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…Read the full discourse →
Osho, is there any practical process for being in the realm of existence beyond thoughts, in the void?
The way to thin them out is non-cooperation. Right now we are their makers—that is, we are the ones maintaining them. When we sit idle, some thought or other is running, because without our cooperation they cannot run. Withdraw your cooperation from whatever thoughts are running, and do nothing else; regard just this as samayik, as meditation. If all thoughts dissolve, you will feel no ego and no person within. You will know only being—only being will be known, in which the distinction “I am an individual” or “I am the whole” will not be felt. Only pure being will remain—pure existence. In truth, because of the thoughts accumulated upon that pure existence, we appear to be a person. This sense that I am “A,” you are “B,” you are “C”—the A, B, C we have pasted on—is our thought-power. We commonly say, “I will become liberated”—this is not quite…Read the full discourse →
Osho said that there was no need to try to still the mind, to stop the thoughts. He said that just as the traffic goes by and one remains on the sidewalk, unaffected, just a watcher, so one should simply witness the thoughts as they went by. We are not our thoughts, and recognising that we are the witness is enough. The very acceptance of the thoughts makes one more relaxed. The relaxation helps to create a distance, to separate oneself. To evaluate a thought as good or bad means that you are attached to your thoughts -- so one should not put labels on them.] ... put yourself aside, sit under a tree, and just watch the traffic. Soon, one day, the traffic disappears and the road is empty. Suddenly there is an interval and in that interval is meditation. But that interval cannot be created or cultivated.Read the full discourse →
How do we reach the state of blessedness when the mind is empty of chatter, defenses, plans and games, and god is?
IF YOU ASK HOW, YOU ASK A WRONG QUESTION. The how brings the chatter in; the how, the technique, brings the future in. The how brings the methodology and the mind in. So it is not a question of HOW DO WE REACH THE STATE OF BLESSEDNESS WHEN THE MIND IS EMPTY OF CHATTER DEFENSES, PLANS AND GAMES, AND GOD IS? It is not a question of how, it is not a question of technology at all. Meditation is not a technique. Once you ask how, you bring ALL that you want to drop. How means it cannot happen right now; the how will need time -- tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, this life or after this life. Because the Hindus created so many techniques for meditation, they had to suppose many lives; it was a necessary corollary. One life was not enough to do Patanjali's Yoga. Many more lives…Read the full discourse →
"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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