Osho's perspective on Self-Discovery
When Osho Spoke About Self-Discovery
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Beloved Osho, you were speaking last night about gurdjieff's work, and the individual's chief characteristic. How does one find out what one's chief characteristic is?
It is very simple. Just watch your mind for a few days and see what is the thing that takes most of your energy: jealousy? lust for power? ego? Just watch whatever takes most of your energy, and you will find what is your chief characteristic, and that it is your number one enemy; and you have always thought that that is your number one friend. Somebody may find greed, somebody may find anger, somebody may find repressed sexuality, somebody may find an inferiority complex or a superiority complex -- it does not matter what it is. Finding it is almost half the victory. And only you can find it out. Gurdjieff had his own ways to find it. He will force his disciples to drink as much wine as possible. He will go on forcing them. And by midnight everybody was flat on the floor, and then he will…
Beloved Osho, being near you, looking into your eyes, feeling you, I am losing my ground. And I feel what I am, what I am not. Osho, how can I find myself? There seems to be nothing to find.
You have found it! Yes, nothing is there to be found. But to say it from the very beginning is to destroy the whole business. So religions go on saying to you, "You will find God, and you will find the soul, and you will find this and that." The truth is: you will not find anything. And it is better that you don't find anything, otherwise there is going to be trouble. Just think: if you find God sitting inside you, what are you going to do stuck with the fellow for eternity? Nothingness is beautiful. It implies freedom, infinity. The whole sky is yours. And you don't find anyone, so there is no question of quarrel, no question of who is higher and who is lower; no question of how to coexist because to anybody who is there you will be a stranger -- red people in Oregon!…
If you help me to find the question, will it help me to find the answer?
Seeing much confusion in scriptures, he started meeting people. Maybe somebody is alive who had gone down the river. Many people pretended because it feels so good to advise. To become a guru is such a deep desire in everybody and it feels good to the ego. Everybody becomes a wiseman whenever it is a question to advise somebody else. In his whole life he may have proved a fool, but whenever somebody else is in difficulty he becomes a wiseman with plenty of advice. Of course, nobody takes it and it is good that nobody takes anybody's advice. So, many advisers and pretenders were in the town. He visited them. He was even more confused because everybody had his own idea. He gathered much material. He planned a map. On paper everything looked perfectly beautiful; on paper it is always so. That's how every scripture is beautiful -- Gita,…
Beloved Osho, I have been a sannyasin for eleven years. Never in my life have I been as happy as now. But when I listen to you lately, I feel that I have never really gone inside. Is this possible?
Not only possible, it is absolutely certain. Just being happy is nothing. It is dangerous too, because somebody who is unhappy at least tries to find some way to get out of it. You have been a sannyasin for eleven years. Naturally -- my people are immensely happy people, and happiness is catching -- you are caught by the happiness of everybody. And there is no reason to be sad here, there is no reason to be frustrated here, there is no reason to be disappointed here. But this happiness is not what I call blissfulness. This happiness is good, but just good is not enough. You will have to enter into yourself. And remember, in entering into yourself you are not going to lose your happiness. You are fortunate, because the person who starts from unhappiness will have to lose unhappiness. You are not going to lose anything. You…
"Imitating great beings only leads you away from your true self; be a light unto yourself and let transformation arise from inner awareness."
"You already have what you need for your journey of self-discovery; life itself is the way, and bliss unfolds when you celebrate this moment."
"You are already the silent, empty center; stop seeking outside and turn inward to embrace the vastness of your own nothingness."
"In the dance of nonduality, to move toward God is to move toward yourself; the two are but different expressions of the same divine energy."
"Your present ecstasy is a gift of grace, born from the disillusionment that frees you from borrowed beliefs, allowing life to become laughter and even death to leave your smile intact."
How did you manage to find me?
outcome"Finding each other is a mystery of existence, not a puzzle for the mind; cherish the presence without getting lost in explanations."
How do I find my way?
practice"Truth is not a destination to be found; it is the very essence of your being, waiting to be awakened in the present moment."
"Observe your mind and note what consumes your energy; your chief characteristic is not just a trait, but your primary enemy. Awareness and detached witnessing can dissolve its hold and free your energy."
"Surface happiness can deceive you; true joy lies in the depths of your being, waiting to blossom into bliss and enlightenment."
"Self-discovery is not a quest; it is the simple recognition that in the absence of 'me,' pure existence reveals itself as the ultimate truth."
"Trust the direction authentic to you; whether you are outward-going or inward-going, both paths lead to the same ultimate reality."
What am I looking for?
definition"You are not seeking a personal self, but the universal awareness that transcends all ideas; in dissolving the ego, the true Self emerges, bringing freedom and fulfillment."
"The very urge to arrive is the obstacle; when the clutched self disappears, what you seek is already present—effortless and ever-available."
"Self-discovery is the beautiful death of the ego, leading you to an incorruptible openness where you can embrace life untainted and free."
"Confusion is the gateway to clarity; it strips away borrowed beliefs, allowing your true self to rise from the depths of your inner mess. Embrace the plunge, for in letting go, you discover the freedom that has always been within you."
"When the urge to transcend your limitations arises, it is the soul calling you home; do not let the trivial distractions of the mind keep you from the open door of your true self."
"The sense of missing in your life is the whisper of your true self, urging you to shed the polished shadow and embrace the divine being that awaits your recognition."
What happens when I feel lost?
outcome"Feeling lost is not an accident; it is a choice to hide from your own awakening. The moment you decide to jump into the fire of urgency, lostness vanishes."
"When you realize that the seeker is the sought, the search ends and you simply rest in the silent awareness of your own being."
"When you trust and relax into the unknown, the false ego dissolves, revealing your eternal, deathless nature and transforming trust into the essence of your being."
"True transformation is a death-and-resurrection, where the old self is crucified, allowing a new life to unfold in love and trust. Embrace the courageous surrender, for it is in the silence of the unknown that presence and aliveness truly bloom."
What is best for me?
outcome"To find the best for yourself, let go of the past and future, embrace the present, and allow love to dissolve the ego, guiding you into the essence of pure being."
"Going nowhere is the ultimate journey, where desire and motive dissolve, leaving only the joy of this moment."
What is the essence of self-discovery?
definition"Self-discovery is not about accumulating ideas, but about igniting an intense thirst for the unsayable that leads you beyond words into the direct experience of the Supreme Beloved."
"When all questions drop, what remains is a childlike silence, a clean and clear consciousness that holds the true essence of being."
Profound Quotes on Self-Discovery
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