Wisdom of the Mystics: Osho

Hello and welcome to The Bearded Mystic Podcast and I'm your host Rahul N Singh. Thank you for taking out the time today to either watch or listen to this podcast episode. Today, we'll be looking at a new series that we're starting, which is the Wisdom of the Mystics. We are beginning this series with the mystic Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. We'd be looking at some quotes of his today and going a bit deeper into what do they mean and are they still relevant today in our day and age. And what can we understand from this great mystic who has been a great influence on my life. If you would like to support The Bearded Mystic podcast, you can do so by signing up to my Patreon page, the link is in the video description or the show notes below. Let's begin with the wisdom of this Mystic - Osho. The quote says, try to understand the ego, analyze it, dissect it, watch it, observe it from as many angles as possible, and don't be in a hurry to sacrifice it. Otherwise, the greatest egoist is born. The person who thinks he is humble. The person who thinks that he has no ego, the subtle ego goes on playing such games, that it is very difficult. One will need absolute awareness to watch it. So what this is describing is what the ego is, and how it's very easy when we say that we have no ego, we think automatically we are very humble. Oh, we have no pride or we have no selfish motive, but this is not necessarily true and this is what Osho is talking about. That the subtle game of the ego is now played and the subtle ego in fact is far more difficult to remove. Now, first of all, as he says in the very beginning, that it is important to be aware of the ego, it's important for us to observe it, to be able to watch it and check where's it originated from? Where did it come from and where will it go? Travel with the movement of the ego? See where it's going, see where it has arisen from. See what it does and don't judge it. Just watch it, just observe it. This is what Osho is talking about. Look at it from many angles. Look at the ego, from a place where there is multiple angles and therefore it's not so easy to remove it. He said that is very interesting. Don't be in a hurry to sacrifice it. Otherwise the greatest egoist is born. What he means by that is there's no need to sacrifice something that is already false. What's already happened is we have sacrificed the Truth, our Real Self for the ego. We have already done the sacrifice. There's no need to sacrifice the ego in order to get to our Real Self or True Self. That True Self is always there. What we have to remove is the idea that we are this ego, this identity that is transient, that is subject to change and modification. All we have to do is really let go the false and then the ego automatically dissolves away. We don't have to do anything for it to happen. Otherwise, what will be happening is, we'll be creating a narrative of a great being who sacrificed the ego and really it's just an egoic idea of having this story of, I have sacrificed the ego. I have done this. I have transcended my ego. The recognition of the Truth is one, where you only really speak of the Truth. Your focus is not always on the ego and what you've attained, but more or less describing what it is that is seen through the sense of being Brahman, of Aham Brahmasmi. It's from that vision that you look at life and you interact with life. It's not necessary that in order to show your spirituality and your development, that you have to talk about letting go of your ego or that you've transcended the ego. That again is another game of the ego. So the moment we think we are humble, then it literally becomes the game of the subtle ego and to get rid of this subtle ego, it's very difficult because we do not even recognize that we have this type of ego. Now we may think we transcended things. It may appear that we have made great strides and great attainment in our spiritual journey. But actually, what tends to happen is we lose focus on what the subtle ego is. We forget how to see how this subtle ego affects our spirituality and affects our day-to-day life. We don't need to pretend to be humble. Being humble is not something that comes to you through getting rid of the ego. Humility truly comes from when you understand what you really are. And when you understand what you really are, there's no need to say that the ego is nonsense or the ego is false and you're all wrong if you believe in the ego, there's none of that that needs to be done. To understand the ego completely, we need to be fully attentive, aware and conscious of it whenever we can, whenever it is possible. This is the name and game of this whole quote, it's to be aware as much as possible, to be alert as much as possible, to be able to watch the game of the ego rather than participating in it. This is the main aim behind that. We will have a look at the next quote by Osho to know the real self is enough. The ego falls flat on the ground without any effort to surrender it. I cannot say to you drop the ego because that means I accept the reality of your ego. This is incredibly deep and incredibly insightful, actually into understanding what the ego is. And this is the ultimate nature of spirituality, which is to understand who you really are. Therefore, knowing that you are Brahman is absolutely enough. You do not need to do anything else. What ego are you going to surrender? When the only Real, when the only Changeless Reality is what you really are, which is Brahman. Osho is very right, that there's no need to put any effort to surrender the ego. To surrender the ego is to give it a reality. It's to give it an actual life. And what he's saying here is the only real life that is here. The only thing that is alive is the True Self. We don't need to surrender the ego and the question will be is how can it find existence when the Self is always illuminating from its own Self. Yeah, that the Self does not need an external light to illumine It. It's always Self-Luminous. It's always there. The ego is something that needs the light to shine. And