Osho through the eyes of Gemini Chat AI

In order to see what today’s hip professionals may find out about Osho, I thought I’d ask Google’s Gemini Chat Artificial Intelligence a few questions about his views. Chat AIs are built from an enormous text database to have an understanding of language, and can do onerous tasks for you such as independently researching multiple web pages and writing summaries of large bodies of text.

Chat AIs are another way to explore the internet, and may well end up replacing search engines! They can also write letters and essays on any subject, you just ask them a question or give them an order and off they go. My scores on how good the various replies are, are in italics, feel free to take issue with any of it.

N.B: If you want to play around a little with the Gemini Chat AI, it lives at this URL: gemini.google.com

Q: What was Osho’s view on personal growth?

A: Osho’s view on personal growth was quite unique. Here are some key points:

• Being vs. Becoming: Osho challenged the traditional notion of self-improvement. He argued that we are already whole and perfect beings, not projects needing fixing. Growth, for him, wasn’t about becoming someone better, but rather awakening to your true nature.
• De-conditioning: Osho believed we’re conditioned by society, creating a false sense of self. This conditioning blocks our authentic being. Growth, then, becomes a process of unlearning these limitations and rediscovering our true potential.
• Celebration, not Striving: Personal growth shouldn’t be a struggle. Osho emphasized a playful, celebratory approach. It’s about enjoying the journey of self-discovery, embracing all experiences – joyful and sorrowful – as opportunities for growth.
• Meditation as Key: Osho saw meditation as the key to unlocking personal growth. Through meditation, we can shed mental chatter and access our inner silence, leading to a state of awareness and inner peace.

In essence, Osho offered a perspective on growth that focused on inner transformation and shedding illusions, rather than external achievements or self-improvement efforts.

Score: A. It’s a fair set of highlights culled from many discourses.

Q: What are Osho’s views on renouncing the world?

A: Osho differed from traditional views on renouncing the world. Here’s a breakdown of his perspective:

• Escape vs. Transformation: Osho saw renunciation as escapism. Fleeing the world to find peace, he argued, doesn’t lead to genuine growth. It’s like finding silence in the Himalayas because everything is already quiet there – that silence isn’t yours. True peace comes from being centred within yourself, even amidst life’s challenges.
• Change the World, Don’t Abandon It: Osho believed the world needs people who are awake and conscious to transform it. With millions suffering, turning your back on it feels inhuman. He advocated for staying engaged and working to make the world a better place.
• Inner vs. Outer Renunciation: Osho suggested a different kind of renunciation – letting go of inner attachments to desires, egos, and negativity. This allows you to be in the world without being of it, using your experiences for growth. True renunciation, he argued, arises from inner abundance, not lack.

In short, Osho challenged the idea of physical withdrawal and proposed an inner transformation that empowers you to be a positive force in the world.

Score: A-. It sounds reasonable, but I don’t recall Osho ever telling us to go change the world.

Q: What is Osho’s view on enlightenment?

A: Osho’s view on enlightenment was unconventional and differed from traditional interpretations. Here are some key aspects of his perspective:

• Natural State, Not Achievement: Unlike the idea of enlightenment as a distant goal, Osho saw it as our inherent nature. We are already enlightened, but unaware of it. Enlightenment, for him, is simply the realisation of this truth.
• Letting Go, Not Gaining: Osho emphasised that enlightenment isn’t about acquiring something new. It’s about shedding the illusions and ego that cloud our true nature. It’s a process of letting go of attachments, desires, and the constant mental chatter.
• Being Here Now: Enlightenment, according to Osho, is about being fully present in the moment. It’s about experiencing life with a childlike wonder and accepting things as they are, without judgment.
• Celebration and Playfulness: Osho didn’t see enlightenment as a serious or solemn state. He advocated for approaching it with a sense of joy and playfulness. It’s about celebrating life in all its richness and embracing the beauty of existence.
• Questioning, Not Following: Osho discouraged blind faith in spiritual traditions or gurus. He believed that the path to enlightenment is a personal journey of exploration and questioning.

In essence, Osho offered a view of enlightenment that emphasised self-discovery, living authentically, and shedding illusions that prevent us from experiencing our true nature.

Score: B. It’s pretty close, I remember him saying stuff pretty close to this.

On the whole, I find this really encouraging. If people choose to learn about Osho from Chat AI they may well get a much less biased view than if they read old lifestyle magazine articles. The AI seems knowledgeable and clear, and provides lucid summaries of Osho’s ideas in relatively few words.

In the comments…

21 April 2024 (by Nityaprem): Yesterday I was listening to one of the LoveOsho podcasts, the one with Siddhartha, episode 68, and in there he talks about the way the Osho books are going, that they are making compilation books about, say, Love or Creativity, and taking Osho’s words out of their natural context. Siddhartha was arguing against this, and advising people to go to the original books and lectures. In my opinion he is totally right to say this.

In a way, what the Chat AI says about Osho is even further removed from the real words of Osho. It’s not just quotes taken out of context, it is websites and text rehashed and summarised, a machine learning algorithm’s view of the words of an enlightened master. So it doesn’t truly bring you close to Osho, though it is enough for a first contact.

I still enjoy listening to the discourses. I think the sound of Osho’s voice is the way into his presence, now that he is no longer with us in the body. So I’d recommend anyone who is introduced to Osho through the chat AI to try downloading some discourses and listening to them.

Nityaprem

Thanks to Sannyas News where the article (with many more comments and additions) was published on 26 March 2024: sannyasnews.org