Osho's perspective on Mindfulness
When Osho Spoke About Mindfulness
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Beloved Osho, we hear what you say, but we in the west keep the information in our heads. How can we get out of our heads? What methods can we use, and can will-power help us?
No. Will-power will not help you. Will-power is not a power at all, because will depends on the ego -- a very tiny phenomenon, it cannot create much power. When you are will-less, then you are powerful -- because then you are one with the whole. Deep down, will-power is a sort of impotency. To hide the fact that we are impotent, we create will. We create the opposite to deceive ourselves and others. Persons who feel they are foolish try to show that they are wise. They are constantly aware that they are foolish, so they do everything to look wise. Persons who are ugly or feel they are ugly always try to beautify themselves -- even a painted beauty, just a face, a mask. People who are weak always try to look strong. The opposite is created; that is the only way to hide the reality within. A…
Why do you always carry a napkin with you, even when there is no use for it?
It is symbolic: that I am useless like my napkin. I don't believe in utility. Utility belongs to the world, to the marketplace. I believe in nonutilitarian things: a flower. What is the utility of a flower? What is the use? It is absolutely useless; and hence beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Life to me is not purposive; there is no purpose in it. If there was purpose life could not be so beautiful. Purpose always creates ugliness. Purpose gives you commodities, not ecstasies. Purpose gives you factories, not temples. Life is not a factory; it is a temple. What is the use of a temple? In the East, every village has a temple, at least one. More, then it is too good; otherwise one. Even a very, very poor village. When Westerners came for the first time to the East they could not believe the phenomenon, because the villages are so…
Beloved Osho, how to slow down?
Live in the moment for the sheer joy of living it. Then each moment has the quality of an orgasm. Yes, it is orgasmic. This is how my sannyasins have to live, with no should, with no ought, with no must, with no commandment. You are not here to be with me to become martyrs, you are here to be with me to enjoy life to its fullness. And the only way to live, love, enjoy, is to forget the future. It exists not. And if you can forget the future, if you can see that it is not there, there is no point in constantly getting ready for it. The moment future is dropped, past becomes irrelevant on its own accord. We carry the past so that we can use it in the future. Otherwise who will carry the past? It is unnecessary. If there is no future, what…
Please explain 'right-mindfulness'. If not a goal or something to practise, what is it?
SAMBUDDHA, RIGHT-MINDFULNESS IS A STRANGE WORD. First: there is no mind in it -- hence it is called 'right-mindfulness'. Secondly, there is nothing right and wrong in it -- hence it is called right-mindfulness. This is a Buddhist way of saying things. It can't be a goal, because when there is a goal you are always in the wrong. Why are you in the wrong when there is a goal? because when there is a goal there is desire, when there is desire you are unhappy, discontented. When there is desire, there is anxiety -- whether you will be able to make it or not? Will it be possible or not? When there is desire there is future, and with the future anxiety enters into your being. With the desire you have lost contact with the present. Right-mindfulness is not a goal, cannot be a goal -- because when ALL…
"Living in the moment is not a decision to be made; it is the silent understanding that arises when you drop the mind's chatter and simply be."
"Observe your negative thoughts like clouds drifting in the sky; allow them to pass without judgment, and they will dissolve, leaving your consciousness clear and serene."
"Mindfulness is not a momentary practice but a continuous river of alertness; keep returning to presence by silently asking yourself, “Are you there?” and answering, “Yes, I am here.”"
"True witnessing is choiceless awareness; when you simply remain silently aware, detachment becomes effortless and the mind subsides."
"True calm and joy emerge not from resisting your present state, but from embracing it fully; in acceptance, even sorrow transforms into silence and enthusiasm."
"Become will-less and simply watch; in pure watchfulness, the head disappears and you transcend beyond thought."
"Every small act is a hologram of the whole; when you are fully present in each moment, the mundane transforms into the sacred."
"Enter the immediacy of 'just now' and let every simple act become a celebration of this moment, where joy sharpens awareness and presence reveals itself effortlessly."
"To truly watch the mind is to witness without interference, but be aware that the journey may be long and uncertain if the inner chaos is vast."
How to slow down?
practice"Life has no goal; when you drop the urgency of the mind and embrace each moment for its own sake, relaxation and slowness will naturally unfold."
"Mindfulness arises not from concentration, but from a spacious, alert awareness that transcends the stupor of narrowed focus. True mindfulness is a relaxed, choiceless watchfulness, free from the trance of distraction."
"Embrace the present moment, for in its disturbance lies the blessing of transformation; it is here that you invite the Divine and discover your true self."
"In the embrace of the present, when you allow your body and mind to be lazy, you discover a timeless simplicity where life unfolds effortlessly, and your true essence shines through."
"When you immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, your joy becomes a symphony that resonates with others, igniting a shared dance of life."
What is right mindfulness?
definition"Right mindfulness is the art of witnessing each moment without judgment, allowing awareness to dissolve the mechanical habits of the mind and reveal the intelligence of compassionate action."
What is right-mindfulness?
definition"Right-mindfulness is the mirrorlike awareness that arises when all striving ceases, allowing you to simply see what is, free from judgment and desire."
"Respond to the unsettling presence of insects not with rigid morality, but with the intelligence of the present moment; choose consciously and accept the consequences of your authentic action."
"Every day can be a Sunday when you drop the mind's compulsive 'why' and embrace each moment as a sacred holiday of joy. Choose bliss over misery, and carry heaven within you wherever you go."
"Life's true beauty lies beyond utility; it is in the uselessness of existence that we discover the poetry of being."
"Mindfulness is the silent observation that dissolves the doer, allowing action to flower spontaneously, free from the cloud of past knowledge. In this clarity, perception becomes fresh and responses effortless, transforming mechanical behavior into intelligent spontaneity."
"Calmness in chaos is the doorway to presence, where the mind surrenders to the now and reality unfolds in its purest form."
"When you accept life in all its beauty and absurdity, the trivial fades away, revealing the wholeness that has always been within you."
Profound Quotes on Mindfulness
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