guess what light it uses to shine? What does the ego utilize? It is the Light of the Self. So everything comes from the Self, everything arrives from the Self. Therefore it's very important to know our True Self and this is what Osho is emphasizing. Osho is very right when he talks about that we have to accept the reality of our ego and that it is a part of our reality. Something that we cannot escape and even to drop the ego would mean to drop reality. And that is not possible. See, the ego can exist in Brahman and that's absolutely fine. As Brahman, you may function in this world and it may appear that you have an ego and that's all the ego is, is an appearance. That, for example, I've used this many times before that when you have a screen and you have images, the screen does not become influenced by the images that are portrayed upon it. If the screen is blank, it remains blank, even after the images have shown itself. Say there are characters on the screen and something occurs with the characters. The screen doesn't get affected, if the characters are sad, if they're lonely, if they're happy and ecstatic, the screen remains the same. Likewise, our Real Self remains the same and this finite reality of our ego, will just appear and then disappear, but upon the blank screen of our True Self, our Higher Consciousness, this Ultimate Reality or this Awareness, it has little to give to it. If anything, it probably has nothing, there's no need for us to drop the ego because it is an appearance. And like every appearance, it appears and then disappears. It is not something that's going to last. So why focus on something that's not going to last, but focus on something that is going to last and that is your True Self. This awareness, that is constantly here, right here, right now. The third quote is when I'm all alone with myself and when there is no thought, no thought of anyone I am in the company of myself. When the outer world is absent, inside there is the company of oneself, in that companionless-ness and solitude in your Pure Being, the truth is realized because in your innermost being you yourself are the Truth. This is Satsang. This quote is describing what satsang really is and what it really means. This is the truest way of doing satsang. This is the most pure way. Understanding that you're connecting with the Atman or you're connecting with Brahman, that True Self that is when you are doing true Satsang and Satsang isn't about being at a place, with a group of people or a group, or being around a leader. That is not what's satsang is. Satsang isn't simply just to gain knowledge, but it's about letting go of knowledge that is taking you away from understanding that you are Brahman, that you are Pure Awareness, Pure Consciousness. What tends to happen with this satsang of yourself, you lose all the barriers against you knowing the knowledge, that knowledge of Brahman and that's what satsang does. It gets rid of all those barriers. And frankly, you are your own best company. That's a fact. You are the one person that can take yourself to the ultimate goal. It's all up to you. None of this can happen without you. This awareness that we've been talking about is all reliant on whether you want to be aware of it or whether you like to be part of the world and then to function in the world. That's totally up to you. Your pure being is awareness itself. What you really are is awareness yourself, and you have to enjoy that solitude. That solitude shouldn't give you any fear. It should actually make you more courageous and fearless. That would be the great purpose of being in your pure being. Yeah. That is awareness. Companionless - why does Osho talk about companionless-ness. It's because when we think we have a companion, we can become reliant on that companion. And what Osho is talking about here is that this satsang, doesn't need a companion because there's only oneness here and that oneness is what you are. You are that Formless Oneness, that Formless Consciousness, that Formless Awareness. The fourth quote is just watch whatever the mind is doing. Don't disturb it. Don't prevent it. Don't repress it. Don't do anything at all on your part. You just be a watcher and the miracle of watching is meditation. As you watch solely, your mind becomes empty of thoughts, but you're not falling asleep. You are becoming more alert, more aware. And this really is a beautiful meditation and it's more or less a guided meditation in itself. Osho is not giving any particular method on what to do. In fact, what he's trying to say here is just watch the mind. Now, when you start watching the mind, what then occurs? We start observing that actually you are watching the one that is watching the mind. That's why Osho is talking about not disturbing it, because when you do not put your own interpretation onto your meditation, then you go further in your meditation. Then you take it to the next level. Don't prevent it and don't repress it. Don't try to stop your mind from having thoughts. A lot of people want to meditate and they're like, well, I can't get rid of my thoughts. The one advice I always give is just watch your thoughts, like you watch clouds pass by in a blue sky. Just be like that. Thoughts appear, let them disappear. You should be able to allow your mind to not be distracted by those thoughts, but don't repress anything. Don't do anything. Don't even interpret the thought, just watch it. That's how simple it's got to be. This is what he says the miracle of watching is meditation. When you are aware of your own awareness, it's when you are truly meditating. As you watch slowly your mind becomes empty of thoughts. That's what happens naturally. Now when you think about it, be aware of your awareness, be conscious of your consciousness. Be alert of that formless awareness. Now tell me, is there any thought in that awareness? Does any thoughts originate from there? If you're really sincere in that search, you will find that your mind is actually empty of thoughts. It appears that the mind has thoughts, but really if there is no person thinking, meaning no ego