Many times I have heard his thoughts and have remained silent. Once he asked me my opinion about him. I said only the truth. I said, in accumulating thoughts about God, he had lost God. Certainly, he appeared to be shocked.

Truth Is Not Contained in the Scriptures

Later he came again to question me further in this connection. Coming to me he said, “It is only by study and contemplation that truth can be attained. There is no other way. Knowledge, of course, is everything.”

How Many People Have This False Notion?

I ask only one question to all such people; I asked the same to him: What is study, and what thereby happens within you? Does a dimension of new vision take birth in you? Does consciousness rise to new heights and levels? Does any revolution take place in your  being? Do you become different from what you are now? Or do you remain the same with only a few more thoughts and bits of information becoming part of your memory?

Through study, only the memory is trained, and on the surface of the mind more dust of thought settles. Nothing more happens, nor can happen, through it. No change happens at the center through it: the consciousness remains the same, the dimensions of experience remain the same.

Related » Osho Tells a Story of Enlightenment

Can There Be Knowledge of the Unknowable?

To know something about truth and to know truth are two totally different things. ‘To know about truth’ pertains to intellect; ‘to know truth’ pertains to consciousness.

In order to know truth, a total awakening of consciousness — the absence of the unconscious — is essential. By training memory and so-called knowledge, this cannot happen.

What has not been known from oneself is not knowledge. The intellectual information about truth, the unknown truth, is only an appearance of knowledge. It is false and is an obstacle on the path of right-knowledge.

There is no path through the known for knowing what is in fact unknowable. It is totally new; it is such that it has never been known before. Hence, memory is not capable of delivering it, or even of recognizing it. Memory can deliver or recognize only that which has been known before. It is only a repetition of the known.

Also read » Osho Explains Why We Choose Misery Instead of Bliss

Want to Know the Truth? Empty Your Mind

But for the arrival of the new, the entirely new, the unknown and unfamiliar, the memory has to stand outside. The memory and all known thoughts will have to stand aside so that the new may be born, so that ‘what is’ may be known exactly as it is. All of man’s conceptions and prejudices have to stand aside for its arrival.

Only the mind devoid of thoughts, memories and conceptions is conscious, awakened. Only with an empty mind does the transformation at the center take place, and the door to truth opens up. Before this, everything is a mere wandering and a waste of life.

Excerpted from Seeds of Wisdom: 120 Letters by Osho | Courtesy: Osho International Foundation

The post Looking for the Truth? Empty Your Mind, says Osho appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

A similar thing has happened with the soul of man. There also many particles of dust have become guests, and man’s true nature is covered by them. It is as though in the crowd of guests the host is lost beyond recognition—something similar has happened.

Who Is the Host?

But for those who want to know the meaning of life and encounter truth, it is necessary to recognize in the crowd of guests the one who is not a guest, but the host. Without knowing this host, life is just somnambulism. Wakefulness begins with the recognition of the host. That recognition is self-realization. Through that recognition the acquaintance with that which is eternal, pure, buddha nature happens.

The light does not become impure because of the dust particles – nor does the soul. The light becomes dull, the soul becomes forgotten.

What kind of dust particles are there on the light of the soul? All that has come into me from the outside is that dust. What is in me other than that is my buddha nature. All that has been attained and accumulated by the sense-organs is dust.

My True Nature

What is there in me which has not been attained by the sense-organs? Form, taste, smell, touch, sound—apart from these what else is there in me? That which has not been attained by the sense-organs is truth, consciousness. It has not come from the sense-organs, rather it is behind them.

This consciousness alone is my true nature. Everything else is alien, dust. This alone is the host—all the rest are guests. This consciousness alone is to be known and uncovered. Only in this consciousness is attained that wealth which is imperishable.

