Upasana Ke Kshan #6
Chapter Summary
Awakening is the greatest thing, Osho says; joy and sorrow are not intrinsic but magnified by the mind, and when seen with moment-to-moment awareness they quickly dissolve. He retells Lao Tzu's brusque meeting with Confucius to illustrate the ideal of naturalness beyond rules: the truly awake man needs no prescriptions, only pure, unconditioned presence. Consciousness moves in waves, Osho observes, so peaks of realization arise simultaneously across cultures—Buddha, Mahavira, Lao Tzu and others—and many who touched that peak remained silent rather than becoming teachers. On silence: he distinguishes teachers (Tirthankaras) who articulate the path from Kevalis who are realized yet inwardly silent, emphasizing that many enlightened beings do not teach. On character: real character is the quality of awakened living, not fear-based restraint; fleeing or chasing a woman both betray sleep, while the awakened neither fears nor pursues. On meditation and inner phenomena: points of light, inner sounds, fragrances and tastes are subtle sense-imprints released as the nervous system relaxes, to be calmly witnessed rather than mistaken for the ultimate. On siddhis and powers: extraordinary inner faculties can be cultivated—through disciplined practice the mind’s subtle powers and the body’s latent capacities can be refined. He notes the mind’s restlessness is not an enemy but its energy, and what we call concentration is simply that jumping narrowed to one spot; the same dynamism, when harnessed, awakens inner centers. Thus the path is practical and nonmystical: watch, refine, and let the arising energies be observed, for awakening itself transforms character and releases both silence and power.
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Questions in this Discourse
The very first discourse of yours I heard—the one about the prince, the sword, first a wooden sword and then an iron one—was a very fine instance, that first discourse. That utterly cat-like mind—what kind of awareness is that! Stay alert, or at any moment a blow can fall—every moment is awareness incarnate, every moment is alert. Even today the thread was the same; it was the same point.
...and Lao Tzu is sitting in a forest near a hill, sitting in the dust. Confucius came to meet him. Lao Tzu didn’t even say to Confucius, “Sit down.” So Confucius said, “At least keep this much courtesy—say to me that I should sit.” He said, “I thought you had grown old and come to your senses; but you are still wearing these gaudy clothes and playing the grandee.” Lao Tzu said to him, “I had thought that now you are old you would have gained some sense—and yet you still wear your ministerial attire and remain a child. So then why should I say anything? What is the point of telling such a man to sit?”
Then that Confucius began to ask, “What do you think—what rules should there be?”
So he said, “As long as there are rules, man will remain false. We want the man who has no rules, who is pure nature.”
(The audio recording of the question is unclear.)
He is just as he is. There are many references to him. Chuang Tzu, his disciple—there are many references to him. And then they spread all over China. And the truth is that whether these things are historical has no meaning for such matters. But Lao Tzu is such a figure that stories went on being added about him, added and added. And he became what you would call a myth. That is no issue about him now. That is no issue at all!
Then that Confucius began to ask, “What do you think—what rules should there be?”
So he said, “As long as there are rules, man will remain false. We want the man who has no rules, who is pure nature.”
(The audio recording of the question is unclear.)
He is just as he is. There are many references to him. Chuang Tzu, his disciple—there are many references to him. And then they spread all over China. And the truth is that whether these things are historical has no meaning for such matters. But Lao Tzu is such a figure that stories went on being added about him, added and added. And he became what you would call a myth. That is no issue about him now. That is no issue at all!
How many years ago did it happen?
As for Lao Tzu—he lived around the same time as Buddha and Mahavira, about twenty-five hundred years ago. In that period, across the whole world, some truly extraordinary people appeared all at once. And I feel it was like the ocean: waves keep rising—many small waves—but sometimes a great wave rises that runs from one end to the other. That was one such wave. In human consciousness, such waves arise at times; from one corner to the other, everywhere, the peak gets touched. So there you have Socrates, Plato, Aristotle—at the same time. Over here, Mahavira and Buddha. And in the time of Mahavira and Buddha there were six more wondrous people in India, of the same caliber. But they were so extraordinary they didn’t found any sects, so they were lost—of the same stature; in some respects, perhaps even more extraordinary.
As for Lao Tzu—he lived around the same time as Buddha and Mahavira, about twenty-five hundred years ago. In that period, across the whole world, some truly extraordinary people appeared all at once. And I feel it was like the ocean: waves keep rising—many small waves—but sometimes a great wave rises that runs from one end to the other. That was one such wave. In human consciousness, such waves arise at times; from one corner to the other, everywhere, the peak gets touched. So there you have Socrates, Plato, Aristotle—at the same time. Over here, Mahavira and Buddha. And in the time of Mahavira and Buddha there were six more wondrous people in India, of the same caliber. But they were so extraordinary they didn’t found any sects, so they were lost—of the same stature; in some respects, perhaps even more extraordinary.
