Refuge

Beloved Osho, some people came to know that rama is the only refuge by arriving there, but we start feeling this just by looking at you. Why is this so?

Yes, you can feel this provided you look -- but who looks? In order to look, a different kind of eyes is needed. There are times when, without your knowing, such eyes appear on their own; there are times when, without your knowing, you forget yourself. In those moments when you are absent, when you are not, the curtain in front of your eyes disappears. In those moments you catch a glimpse. Seeing happens when there is no seer inside, because the seer is continuously distorting the vision. He has his biases, his theories, his concepts and so on. He is constantly disturbing the seeing, saying: "Look in this way," "See this," or "What you are seeing cannot be." The seer inside does not allow you to see. But sometimes the seer moves aside. This happens unaware, without your knowing. If you knew, you would not let it move aside;…

Osho, someone, on arriving, came to know: “There is no shelter without Ram.” But just by looking at you we start feeling the same. Why?

It can be felt—if you truly see. But who is it that sees? To see, a different kind of eyes is needed. At times, in unguarded moments, those eyes come to you unawares. Unknowingly, sometimes you forget yourself. Sometimes you get lost. And when you are not, the curtain over the eyes lifts. In that instant, a glimpse is possible. To see means that the one who sees is not standing inside. Then vision happens, because the inner seer keeps obstructing the eyes all the time—his biases, his beliefs, his theories. He goes on interfering: “Look this way. Look at this. What you are seeing cannot be.” That inner onlooker does not let seeing happen. Sometimes he slips aside. Without your knowing, you don’t even notice when he moved. If you became aware, he wouldn’t be able to move—you would hold on to him. Sometimes, while you are listening to…

A friend has asked: “Krishna once said, mam ekam sharanam vraja—‘take refuge in me alone.’ If someone were to say this today, would it still be effective or not?”

Then why take sannyas from me? What difficulty is there in making someone guru? And if there is difficulty, why take sannyas? Give sannyas to yourself. Who can stop you? But then the inner emptiness becomes visible, the ignorance becomes visible; to fill it, we want to learn from someone—and yet not admit we learned from someone. No harm—no master is attached to your acknowledgment that you learned from him. But the one who isn’t ready for acknowledgment cannot learn at all. That is the obstacle. This is why Krishnamurti’s attraction becomes so precious—he suits our dishonesty. The total reason for Krishnamurti’s attraction is that he fits our dishonesty. Krishnamurti says: “I am not your guru; I don’t teach you.” He also says what I’m saying isn’t teaching, it’s dialogue. “You’re not the listener and I the speaker; there is a dialogue between us.” So people have been listening to…

Beloved Osho, hearing your discourse on 'rama the only refuge' I remembered your declaration in the anandshila meditation camp: "I have come to awaken, not to teach. Surrender and I will transform you. This is my promise." please explain this immensely reassuring statement to us in detail. Also, please tell us what is the difference between learning and awakening, what is the relation between surrender and transformation?

But while we are in it, it is difficult; and this is so because our investment in the sleep is great. Our great hopes, and the wildest fantasies of our dreams, are all contained in sleep, and if we break out of our slumber, all these hopes and dreams begin to collapse. You say to your wife, "I love you"; but when awareness fills you, you will have to say, "I have never loved you". You tell your children, "I am living for you"; but filled with awareness you will discover that it is not true. You are not living for your children, you are keeping them alive so that you can live on through them when you are dead. Your children are your desire; they are supposed to complete that which you were unable to do. You are trying to travel on their shoulders into the future. Through them…