The post Osho Reflects on His True Nature appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

“And religion manifests in your actions only when it has become your essence first. Our actions become our being first. Before releasing the fragrance, it is essential to become a flower. Like the cultivation of flowers, the soul also needs to be cultivated. And for the flowers to arise in the soul it is not necessary to go to the mountains. They can be cultivated wherever you are, because you can be in the mountains while remaining exactly where you are. There are mountains and forests in the inner solitude of one’s self.”

Being Alone Is Good

This is so — truth and beauty are seen only in complete solitude. And whatever is great in life is attained by those who have the courage to be alone. The deeper secrets of life open their doors only in solitude, and the soul attains to love and light. Only when all is calm and quiet will those seeds sprout which are lying deep in the soil of our being, containing all our bliss in them. The growth happens from inside towards outside and only in solitude. Remember, truth grows from inside. Artificial flowers can be imposed from outside but as far as the real flowers are concerned, they grow from within.

For this inner growth, it is not necessary to go to the outer mountains or forests, but it is necessary to be in that inner space. The path leading there is within everybody.

Take a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday racy rush, and forget the concepts of place and time around you, and your so-called personality, and the ’I’ that is born out of it. Empty your mind of all that keeps it constantly full. Whatsoever comes to your mind, know well that you are not it and throw it out. Drop it all — everything — your name, your country, your family. Let all of it disappear from your memory and remain like a blank sheet of paper.

This very path is the path to our inner aloneness and solitude. It is through this that the inner sannyas finally happens.

In Solitude, You Meet Your Real Self

When your mind drops all clinging, breaks all barriers of name and form, only then that remains in you which is your real being.

In that moment you are alone, in solitariness. What is known at that time is not of this world. It is in this knowing that the flowers of religiousness bloom and life is filled with the fragrance of the divine.

What is known in these few moments – the silence, the beauty, the truth – it gives you strength to live simultaneously on two planes. Then you are in the world, yet you are not of the world. Then there is no bondage, and life is liberated. You are in water, yet the water does not touch you.

In this very experience is the fulfillment of life, and the attainment of religiousness.

The post Osho on Why Being Alone Is Good for Your Spiritual Growth appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Fingerprint! Publishing
Release Date: 5 May 2018
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-9387779396
Cover price: INR 299

For every lover of Krishna

There are devotees and then there are lovers. Bhawana Somaaya is among the latter. She has a self-confessed “obsession” called Lord Krishna that led her to write Keshava, A Magnificent Obsession.

When we think about Lord Krishna, what comes to mind first is the majestic Bhagavad Gita, that 700-verse epic delivered as counsel to Arjuna on the battlefield of Mahabharat. But people are also fond of the magical stories of his vibrant childhood (Balagopala) and youth: his endearing pranks, his fondness for butter, his affinity for playing the bansuri (flute), his charming disposition that won hearts of all the gopis (milkmaids) and, of course, Radha, his eternal love. These are the broad narratives of his life, of which all his devotees are aware to a great extent.

But Krishna’s lovers are not content with knowing about the grand adventures of his life. Their devotion makes them want to know the Lord ever more intimately. They want to know every small nuance about him—his different shades, his quirks and proclivities, his humanness and his divinity—in all its glory. This book is for such lovers of Krishna written by another fervent lover of the supreme deity.

Each chapter expands on ancient Sanskrit slokas (verses) and goes on to reveal many interesting tidbits from the life of Krishna. In the first chapter, Krishna is portrayed as describing himself from the eyes of his devotees.

Sample this:

“We are all projections of other people’s perceptions. I am no exception. Some perceive me as a child avatar. For them I am Balagopala, Balakrishna. Some view me as an eternal traveller. For them I am Banke Bihari. I was always there and will continue to be there. When I renounce my body, the surviving part of me will prevail amongst the five ingredients of nature. The sixth will be the heart of human beings.”  

