A handwritten note from Osho where he replies to the question, “What is meditation, and what is the method to do it?”
Meditation is a state of thoughtless consciousness.
And the method to come to this thoughtlessness is to be aware of thoughts.
The mind is a continuous flow of thoughts.
To be unconscious or unaware or unmindful of this flow – is our usual state.
From this unconsciousness arises identification.
One starts to believe that one is the mind itself.
Be awake and observe the thoughts.
Just as someone standing by the roadside watches people pass by.
Just by watching with awareness, revolution happens.
The identification with the thoughts breaks.
At the farthest end of this breaking of identification, thoughtless consciousness is born.
Just as when clouds clear away, the sky becomes visible.
A mind-space empty of thoughts is the true state of one’s being.
This is “samadhi”.
Meditation is the method,
samadhi is the realization.
But don’t think about meditation.
Thinking about meditation is still thinking.
Dive into it, immerse into it.
Don’t think about meditation – taste it.
The mind’s function is to sleep and to think.
Being awake is its death,
and meditation is awakening.
Thus, the mind says, “Let’s think about meditation.”
This is its last defence mechanism to protect itself.
Beware of this.
Instead of thinking, focus on seeing.
Not thinking; but watching – is the fundamental principle.
As watching increases, thoughts diminish.
As witnessing awakens, dreams dissolve.
When meditation happens, the mind disappears.
The mind is the gateway to the world,
meditation is the gateway to liberation.
What is found through the mind, is lost in meditation.
What is lost through the mind, is found in meditation.
Translation of the second question in the booklet, Man Ke Paar (मन के पार) (Beyond the Mind), a collection of writings by Osho from 1970. Translation in Gujarati, Manni Paar (મનની પાર). Credit to Osho Resources Centre (oshoresourcecenter.com – facebook.com).
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