Subtle Body

Osho, is there something like a subtle body within the body, or not?

There is only one way: while you are alive, the body and the body’s consciousness can separate. At the time of death it happens anyway. But then we have no means left to know it. The only means we have is that, while living, a person can experience being outside the body. This experience often happens accidentally—and to many people. It is a fairly common experience; it is not very unusual. Many people have it happen accidentally—during some grave illness, sometimes when a severe injury occurs...

Osho, you have spoken of separating from the subtle body by resolve. Can one who practices witnessing, or one who practices tathata, have the subtle body separate without resolve?

In truth, practicing witnessing is itself a very great resolve, and practicing tathata is an even greater resolve—this is the great resolve. When a man decides, “I will live as a witness,” there is no bigger resolve than that. For example, one man decides, “Today I will not eat,” he resolves to fast. Another decides, “I will eat, but I will not see myself as the eater; I will see the seeing.” This second one is the tougher resolve. Not eating is not such a big difficulty. In fact, for people who get proper food, not eating for a day or two in a month is quite easy. That is why whenever a society begins to have adequate food, the cult of fasting starts to spread. As in America these days, fasting is a strong trend. Naturopathy quickly catches on when people are well-fed. And it even feels right—sometimes stay…

I want to ask something: Osho, is an animal’s subtle body the same as a human’s?

By “animal,” you mean? Any animal, like a cow. No, they are not the same; they are different. They are different.

Osho, by merely obtaining a new body, does the subtle body—the samskaras of the past and the mind—also change?

It does not change by itself. But if one gets the chance to die at the hands of a man like Krishna, it makes a great difference. Not everyone gets that; it comes as the fruit of great merit. Ordinarily, it does not change. When a person dies, only the body changes; nothing else within changes. But to die at the hands of a man like Krishna is a tremendous event, because a catalytic agent is present. In the presence of such a man, this event of your dying is taking place, and the moment your body drops, the subtlest web of rays that spreads from that man’s being will be absorbed into you; you will catch it, you will drink it in. The body that was obstructing your meeting with Krishna will be removed from between, and then meeting Krishna becomes easy. In that meeting, much will happen. For…