The following sections depict him from the vantage points of his most favourites things in the world—the peacock among birds, the lotus among flowers, the flute and the shankha (conch) among musical instruments, the Tulsi (holy basil) among plants, the Kadamba and the Peepala among trees, the Kamadhenu among cows. Each of them have a chapter dedicated to them, where they list their virtues and talk about the special place they enjoy in his heart, while also narrating enthralling legends of Krishna from their perspectives.

Tulsi, for instance, says:

“One day, when Lord Krishna’s youngest queen Satyabhama decided to weigh her husband in gold, all her wealth and ornaments could not tilt the scale. But then his older queen Rukmini Devi arrived with a plateful of my leaves. Older and wiser, she placed just a single leaf on the pan and the scale tilted—much to Satyabhama’s astonishment!

“Satyabhama question how could I be so precious and Rukmini Devi answered, ‘Because Lord Krishna so desired.’

“It is my Lord’s blessings that I am revered and every part of my being has a reason and a mission. My root, like every other plant, is for procreation but it is also symbolic for all the sacred places of pilgrimage. The centre of my stem is the dwelling place of all the deities and my upper branches are sacrosanct, for in them are embodied all the vedas.”

Tulsi continues:

“I am antibiotic. I offer antiviral and antifungal protection and I am useful in localised infections as well. I decrease the likelihood of strokes.

“I am nutritious. I contain Vitamin C and A, minerals calcium, zinc and iron, and chlorophyll and many other phytonutrients. I am also an allopathic medicine complement. I resolve dental and periodontal health, diminish bad breath and speed healing of bone fractures, reduce nausea and cramping, and repel insects, including mosquitoes and lice.”

While the style is a sweet blend of prose and poetry, and content is a mixture of myth and fact. The book is easy enough to read but profound in substance for those who are really paying attention.

This isn’t a book that you want to read from start to end, with the objective to finishing it. It’s a book to be savoured at a leisurely pace. Besides, it’s more fun to pick it up spontaneously and open a random chapter—doing so often answers a question you had been nurturing at a subconscious level.

To conclude, my sense is that whether you are a fervent lover of Keshava or his ardent devotee, or even simply fascinated by the divine nature of the supreme deity, this book is sure to delight you.

The post Keshava, A Magnificent Obsession by Bhawana Somaaya appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Spirituality means changing your perception

The first step of any spiritual path is the acknowledgement that we don’t need to change our circumstances as much as we need to transform ourselves. We realise that working on the inside is a better investment than working on the outside. This is a radical shift in perception.

Most people look for the cause of problems in the external world. They believe that if things, events and people were different, they would be fine. When we awake spiritually, we know better. Spirituality teaches us to take a step back; we develop the reflex to look inside first.

Practising spirituality is completely different from any other type of practice. It is not about acting enlightened, or about doing something “saintly”. The aim of any spiritual practice is to transform human beings, to bring them to a new way of being. An enlightened life can flow from that, but it isn’t forced. It emerges naturally from the wisdom within. Spirituality is not about doing, it’s about being.

Spirituality involves non-reaction

Take a minute and look inside yourself; you’ll notice a lot of reactions taking place. As soon as some thought or sensation arises, a reaction takes place. You might feel desire, aversion or even neutrality. Everything is judged, and this pushes us to act. Spirituality teaches us to introduce a dimension of space in this reactive process. We do this by being aware, by looking at what’s going on inside. If we’re aware of the reactions, we’re not caught in them. This is the key to inner freedom.

Spirituality is completely inclusive. It doesn’t see things as “good” or “bad”. It goes beyond that, and sees the true nature of phenomena. Practising spirituality allows us to think and act from a clear point of view. Instead of being predictable and reactive, we act in accordance with our deeper wisdom. We stop being determined by circumstances.

Practical effects of spirituality in different spheres of life

Family

In family life, spirituality helps us to let go of our expectations and see our family as it is, not as we would like it to be. By introducing openness into our family, we help everyone, including ourselves, to grow as unique and authentic human beings. By giving our full acceptance and compassion to our family members, we provide them with a baseline of self-confidence and trust that most people are sadly deprived of.