There was a man named Prabuddha Katyayana, a man named Ajita Kesakambali, and Makkhali Goshal. Of Goshalak there is much mention in the accounts of Mahavira. There were eight such people together, and all eight were in Bihar. And over in China were Lao Tzu, Confucius, Chuang Tzu—all those figures. Across the whole world a wave rose like a belt. And those who touched that peak—no one later could match them. They were very extraordinary people.
So in human consciousness waves do come. It seems to us, from the surface, that I am separate, you are separate, we are separate; but our consciousness is so interwoven that when a wave comes—when a wave arises in me—it will at the same time touch many others, whom we may never even know about.
So in human consciousness waves do come. It seems to us, from the surface, that I am separate, you are separate, we are separate; but our consciousness is so interwoven that when a wave comes—when a wave arises in me—it will at the same time touch many others, whom we may never even know about.
Osho, does it happen that on attaining perfection people fall silent—as you said about Makkhali Goshal, that he said nothing? Is it also possible that someone may simply not speak at all, having no urge to say anything?
Many people. Many people. Many people. In truth, to tell is one thing, and to know is an altogether different thing.
Someone asked Buddha—ten thousand bhikkhus walked with him. Someone asked Buddha: You have been teaching for thirty years; these ten thousand monks listen—have any among them become like you or not?
Buddha said: Many.
He said: But one hears nothing of them.
Buddha replied: They are silent; I speak.
And this is exactly the difference in Jainism between a Tirthankara and a Kevali. A Tirthankara is also a Kevali, but a Tirthankara is a teacher as well. A Kevali is simply a Kevali; he does not speak, he is not a teacher. That is the only difference. Many like Mahavira have been, but Mahavira is a Tirthankara.
Someone asked Buddha—ten thousand bhikkhus walked with him. Someone asked Buddha: You have been teaching for thirty years; these ten thousand monks listen—have any among them become like you or not?
Buddha said: Many.
He said: But one hears nothing of them.
Buddha replied: They are silent; I speak.
And this is exactly the difference in Jainism between a Tirthankara and a Kevali. A Tirthankara is also a Kevali, but a Tirthankara is a teacher as well. A Kevali is simply a Kevali; he does not speak, he is not a teacher. That is the only difference. Many like Mahavira have been, but Mahavira is a Tirthankara.
Even now, are there many such people in India?
There always are. But what happens is this: if a woman like Meera were to attain enlightenment, she would sing, dance, and reveal it, because her mind has been trained in singing and dancing; her realization will naturally express itself through song and dance.
If someone is a teacher, with a teacher’s mind, and he comes to realization, that knowing will flow as teachings. But if a person is not a teacher, not a dancer, not a poet, and he comes to realization, his knowing remains dammed up; there is no outlet for its flow. So many people remain silent.
If someone is a teacher, with a teacher’s mind, and he comes to realization, that knowing will flow as teachings. But if a person is not a teacher, not a dancer, not a poet, and he comes to realization, his knowing remains dammed up; there is no outlet for its flow. So many people remain silent.
Is it that he doesn't feel like expressing?
No, no—it’s not a matter of the mind; the medium for expression is not there. The energy will come; all that is his own mental force, his own.
When power arises, does it mean it is the God of our imagination?
God has nothing to do with it. It will arise within you—absolutely it will. And from that, it will seem as if we are receiving power from God. But it is your own power, your own will-force.
All right, so much is said about character—what is your definition of it? Its essential characteristic? Is practicing restraint what you call character? Not looking at a woman—is that called character? Different people say different things about character. What do you say?
Understand me well.
I do not call self-restraint character. And one who is afraid to meet a woman’s gaze is without character.
I do not call self-restraint character. And one who is afraid to meet a woman’s gaze is without character.
Ramakrishna-ji would not even look at a woman.
It is characterlessness. It is characterlessness. So much fear—of whom? So much fear—of what?
Because nowadays this is how it is, isn’t it? Boys and girls go around together, so they say, “Well...” Yesterday you said that our people are going down. If we ourselves are not above, then there is no question of going down, is there! You did say that yesterday, didn’t you?
No one is going down.
(The audio recording of the question is not clear.)
It’s psychology. It’s psychology. The way an awakened person lives—that is character; and the way a sleeping person lives—that is characterlessness. Whatever the awakened person does is character.
Therefore the real issue is to be awakened within.
So an awakened person neither fears woman, nor runs from her, nor chases her. Those are both signs of the sleeping person—the sleeping person will either chase a woman or run away from her. In both cases he gives the woman importance.
(The audio recording of the question is not clear.)
It’s psychology. It’s psychology. The way an awakened person lives—that is character; and the way a sleeping person lives—that is characterlessness. Whatever the awakened person does is character.
Therefore the real issue is to be awakened within.
So an awakened person neither fears woman, nor runs from her, nor chases her. Those are both signs of the sleeping person—the sleeping person will either chase a woman or run away from her. In both cases he gives the woman importance.
When we meditate here, sometimes points of light seem to come drifting in like this.
Yes, they will indeed seem to be coming in.
Is that imagination—or what are those points of light?
