Values

But Osho, as I understand it, there are certain subjects like chemistry, physics, or medicine where positive values are essential. What are your views about that?

Einstein was doing an experiment. He had failed seven hundred times, yet every morning he came into the laboratory laughing, ready to begin again. The young assistant with him was exhausted. “Is this old man mad? Seven hundred failures—and again he starts fresh!” The youth was tired; he said, “We should drop this now. How many times have we been defeated?” Einstein said, “Defeated? You’re crazy—each time we have won.” “Where have we won? Every experiment has failed.” Einstein answered, “In seven hundred directions we have searched, and we now know truth is not there. We have succeeded seven hundred times. Truth is being endlessly eliminated into nearness. Suppose truth will reveal itself on the seven hundred and fifteenth attempt; then fourteen more eliminations are needed. Then only that will remain; it cannot escape. Where will it go? We have searched seven hundred paths and found it absent. That much…

Osho, it is said that some values are based on time and place, and some values are eternal. Would you kindly shed some light on this?

This is not the prayer of the mosque’s sacred courtyard; This is the salat of love’s alley. No awareness of petition in prostration, no conditions of etiquette in prayer. Those who are standing, are standing in the realm of awe; Those who have bowed, remain bowed in prayer. This is not the prayer of the mosque’s sacred courtyard. The value of the supreme life I speak of is not the namaz recited in the mosque, not the worship performed in the temple. This is the salat of love’s alley— the prayer of the lane of love. There is a namaz recited in the mosque: it has its manners, its method, order, rules and regulations. And there is a namaz recited in love’s alley: it has no scripture. It is free. It is spontaneous. No awareness of petition in prostration, no condition of etiquette in prayer— that formula of prayer offered…

Beloved Osho, recently, in a radio address, president reagan urged parents to get involved in their children's education by insisting schools teach ethics, morality and values along with the three r's. He said, "to me, a value-free education is a contradiction in terms." addressing students, reagan said, "you are not only studying for yourself, but for your family, your community, your country, and your god." Osho, is this what education is all about? Would you kindly share with us your vision of education?

My idea of education is that it should help you get rid of all beliefs, because all beliefs are hindrances in your journey towards truth. You should be freed from Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Mohammedanism. By the time you come out of the university you should be simply a human being, responsible to yourself and to the whole universe. But Ronald Reagan would not like that, that you are responsible towards the whole universe, because the universe includes the Soviet Union too. The universe includes Hindus, Buddhists, Mohammedans. No, to him the fundamentalist Christians are the only people who know the truth; everybody else is wrong. So when he talks about values, hidden behind the beautiful word "values" he wants every educational system to teach you the values that fundamentalist Christians think are right. Certainly I don't think Ronald Reagan will teach vegetarianism. In his values, vegetarianism cannot be included. I…

Osho, what according to you is the most significant thing that is happening today in the world?

The new man will have no use for sham, facade or pretense, he will be true, because only through truth is there liberation. All lies create bondages. Tell a single lie and you will have to tell a thousand and one to defend it -- you will have to tell lies AD NAT(SEAM. Then there is no end to it. A single lie sooner or later will spread all over your being. It is like cancer. Be truthful and you need not hide, you can be open. Be truthful and you need not protect yourself against existence, you can be vulnerable. In that vulnerability existence penetrates you, God reaches your heart. Tell a lie and you are afraid. You will be afraid of God too, you will be afraid of facing him. You will be afraid of facing yourself. You will be continuously escaping from yourself, from others, from God.…