Business and work

In our business and work, spirituality tells us to trust our inner intuition, and this opens our mind to new and exciting opportunities. We stop looking for excuses when we fail. We quickly learn and accept the lessons bad results have to teach us. We develop a genuine relationship with our partners and associates. Our whole work environment is enriched by our presence, which translates into better performance.

Money

In personal finance, spirituality teaches us to operate from an abundance mentality, not a scarcity one. Instead of being anxious about our financial situation, we feel grateful for what we already have. We enjoy a healthy relationship with money and, instead of seeing it as risky, we see the immense opportunities it provides us. If money is lacking, instead of being paralysed by fear, we take lucid actions from a place of clarity. This positive mindset empowers us, and helps us enjoy a wealthier and freer life.

Education

In education, spirituality teaches us to be autonomous and to work on ourselves. Knowing ourselves well, we’re aware of our weaknesses and strengths, and can use this knowledge to our advantage. We don’t hesitate to benefit from every learning opportunity, and develop strong confidence in our ability to succeed. We know we can grow. Our minds are less concerned with trivial stuff; we let go of anxiety and let our profound creativity shine through.

Relationships

In relationships, spirituality helps us to open, to go beyond our insecurities and to consider others as valuable and unique human beings. By leaving our expectations behind, true, open and authentic relationships can develop. We operate from the heart rather than from the mind. The heart doesn’t try to control anything; it understands and accepts beings as they are. It doesn’t see the weaknesses and strengths of others as a problem. It sees them as fundamental richness.

Spirituality offers us the most empowering mindset there can be: change is possible and accessible to everyone. When we practise spirituality, we take responsibility for our actions and work towards a better version of ourselves. Circumstances can’t be used as an excuse; our destiny is determined by who we are and what we do. We are here to grow, and everything can be used as an opportunity for growth.

Spirituality is your most precious friend. It aligns perfectly with daily life and empowers you from the inside. When you practise spirituality, problems are often solved before they even start; where others see blocks, you see opportunities. You see right through situations.

This article first appeared in the September 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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The illusion of superiority

Ego makes you feel superior to others. Can anyone become superior to any other person in every aspect of life? It is impossible. Everyone is unique. God or Nature does not create duplicates of anyone. So ideally the feeling of superiority should not arise. You might say, “I have more wealth or more qualifications than others.” But even that does not mean you are superior to others, because they may have more of something else that you do not have, but wish for. One way to reduce your ego is to accept your own uniqueness and also appreciate the uniqueness of others.

The need to dominate and control

Ego fights with other egos. As soon as you try to dominate or control others, the other person’s ego resists, revolts and reacts. As a result, the other tries to get back at you or sabotage your efforts at the first opportunity. If you give up your need to dominate and control others, your ego is out and the other’s ego has no one left to fight. Peace and happiness prevail.

Blocked rational thinking

Our ego often comes in the way of us accepting the reality of situations and looking at things rationally. When something that we don’t like happens, we resist it. If you keep your ego out of the picture and ask yourself two questions, you will be in a better situation.

• Can I do anything about what has happened? If yes, do it. If nothing can be done, accept the situation as soon as you can.
• Can I learn anything from what has happened? If yes, learn it as soon as you can. Else, let it go without regret.

One night, as I was crossing the street; my hand collided with the handle of a cyclist passing by. It hit my knuckle really hard. I could have got angry at the cyclist for not riding properly and for having bumped into me. Instead, I crossed the road and stood there for a few moments and asked myself, “Why did the cyclist and I not see each other?” I got my answer: It was totally dark. I decided that in the future, I will cross the road at nights only under the streetlights. If I would have allowed my ego to take over the situation, I would have left from there cursing the cyclist and would have also lost out on learning an important lesson that was towards my own safety.

