Self Understanding

Osho, how can I understand myself? Nothing makes sense, and I feel a great fear of death.

Death is the greatest untruth in this world. Only bodies change, houses change, clothes change. But your essence is exactly the same as it has always been. But you must come to know it. Apart from recognizing that, religion has no other meaning. It will not happen by going to the mosque, nor to the gurdwara, nor to the temple—because there too you will do the same mischief; after all, you are the same. Now, if you see a beautiful woman in the temple, how will you refrain from giving her a little nudge? And in so holy a place it seems most fitting to perform such a holy act! No—right here in this world, where all the commotion is going on, is the real opportunity, the touchstone, the ordeal by fire. Here itself, for an hour at any time... Nor is it necessary that the time be fixed, because…

Osho, the day before yesterday you said: do not let your funeral bier be lifted before you have known yourself. This challenge pierced the heart like an arrow. How should we set out toward knowing ourselves—where and how to begin?

Human beings have many names. In Arabic, Urdu, Persian, the word admi is taken as a synonym for man. It should not be. Because man—manushya—means one who engages in manan, contemplation. Admi means one made of earth. In English too the synonym is “human.” It should not be. It is a wrong translation. “Human” comes from “humus,” moist earth—because Islam and Christianity both consider man a figurine of clay into which God has breathed. Only in this land has man not been regarded as a clay puppet. Here the mark of being human is the capacity for manan; therefore we call him manushya. There can be many directions for thought. A painter thinks, a sculptor thinks, a philosopher thinks, a religious teacher thinks, a scientist thinks. But all these processes of thinking go outward; they point to some subject other than oneself. The one we call a knower turns all…

Osho, what is more important in your religion -- to be thyself or to know thyself?

Gurdjieff calls them "selves; it is the same. You can call personalities selves or egos, and you can start looking for them -- it is a tremendously charming game to look at them. In the evening, you decide that tomorrow morning you are going to get up at five. This you have been deciding for many years, and you know it -- that every evening you decide.... But this night is different! -- that too, you know. Every night you have been saying, "This night is different; tomorrow I am going to get up. There is a limit to everything!" But all these things you have been saying every night. You are not saying a single new thing, but you are not aware of it. And at five o'clock when the alarm goes, you just press the button; and you are angry at the clock. You may throw the clock,…

Osho, I don’t know who I am, what I am. I have come to ask you for my “address.”

Narayan Shankar! No one else can give you this address—neither I nor anyone else. You will have to dig for it within yourself. If you keep asking outside, only confusion will come to hand. You will find many eager to hand you an address; they sit everywhere, waiting. Without your even searching you will bump into them. They are on the lookout for someone to ask, so they can advise. People are so keen to give advice, so eager to thrust their “knowledge” upon one another, that there’s no measure to it—because the ego has no greater enjoyment than this. Whenever you start giving wisdom to another, two things are instantly established: the other is ignorant and you are wise; the other doesn’t know and you know. And who doesn’t want that pleasure? Therefore it’s hard for you to find a person who won’t advise you, won’t “give” you knowledge.…