thinking, then what remains is only awareness, is only consciousness. And this is what Osho is talking about. So you become more alert, alert to what you really are. Yeah. This is the truth. The fifth quote. When you are also formless within suddenly something clicks and you are one with God. He is formless. You are formless. They cannot be too formlessnesses. There can be millions of forms, but formlessness can only be one. Remember this Atma, this soul that you have and Brahman, which you may call God are both formless, they don't have a form of any kind. Therefore they're one and the same. That's why Adi Shankara ji often says that the Atma and Brahman are one they're not different. Shri Krishna more or less says the same thing in the Bhagavad Gita. Osho here is saying the same thing too, that when you realize that you are formless and you realize that this God is also formless. There is only the formless. There's only going to be one formless and there's only unity there. Only oneness there. He mentions that they can be millions of forms, but you yourself are formless. Why? Because you associate yourself with that, which is changeless, which is permanent, which is Brahman Itself. So your being is formless and so is God. So therefore they cannot be this two formlessness and whatever is formless is always in union. As I mentioned, there's always a oneness. Realize that you are formless within and how you can do that is simply through the Neti-Neti process of seeing what you are not. So whatever can change is subject to modification. That goes through Neti-Neti, and you will find that when you go through this process, you will observe that your awareness, your consciousness remains unchanged and that is Brahman. That which does not change, that formlessness is what we're looking for. The sizth quote. That's why I say don't get lost in words, don't get lost in doctrines. Rather find a living master, whose very being is a finger pointing to the moon. In his presence, maybe something transpires in you. Not in his words, but perhaps in his silence, not in theories, but perhaps in his eyes. There you may find a certain inspiration, a glimpse, a door opening into the mysteries of life. So what is a real master? A real master can be the one who speaks without speaking. In their silence, you understand so much. Listens as if there's nobody else present. They would make you feel like you're the only person there and they may be around a crowd of people, but because they're connected to you, they're listening to you. They give their full attention to you. And then when they smile at you, when your master smiles, you feel your world is complete. And many people who had Osho as a guru, as a living master felt the same thing. Many of us who have had a spiritual master, we have felt the same thing. When we see a real master is not so important that we get too attached to the words that they say, but what's more important is we get their message. We don't make doctrines out to their words, but we understand the message and then we lived them. It's more important to live them than to memorize those words, that's what our focus should be on is being the message. And like he says, rather find a living master who's very being is a finger pointing to the moon. And the reason why he says, find a living master is because when there is a master that has deceased or has gone, you can project how you perceive them to be. For example, if you read something from a master of the past, like we're reading Osho now. I'm being open with you to tell you I'm giving you my interpretation, but what Osho's words were only, he knows what he meant. Yeah. Only he will know, and only he can explain what it truly was. I can only give you my interpretation of it, but if I say to you that my interpretation should now be the doctrine, should be the way you perceive Osho, that is when things become very religious and things turn into a religion of a formal sense. But that's why Osho says that rather find a living master whose very being is a finger pointing to the moon. So basically at this point, think about it. The living master is Brahman itself. The finger pointing to the moon . You see the master, but really what you're seeing is Brahman. They also become formless like Brahman. They raise your consciousness to that pure consciousness. They raise your awareness to that awareness that is eternal and that eternal reality is within you and surrounds you at all times. Osho says, simply being in the presence of such a master can make something happen. It can create something. It's creative. Creative in what manner? Creative in creating that urge, that desire to be enlightened. That's what transpires. Suddenly, you start feeling that his whole universe is working with you, for you to know your true self and as Osho says, not in his words, but perhaps in his silence, what's more important is a silence in where you are with the living Master. Understanding that silence. You have to be in the presence of the Master, the actual physical presence of the master to understand the silence, literally by watching a video, it can only give you some element of that. Let me also say that the Master doesn't give you theories. Yes, the master can explain things very effectively, very efficiently. So the one aspect that we use in Advaita Vedanta to understand the master is that they should be able to explain what is in the Upanishads, in the Gita, in the Brahma Sutras, and so forth. In the scriptures, they're able to elaborate upon it and give you their own take on it based on their own experience. The same thing with Osho. He always used to say, experience it for yourself. The only way to know the truth is if you know it. You cannot rely on somebody else, even if they are your master. So it's very important that a master only provides you an inspiration or a glimpse as Osho says, but really you have to walk into the mystery of life. You have to walk into the lion's den, so to speak. Number six and what I wanted to share was Osho's 10 commandments and he was very reluctant to give them, but I think they're very interesting