Stunting personal growth

A retired person once shared with me how he was getting bored with all the free time he had on hand. I said to him, “I have a library room at home, you can pick up books of your interest from any subject and learn new things. That will keep you occupied.” His egoistic attitude made him reply, “My grandchildren are in school. It’s their time to learn now. At this age what more is left for me to learn? I already know what I need to.” Old age mostly brings with it wisdom but often it also brings along ego. In order to learn something, you need curiosity and passion, but you also need humility. And ego kills humility and, as a result, puts an end to your growth.

Ego hurts your health

The ego makes you react angrily or think ill of someone or yourself. When that happens, it has a negative effect on your health and wellbeing. Once thinking such thoughts becomes a habit, you suffer from chronic diseases, heart trouble and even cancer. I repeatedly autosuggest to myself that my health is improving everyday in every way. This I do because I am able to maintain my mental balance. Last year, at the age of 84, when my doctor examined all my reports, he said, “You will live for a 100 years!” I replied, “But my plan is to live for 115 years. You have reduced 15 years.” Then both of us laughed. Nobody can say for how long we will live, but living without fear and toxicity can make sure that you enjoy great health as long as you do.

Religion and ego

The Qur’an says: “You should not have ego even equal to a gram of mustard.”

The Bible says, “Only the humble will reach the kingdom of God.”

In Bhaktimarg, you have to surrender your ego totally.

Some saints have said, “Your prayers shall not be accepted, if you have ego.” The reason is that the ego’s function is to increase your feeling of entitlement, to create conflicts, damage your health and make you suffer. Baling Broke has said, “It [pride] is the friend of flatterer, the mother of envy, the nurse of fury, the sin of devils, the devil of mankind.” It is for this reason that all religions have condemned ego. The only way out is to strive to be aware of your egotist feelings when they arise and replace them with humble compassion for self and others.

Peace of mind as mission

If peace of mind is your mission in life [who doesn’t want it!], become aware of small irritations and agitations within your mind. Start to laugh them away. Laughter is the best antidote to irritation. When there is peace of mind, intelligence, oneness, compassion and discrimination enhances your self confidence but not ego. I too learnt this the hard way 20 years ago when, at the age of 65, I underwent a bypass surgery, which let me to change my approach to life.

Byron Katie says, “An unquestioned mind is the world of suffering.” So question your mind and you will realise how repeatedly your ego-based thinking spoils your relationships, makes you miss opportunities due to fear, damages your health and more. What I have learned in my eight decades on this planet is that the purpose of everyone’s uniqueness is not to enforce separation but to make life interesting. Get into the habit of investigating your thinking, feelings and habits. Once you become aware of your self-defeating thoughts, it is easy to get rid of ego.

The post How your ego may be ruining your health and happiness appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

In a little story, we read that the Angels asked God if there was anything in the world stronger than rocks.

“Yes,” answered God, “stronger than rocks is iron; for iron can break rock.”

“Is there anything stronger than iron?” asked the Angels.

And the Lord answered, “Fire; for iron may be melted in fire.”

“Anything stronger than Fire?” asked the Angels.

And the Lord said, “Yes, water; for fire is quenched by water.”

“Anything stronger than water?” the Angels asked again.

And the Lord answered, “Yes, wind; for wind may scatter water.”

“Anything stronger than wind?” asked the Angels.

“Yes,” said the Lord, “sympathy is stronger. And nothing there be that is stronger than the compassionate heart.”

I believe that in the coming years, compassion, maitri, will be the key to the new social order. Today, our hearts have become hard as stones. But once our hearts are lit with devotion and love, the hard crust falls off. When the heart is filled with love it becomes soft, it acquires the capacity to sympathise and empathise with those in sorrow and suffering and with those in distress.

I would describe compassion as the crown of all virtues. I believe it is this quality that takes us closest to the Divine within each one of usCrown of virtues

Here is a beautiful but simple definition of compassion that a friend shared with me: “Compassion is the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.”