No, it is not imagination. Not even imagination. In fact, the very subtle impressions of our senses get stored. For example, in the optic nerves, subtle impressions of light are stored. So as the nerves at the back relax, those subtle points of light are released from there. As for the ear—now, the ear you see up here is not the real ear. The real ear is the inner mechanism, the subtle sense. In it, many impressions of sound are stored; the subtlest vibrations have been stored. So when they relax, many sounds will resound within—which sadhus and sannyasins take to be the Anahad Nada. Nothing is happening. Those subtlest stored impressions of the ear are being released.
I want to tell you this: when I meditate, in the background it feels as if some machine is running—a long “sssss” kind of sound keeps going. Sometimes it is disturbing.
Mm-hmm. Just witness it all. Whether points of light appear, or sounds, even a fragrance may arise.
Can fragrance be experienced?
Yes—those are subtle experiences of the nose. Very wondrous fragrances can arise.
Sometimes, just sitting like this, a taste suddenly appears, doesn’t it?
Yes. When the senses begin to relax from within, many experiences are released—ones you didn’t even know you were carrying. Simply watch them all. There’s nothing particularly valuable in them; it’s not something very high. But one thing is certain: only when meditation goes deeper do these things begin to happen.
I see points, and when I think about them they become many.
Yes, magnify them; keep watching calmly. Slowly, slowly—slowly, slowly they will dissolve.
I have become so frightened of this sound that it keeps coming.
When it comes, be aware of it. It will be very beneficial. It will be very beneficial!
Like when we put a pressure cooker on, from the top it goes hissss...
I understand. The sound of silence is coming.
That is about the inner... These are not the very innermost matters. Not the very innermost, but not superficial either; they are in-between. On the path from body to soul, in the middle there are very subtle powers of the mind of which we are unaware. As soon as the mind becomes quiet, those powers awaken. Sometimes they can awaken on their own. Generally they do not awaken on their own. If one strives deliberately, they can be awakened.
Take our body, for example—we have no real idea of it. There is Ramamurti; he has awakened certain powers of the body that are in our bodies too. Ramamurti does not have any special body—the body is the same, the structure is the same, everything is the same. The same lungs, the same heart, the same hands, the same feet. But through continuous effort he has refined these powers to a very subtle degree. So he lies down under a car and the car passes over his chest. And he can have an elephant stand on his chest. And if he holds a train engine from behind, it becomes difficult for it to move forward. This is the development of the subtlest powers of the body.
So that must have been done through practice.
Yes. In the same way, there are exercises for the subtle powers of the mind, and through them siddhis happen. There are exercises for the subtle powers of the mind.
Even things like leaving the body and entering another body—all these things?
Yes, yes—absolutely; there is not the slightest difficulty in it. Not the slightest difficulty. In fact, making the body like Ramamurti’s is a bit more difficult. Because the body is a very gross medium. With it you have to work harder. The mind is a very subtle medium. With it you have to work less.
But the mind is so restless, isn’t it? It may take less effort, but the mind is very restless.
Its restlessness is its power. To be restless is its strength. If it were not restless, you would have become a simpleton.
As I see it, the mind lets go of its reservations; perhaps it is the mind’s very nature to become quiet—it seems so.
Absolutely—it is its very nature.
Because the mind drops its reservations.
And its playfulness is its strength. If it were not playful, you’d be dead. An idiot’s mind is not playful, you know? The more intelligent a person, the more playful the mind. That playfulness is its movement, the dynamism within.
So these powers—do they come when restlessness stops?
Yes. Whether you restrain the restlessness or fix it on a single point and concentrate it—it is still restlessness—there is no change in the restlessness itself.
Okay.
Yes. The difference is only this: one man jumps from here to there, from there to somewhere else—he keeps jumping from one place to another; and another man is jumping in the very same spot. In both cases the jumping continues. But one man is jumping in one spot—the jumping goes on, the place does not change; he is jumping while standing in the same place. What you call concentration is not concentration; it is restlessness focused on a single point—the mind is jumping in one place.
Yes. The difference is only this: one man jumps from here to there, from there to somewhere else—he keeps jumping from one place to another; and another man is jumping in the very same spot. In both cases the jumping continues. But one man is jumping in one spot—the jumping goes on, the place does not change; he is jumping while standing in the same place. What you call concentration is not concentration; it is restlessness focused on a single point—the mind is jumping in one place.
For example, repeating: Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram—the mind’s jumping continues. If it were to say Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira, it would seem to us that it is changing. When it says Ram, Ram, Ram, it appears to us that nothing is changing. But it is changing the whole time. The leap from one “Ram” to the next “Ram” is exactly as big as the leap from “Ram” to “Buddha”; the jump is the same, the gap is the same. Only, because it is the same word, it keeps jumping in the same spot; the place does not change, the hopping continues.
So the mind keeps jumping all the time. As long as it exists, it keeps jumping. If you make it jump in one place, then the energies of that place begin to awaken—the very spot where it is made to jump. There are centers for all this—for all the energies...
So the mind keeps jumping all the time. As long as it exists, it keeps jumping. If you make it jump in one place, then the energies of that place begin to awaken—the very spot where it is made to jump. There are centers for all this—for all the energies...
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