Satsang

Osho, what is the definition of God?

Words are very small. If you say God is light, then what of darkness? The scriptures have said that God is light. Suppose we accept this as a definition—then what about darkness? Where will darkness go? Darkness is too; in fact it is far more than light. Light sometimes is and sometimes is not; darkness is always, eternal. Where will you place darkness? If you say God is light, darkness is left out. If you say God is darkness, then light is left out. If you say God is both darkness and light, a contradiction arises: they cannot be together. Try to have both darkness and light in the same room. If you bring in light, darkness disappears; if you preserve darkness, you cannot have light. Then how can both be together? That becomes an impossibility. So you cannot say “both” either. Then the fourth device is to say: it…

Last night you spoke of satsang and the importance of the disciple's proximity to the guru. Does this mean physical proximity? Is the disciple who lives at a great physical distance from the guru at a loss?

Yes and no! Yes, a physical closeness is necessary in the beginning because you cannot understand anything else right now, as you are. You can understand the body; you can understand the language of the physical. You exist at the physical, so yes, a physical closeness is necessary -- in the beginning. And I say no also because as you grow, as you start learning a different language which is of the non-physical, then physical closeness is not necessary. Then you can go anywhere. Then space doesn't make any difference. You remain in contact. Not only space, but time also doesn't make any difference. A Master may be dead, you remain in contact. He may have dropped his physical body, you remain in contact. If a trust happens, then time and space both are transcended. Trust is the miracle. You can be in closeness with Mohammed or Jesus or Buddha…

If satsang, being in the presence of an enlightened being, one who is now liberated, is so important, why do we only spend an hour and a half a day with each other?

More will be too much for you; it will create indigestion. You will not be able to absorb me more than that. I can be with you for twenty-four hours, but you cannot be. You need homeopathic doses.

You talk a lot to us about how important satsang is, being in the presence of an enlightened, liberated man. Yet a lot of your sannyasins spend most of their lives away from you. If it was up to you would you have all of us live here in poona with you all the time?

Sometimes I allow somebody to be here because he is so dead he takes a long time to evolve. Somebody evolves so soon -- then within weeks I say, "Go." So just being here don't feel elated, and don't feel hurt if I send you away. Sometimes I retain somebody because he is very balanced and there is no fear yet that he will eat too much, fall the victim of the disease of overdose; then I allow him. Sometimes when somebody, I feel, has attained something, then too I send him away; because only the world can be the proof of whether you have attained or not. In the isolation of an ashram, in a different atmosphere, you may have glimpses because you become part of the collective mind that exists here. You start riding on my waves; they may not be yours. But when you go home you…