Problems

How can one learn to recognize unreal problems as unreal?

There is no need to learn recognition, because all problems are unreal. Problems as such are unreal. When you are real, all problems disappear. When you are unreal, a thousand and one problems arise. It used to always be the case that whenever a man would come to Buddha he would say, "Please, for one year don't ask any questions. One year remain silent with me, flow with me. Allow me to work within you. Just open your doors and let the sun rays go in. For one year no problems, no questions; remain silent, meditate. After one year, you can ask." A certain man, a great seeker, had come one day. His name was Malingputta, a great brahmin scholar; with five hundred disciples he had come to Buddha. He had many questions, of course. A great scholar has to have many questions, problems and problems. Buddha looked at his…

Osho, to solve problems, is it necessary to trace each one back to its roots?

Gurudatt! If you can go to the root of a problem, the solution happens by itself. That much capacity for observation brings the solution. People don’t want to go to the roots of a problem. They whitewash the surface. They apply ointments and bandages on top. They treat symptoms. They don’t bother to go to the root. If you reach the root, the very journey there makes the problem evaporate. But keep in mind, many times it happens that a problem has no root at all. And if you start searching for roots, you will get into trouble. So first understand whether the problem even has a root. Many problems are like dodder—rootless parasitic vines that spread over other plants. For example, a man kept going to doctors; all the doctors got tired and perplexed. No one could figure out what his illness was. He was deeply restless—couldn’t sit still…

Osho, what is a problem?

Always be ready to change your mind because life cannot be changed just because of your ideologies. And we have learned ways how to look at life, how to interpret life, and we become fixated in certain routines. Let me tell you one anecdote. A mousy little man used to be very frightened of his boss. One day he told a fellow worker that he was sick. His friend said, "Why don't you go home?" "Oh, I couldn't do that!" "Why not? Don't be silly, he will never know. He is not even here today." Finally the man was convinced and went home. When he got there, he looked in the window -- and there was his boss, kissing and hugging his wife. So he ran all the way back to the office. "A fine friend you are!" he said to his pal. "I nearly got caught." Just an old…

One can go crazy in trying to solve problems individually. It is like cutting the leaves of a tree. The tree is huge and you go on cutting the leaves and new leaves go on coming up. Instead of one, three leaves will pop up; you cut one and the tree will respond with three leaves. It will become thicker, the foliage will be thicker because the tree takes on the challenge; you cannot defeat it so easily. But cut the roots and the whole tree is gone, all the leaves will fall on their own. But roots are invisible and leaves are visible; hence many people go on pruning the leaves for the whole of their life. The case is exactly the same with man: the root of all problems is the mind, but the mind is invisible.