I am a hypocrite. What should I do?

Osho A-Z

Osho on Hypocrisy: “Once you recognize that you are wearing a mask, the mask has already started slipping…”

mask slipping
Osho, I am a hypocrite. What should I do?

Narayandas Diwari, it is good, it is beautiful that you recognize, that you confess that you are a hypocrite. This is the beginning — the beginning of sincerity, the beginning of truth. Hypocrisy cannot remain long now any more. Hypocrisy can remain only if it goes on pretending that it is not hypocrisy. It exists by pretending to be that which it is not.

Once you recognize that you are wearing a mask, the mask has already started slipping. You have become aware that this is not your face. The mask can remain on your face only so long as you go on believing, pretending, deceiving others and yourself that it is your real face. And the problem is: if you deceive others you will start deceiving yourself finally. The person who goes on being cunning with others sooner or later starts being cunning with himself. He forgets the language of sincerity, authenticity, truth. He has been lying so long that all he knows now is lying; he goes on lying. And if others start believing in his lies — because he becomes very clever in lying — seeing that others are believing in his lies he starts believing in those lies himself; naturally, when so many people are believing, there must be some truth in it. How can you deceive so many people? People are not such fools! […]

It is good, Narayandas Diwari, that you say: I am a hypocrite. What should I do?

First see it clearly, watch it, all its subtle ways, its whole mechanism. It must have gone deep. You will have to be very aware of it. And nothing else is needed to be done — because if you do something, that will create repression.

I am not in favor of much doing. My whole effort here is to help you become more aware of things. And the miracle of awareness is that whatsoever is wrong, the moment you become fully aware of, it drops on its own accord, and whatsoever is right, when you become fully aware of it, it becomes your very being.

Awareness is the most alchemical phenomenon in the world.

And it is good that a recognition has happened; this is a good beginning. The seed has fallen in the soil. Just go on becoming more and more aware. Watch each act, each thought, each dream. And don’t do anything — don’t be in a hurry to do something. Just simply go on watching, taking notes what is happening inside you, how you are living your life. And slowly you will become aware of a change happening on its own accord. And when any change happens by itself it has a beauty of its own.”

Osho, Zen: The Special Transmission, Ch 2 – Read full answer

A quote published in The Book: An Introduction to the Teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
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