I would describe compassion as the crown of all virtues. I believe it is this quality that takes us closest to the Divine within each one of us. When we practise, not just feel, compassion, when we go out of ourselves to reach out to others and alleviate their suffering, we rise to the Highest Self in us. Need I say that at such times, negative feelings of strife and disharmony are totally nullified in our hearts and minds? And when more and more of us practise the divine quality of compassion, will our world not move towards lasting peace?

Compassion is the root of every religion. Because compassion brings with it kindness, it brings love, it brings fellowship, and it brings service. A man whose heart is filled with compassion is a friend of all, he is kind and loving to all. Such a man is kind not only to human beings but even to birds, animals and insects.

Can you read? Then read to a blind student. Can you write? Then write a letter, fill a form for someone who is not as lucky as you are

Everyone has something to give

Albert Schweitzer was always pained to hear people say, “If only I were rich, I would do great things to help and serve others.” He would promptly point out to them that all of us could be rich in love, generosity and compassion; and that we could always extend our loving care and compassion to others. This, he said, was worth more than all the money in the world!

All of us have something to give. Let us give what we can to others—our time, our talent and know-how, our effort, our understanding, our love, our concern, our sympathy, our smiles. Let us give with love and compassion. Even if one man is comforted by your words, even if one woman’s broken heart is healed by your understanding, even if one soul’s misery is wiped out by your kindness—you have made a difference!

Can you read? Then read to a blind student. Can you write? Then write a letter, fill a form for someone who is not as lucky as you are. If you are not very hungry, share your food with someone who is. If you are at peace with yourself, reach out to those who are in pain and disturbed by their suffering.

The distinguished American author and lecturer, Leo Buscaglia, once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next-door neighbour was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

As the Dalai Lama says, “If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion.”

The post Why compassion is the best expression of spirituality appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The moment you realise that you are a child of God, you will let nothing affect you. All you need to do is forget yourself—and realise your true self as a child of God. When we forget this outer self and transcend the phenomenal, material world, we draw closer to the real, inner self, which is peace.

What is peace?

I may tell you what peace is in many words, but all descriptions will fail to make you understand it until you have felt peace in your heart. Like love, peace must be felt.

Many of us often ask ourselves, “Why is there no peace in our hearts?” God has blessed us abundantly; we live in comfortable homes; we eat good food; we have enough money to spend on necessities as well as a few luxuries. Why, then, does peace elude us?

A few days ago, a woman from Mumbai came to meet me. She belonged to a well-known and well-to-do family. She requested for a private meeting with me; and when I met her, she began to shed tears. She said: “Dada, there is one thing that I can’t come to terms with. I have money aplenty; there are servants to carry out my every bidding; we have several cars and bungalows; my children are very attached to me and pay attention to my every need and comfort. And yet—and yet, I know not why I am so unhappy! I feel so depressed that quite often I shut myself in my room and weep bitterly. I cry out to God in grief and frustration, ‘Lord, why is it thus with me?’ For God has given me everything—except happiness. Why, Dada, why is this so?”

All the comfort is not enough

This is the condition of many of us. We have everything we need—and we are still unhappy. What is the reason of this pervasive unhappiness in the world? Friends, the secret to happiness is peace of mind. He who is blessed with peace of mind is always happy—even if he is penniless and he owns nothing in this world. Saints, great souls and renunciates have nothing to call their own; yet they are radiantly happy. Such was the dervish who said: “Nothing in the morn have I and nothing do I have at night. Yet there is none on earth happier than I!”

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita: “Arjuna, ashantasya kutah sukham? If man is not at peace with himself, how can he be happy?” The key to happiness indeed, the secret of true happiness is peace of mind. There is one way of achieving peace of mind. That is to attain the realisation that all that happens, happens according to the will of God.

