBSERVED BANKEI, "YOU ARE OBEYING ME AND I THINK YOU ARE A VERY GENTLE PERSON. NOW SIT DOWN AND LISTEN." The Master laughed and…

Osho, guidance is indispensable, isn't it!

In fact, the word “guidance” by itself doesn’t say anything. It tells you nothing. Two things. Guidance seems indispensable to us. But guidance can be seed-laden and it can be seedless. There can be guidance that plants thoughts, imaginations, and beliefs in your mind. And there can be guidance that strips you of all your thoughts and beliefs, takes them away from you. So when someone says, “I will guide you,” there is great fear that he will hand you thoughts to hold on to. When someone says, “I am not a guide,” there is a possibility he will take all your thoughts away. One who says, “I am your guru,” is very likely to sit down inside your consciousness. One who says, “I am not a guru. We just happened to meet while walking on the road. You asked, ‘Where does this path go?’ I know, so I tell…