Salvation

Osho, are the English word “salvation” and the Sanskrit terms moksha, Vaikuntha, and nirvana all synonymous?

Nirvana is the final notion. No one remains. This will frighten you too. That is why not many are drawn to nirvana—no one remains! Then what is the point? You want bliss, yes—but you also want to remain; otherwise, what is the point even of bliss! And Buddha says: as long as you are, suffering remains. You are the suffering. The very notion of “I” is suffering. Where you are not, there is bliss. Now this becomes a little difficult. It has to—when things reach such heights they become difficult. They go beyond logic. They slip out of the grasp of the intellect. These four words are different, as I said, in practical terms. In the transcendental sense, they are not different. Whether one goes by the path of salvation, or by Vaikuntha, or by moksha, or by nirvana, ultimately one will arrive only at nirvana. Because those that do…

Question: OSHO, IS IT WRONG TO TRY TO SAVE SOMEBODY? IS IT NOT PART OF COMPASSION? But transformation is a lifelong process -- it is not a question of saving yourself for a few moments This is the reason why people got interested in religions like Christianity, because Christianity sells the idea so cheap. You have not to do anything: no transformation -- the word transformation does not even appear in the whole BIBLE -- no meditation. The word is not Christian or Jewish. All that you need to do is to believe in the messiah and go every Sunday to church. They can talk about anything, because who listens to these boring preachers there? And because they are boring they cannot conceive that there is a possibility of listening to somebody with deep intimacy and love.

Beloved Osho, the other morning in discourse I was overwhelmed by your clarity and your beauty and grace, and felt so grateful and vulnerable. Thank you, Osho. I also realize that I am still not seeing your total radiance and splendor. This brings sadness and frustration. Osho, is it true that without being enlightened we cannot see you as you really are -- sachchidanand? Can we only catch a glimpse?

The king was puzzled: this man seemed at least one hundred and twenty years old. "Is he mad, or what? He cannot expect to see the flowers of these trees, to say nothing about the fruits. And he is working so hard in his old age, the whole day in the hot sun" -- it was a desert land. He stopped and went close to the old man and said, "I watch you every day, and I see how hard you work, but a question ... Every day I go on repressing it, not wanting to interfere. But you will have to forgive me -- I want to ask one thing: Do you think you will be able to see the flowers of these plants?" The old man laughed. He said, "No, I will not be able to see the flowers of these plants. But do you see just behind…

Osho, yesterday after drive-by we were met by five bible-packing christians who had come to save us. What do you say? Can we be saved?

THESE idiots are all over the world, perhaps more so in Oregon. The very idea of saving somebody is violent. It is interfering, trespassing on somebody's life. Nobody has the right to save anybody. He can save himself... but there is a psychological reason why these Bible-packing people start saving others: they are not confident that they are saved. To gain that confidence they have to shout loudly, make a noise, make efforts to save others. And certainly they will find a few fools who are ready to be saved. That will give them tremendous confidence, but there is no base. Their very life is just the life of a fanatic who thinks he is saved because he believes in Jesus Christ. Life needs transformation, and transformation is a great work upon oneself. It is not a child's play, that: "Just believe in Jesus Christ, go on reading the Bible…