God’s plans are perfect

Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani used to tell us, “God upsets our plans to set up His own. And His plans are always perfect.” If I have the faith that whatever has happened to me is according to the plan of the Highest, that there is some hidden good in it for me, I will not be upset! Gurudev also used to say, “Every disappointment is His appointment. And He knows best.”

Once you realise this, there is no more frustration, no more unhappiness. You abide in a state of tranquillity and peace. You may not be able to achieve this straight away. It is a process through which you must move. There are so many situations and circumstances in life that shatter our peace. But how long can we allow ourselves to wallow in sorrow and self-pity? The call of life is Onward, Forward, Godward! Men may come and men may go, but life goes on forever! Lives may come to an end, but life on earth must go on!

The post The secret to happiness is surprisingly simple appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The pain that you create now is always some form of non-acceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is. On the level of thought, the resistance is some form of judgement. On the emotional level, it is some form of negativity. The intensity of the pain depends on the degree of resistance to the present moment, and this in turn depends on how strongly you are identified with your mind. The mind always seeks to deny the Now and to escape from it. In other words, the more you are identified with your mind, the more you suffer. Or you may put it like this: the more you are able to honour and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain, of suffering—and free of the egoic mind.

Time and mind are inseparable

Why does the mind habitually deny or resist the Now? Because it cannot function and remain in control without time, which is past and future, so it perceives the timeless Now as threatening. Time and mind are in fact inseparable.

Imagine the Earth devoid of human life, inhabited only by plants and animals. Would it still have a past and a future? Could we still speak of time in any meaningful way? The question “What time is it?” or “What’s the date today?”—if anybody were there to ask it—would be quite meaningless. The oak tree or the eagle would be bemused by such a question. “What time?” they would ask. “Well, of course, it’s now. The time is now. What else is there?”

The mind always seeks to deny the Now and to escape from it

The beginning of dysfunction

Yes, we need the mind as well as time to function in this world, but there comes a point where they take over our lives, and this is where dysfunction, pain and sorrow set in.

The mind, to ensure that it remains in control, seeks continuously to cover up the present moment with past and future, and so, as the vitality and infinite creative potential of Being, which is inseparable from the Now, becomes covered up by time, your true nature becomes obscured by the mind. An increasingly heavy burden of time has been accumulating in the human mind. All individuals are suffering under this burden, but they also keep adding to it every moment whenever they ignore or deny that precious moment or reduce it to a means of getting to some future moment, which only exists in the mind, never in actuality. The accumulation of time in the collective and individual human mind also holds a vast amount of residual pain from the past.

Freedom from pain

If you no longer want to create pain for yourself and others, if you no longer want to add to the residue of past pain that still lives on in you, then don’t create any more time, or at least no more than is necessary to deal with the practical aspects of your life. How to stop creating time? Realise deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and paid brief visits to the Now, have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to past and future when required to deal with the practical aspects of your life situation. Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life—and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.

Excerpted with permission from The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle, published by Yogi Impressions.

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And when we accumulate knowledge, what do we do? Nothing changes inside. The being remains absolutely unaffected. Just like dust, information gathers around you—just like dust gathering around a mirror: the mirror remains the same, only it loses its mirroring quality. What you know through the mind makes no difference—your consciousness remains the same. In fact it becomes worse, because accumulated knowledge is just like dust around your mirroring consciousness; the consciousness reflects less and less and less.

The more you know, the less aware you become. When you are completely filled with scholarship, borrowed knowledge, you are already dead. Then nothing comes to you as your own. Everything is borrowed and parrot-like.

Borrowed knowledge is dangerous

Mind is a parrot. I have heard—it happened in the days of Joseph Stalin—that a man, a very prominent communist, came to the Moscow police station and reported that his parrot was missing. Because this man was a very prominent communist, the chief at the police station inquired about the parrot, for it was significant and had to be searched for. In his inquiries he asked, “Does the parrot talk?”

