Self-Destruction

Beloved Osho, how can I come out of self-destruction? Are all unenlightened people self-destructive?

Yes. Unfortunately, all unenlightened people are self-destructive. They are self-destructive because they don't know why they are here, where they are going, what the meaning and purpose of their life is. Without knowing anything about themselves, whatever they do is going to be harmful. It is going to be harmful to you, and through you, to others. You cannot do anything but harm because your eyes are closed, you don't have any inner sensitivity, you don't have any creative joy. And above all, for centuries you have worshipped self-destructive people. There was a man in Alexandria who remained seated on a thirty-foot-long pole. It was a pole from an old, ancient temple which was now in ruins but the pole had remained intact. This man, Peter of Alexandria, remained for twelve years sitting on the pole. That was his only contribution to the world, but he was recognized by the…

Osho, entangled in the hope of becoming something, nothing happened. Only the awareness remained that I am. Neither wealth came, nor a house was built, nor music arrived, nor did I become a scholar. Even living itself did not suit me. After coming here, unknowingly I gave life a new direction. The past has been spent in wandering, the present in sannyas, and you decide the future—what will it be?

Deepak Bharti! In life there is only one entanglement, the one and only—and it is there in everyone’s life without exception—the hope of becoming something. You are what you are; you cannot be otherwise. The very effort to be otherwise is anxiety, gloom, anguish. In that effort a vicious circle is born. Then with your own hands you raise new whirlpools; you sink and you rise, you sink and you rise. Your life becomes a long series of dreams—and of every dream’s shattering. If a rose wants to become a lotus, madness is certain. If champa wants to become jasmine, illness is certain. What is, as it is—its acceptance is sannyas. Sannyas means: tathata, thusness; to embrace oneself totally—not in defeat, not as a consolation, not as a sop, because that would be false; but with understanding, with awareness, by seeing this truth: a rose is a rose, and as…

Yesterday I felt a lot of negative energy, and a lot of hate and destructiveness. I feel that I want to destroy and I don't allow myself to do it.] Destructiveness is itself not bad. It can be used in a very creative way. In fact nobody can drop destructiveness. The only difference between a creative person and a destructive person is of emphasis. The destructive person is only interested in destruction. Sometimes even if he creates something, he creates it to destroy it. If he makes a friendship, deep down he only makes it to destroy it. His pleasure is in destruction. Destruction is his goal. If he falls in love, he knows deep down that it is just to destroy something. How can you destroy love if it is not there? First you have to create it to destroy it.

Beloved master, my girlfriend told me I am a little boring, not very juicy, very dependent and a victim. Then I felt very guilty and depressed and utterly unworthy. I began to feel inside me a big no: towards existence, life, love, you. Meanwhile I observed in me this destructive energy and I felt that I somehow enjoyed it! Beloved master, is it possible to use this energy in some creative way?

Anand Veetkam, your question is an example of the stupid conclusions that mind comes to. Perhaps you may not have looked into it and its contradictions. I would like to go into the very psychology of such questions. They are not only within you, they are within many. You are courageous to expose yourself. The exposure begins, "My girlfriend told me I am a little boring." Your girlfriend is very compassionate, because each man finally becomes very boring, not a little boring. Do you realize the fact that what you call love is a repetition, the same stupid gymnastics again and again? And in this whole stupid game the man is the loser. He is dissipating his energy, perspiring, huffing, puffing, and the girl keeps her eyes closed, thinking, "It is a question only of two or three minutes and this nightmare will be finished." People are so non-inventive that…