and very cool to understand. So his first one was, and they're in no particular order he said. Never obey anyone's command unless it is coming from within you also. So don't just follow a living master or a book blindly, unless it speaks to you, then follow it. That's really important. There is no God other than life itself. And that's very true. The underlying reality within all life, the underlying union within all life forms is Brahman itself. And Brahman is not what you can conceptualize in the Western context as God. Brahman is beyond that Western concept, what Brahman is, is just that pure consciousness that is both infused in life and yet transcends life. Osho is very right when he says that there is no God other than life itself. And in fact, what happens then is that your attitude towards life becomes affirmative. It becomes one of positivity, one of gratitude, one of love and compassion. But if you see God as separate to the world and the world is wrong, or life is wrong, then there is that duality and then that division creates a lot of pain and suffering, not just for yourself, but you will also inflict that pain onto others. Truth is within you, do not search for it elsewhere. This is the essence of meditation. Find the truth within you. Brahman is within you. Brahman is the only truth that is within you. And therefore that should make it very easy for you to discover Brahman. It's not that you have to find Brahman as it being something separate to you. You discover Brahman as your very own being. Fourth one is love is prayer. Prayer is not about asking God for something or asking life for something. Love is prayer. When you love others, when you love yourself, you are automatically praying. The fifth one to become nothingness is the door to the truth. Nothingness itself is the means the goal, and attainment. What he means by nothingness is this no-thingness. This is formlessness that we've been talking about earlier on in this episode. That is the door to truth. Once you understand that you are without a form, without any content within you. That is who you are. So this nothingness is the door to truth. And nothingness itself is the means, the goal and the attainment. So through formlessness that is the means to understand your formless, go through that inquiry of I am the formless. The goal is that you are formless and the attainment is your formlessness itself. So this is Brahman. Let's use the word awareness. Awareness itself is the means. You utilize awareness to become aware of your awareness. The goal is to be pure awareness, and the attainment is our awareness. You've always been awareness and you cannot escape awareness because that is your very core being. That is your true nature. The sixth one is life is now and here. Very true. Everything you need is right here and now. Live wakefully. Be alert. Think about everything you do, every action you take, every thought you have should be done with the precision of pure alertness, be as alert as possible and be attentive as possible, then you're living wakefully. Live wakefully also means that's another way to be enlightened, when you live with absolute attention. Measure your words, measure your intentions, measure your actions accordingly. Do that which causes less harm because that's what happens when you live wakefully. Do you not swim - float. Instead of being a doer, just float with life, let the ocean carry you wherever it wants to take you. Do not tell the ocean where you want to go, do not swim to the other shore. Float and even by floating, you will reach the shore effortlessly instead of exerting yourself by swimming. Die each moment so that you can be new in each moment. That's so beautiful. In fact, by doing this, we get rid of our fear of death because we understand that we are new in every moment. Even the moment when you have to discard this body, will be a moment for you where you know that there is a renewal happening, something new is happening in each moment. Yes. In that next moment, you may not be alive and to the world you may be considered dead. But to you, you know, that everything is new in the moment. Why? Because awareness remains the same. Awareness does not die. Awareness is a eternal. And the 10th one. Do not search. That which is, is. Stop and see. This is very direct by Osho. I think it requires us to repeat it once again. Do not search. That which is, is. Stop and see. That's all we need to do. We don't need to look for this truth. We do not have to find it within us. We just have to let it shine forth. It's always shining. We just have to be alert. As Osho said, be wakeful and then It is revealed upon Itself. It reveals Itself by its own Self. It doesn't need us to intervene because that, which is, is. It exists. We end the first episode of the wisdom of the mystics. We looked at Osho and let me say, Osho has been a great inspiration for me. I started my spiritual journey over 20 years ago, but in the last 12 years, it began with looking into the teachings of Osho and he caused a refinement in my own knowledge. And even though right now, the refinement is continuing, but I always say that Osho was a very necessary individual in my spirituality. With his wisdom, I've been able to capture so much more and it also created a love for meditation, which I infinitely thank Osho for because it was through his emphasis on meditation that I continue to meditate to this day. So thank you very much to Osho. A new episode is uploaded every Sunday. You can follow me on social media to keep getting updates about the podcast and new content in general details are in the show notes and video description below. If you'd like to support The Bearded Mystic Podcast, there are a number of ways you can do so. I would suggest that utilize Patreon so you can get extra content, but there are other ways you can support and you can check the link tree account below for more information. Please do rate and review the podcast. Thank you very much for listening and we'll end with the Shanti mantra. Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Aum peace, peace, peace Namaste