The communist, the comrade, felt a slight fear, and then he said, “Yes, he talks. But note it down: whatsoever political opinions he has, they are completely his own.”

But how can a parrot have opinions of its own? A parrot cannot have opinions of its own—and neither can the mind, because mind is a mechanism. A parrot is more alive than a mind. Even a parrot may have some opinions of its own, but the mind cannot. Mind is a computer, a biocomputer. It accumulates. It is never original, it cannot be. Whatsoever it has is borrowed, taken from others.

Beware of hidden ignorance

You become original only when you transcend mind. When the mind is dropped, and the consciousness faces existence directly, immediately, moment to moment in contact with existence, you become original. Then, for the first time, you are authentically your own.

Otherwise all ideas are borrowed. You may quote scriptures, you may know by heart all the Vedas, the Koran, the Gita, The Bible, but that makes no difference—they are not your own. And knowledge that is not your own is dangerous, more dangerous than ignorance, because it is a hidden ignorance, and you will not be able to see that you are deceiving yourself. You are carrying false coins and thinking that you are a rich man, carrying false stones and thinking that they are Kohinoors. Sooner or later your poverty will be revealed. Then you will be shocked. This happens whenever you die, whenever death comes near. In the shock that death gives to you, suddenly you become aware that you have not gained anything—because only that is gained which is gained in being.

Knowledge must be transcended

You have accumulated fragments of knowledge from here and there, you may have become a great encyclopedia, but that is not the point; and particularly for those who are in search of truth, that is a barrier, not a help. Knowledge has to be transcended.

When there is no knowledge, knowing happens, because knowing is your quality—the quality of consciousness. It is just like a mirror: the mirror reflects whatsoever is there; consciousness reflects the truth that is always in front of you, just at the tip of your nose. But the mind is in between—and the mind goes on chattering, and the truth remains just in front of you and the mind goes on chattering. And you go with the mind. You miss. Mind is a great missing.

There are no shortcuts while seeking truth

Knowledge is borrowed, realise this. The very realisation becomes a dropping of it. You don’t have to do anything. Simply realise that whatsoever you know you have heard, you have not known it. You have read it, you have not realised it; it is not a revelation to you, it is a conditioning of the mind. It has been taught to you—you have not learned it. Truth can be learned, cannot be taught. Learning means being responsive to whatsoever is around you—that which is, to be responsive to it. This is a great learning, but not knowledge.

There is no way to find truth—except through finding it. There is no short cut to it. You cannot borrow, you cannot steal, you cannot deceive, to get to it. There is simply no way unless you are without any mind within you—because mind is a wavering, mind is a continuous trembling; mind is never unmoving, it is a movement. It is just like a breeze, continuously flowing, and the flame goes on wavering. When mind is not there the breeze stops, and the flame becomes unmoving. When your consciousness is an unmoving flame, you know the truth. You have to learn how not to follow the mind.

Stop seeking truth from another

Nobody can give you the truth, nobody, not even a Buddha, a Jesus, a Krishna—nobody can give it to you. And it is beautiful that nobody can give it to you, otherwise it would become a commodity in the market. If it can be given, then it can be sold also. If it can be given, then it can be stolen also. If it can be given then you can take it from your friend, borrow it.

It is beautiful that truth is not transferable in any way. Unless you reach it, you cannot reach. Unless you become it, you never have it. In fact, it is not something you can have. It is not a commodity, a thing, a thought. You can be it, but you cannot have it.

Truth can never be possessed

Truth can never be possessed. There are two commodities which can be possessed: thoughts and things. Things can be possessed, thoughts can be possessed—truth is neither. Truth is being. You can become it, but you cannot possess it. You cannot have it in your safe, you cannot have it in your book, you cannot have it in your hand. When you have it, you are it. You become truth. It is not a concept, it is being itself.

Excerpted from And The Flowers Showered Courtesy: Osho International Foundation; osho.com

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