General Discussions => Spirituality => Topic started by: Princess of Hearts on October 04, 2011, 12:05:30 AM Return to Full Version
Title: Osho on Society
Post by: Princess of Hearts on October 04, 2011, 12:05:30 AM
Post by: Princess of Hearts on October 04, 2011, 12:05:30 AM
Osho – Society gives the feeling to every person that he is worthless. It is a political strategy. Once a person gets the idea that he is worthless, he cannot be rebellious, he cannot be independent, he cannot go outside the fold. He cannot choose a path of his own, he will follow the crowd.
Once the idea sinks deep into your unconscious that you are worthless you cannot trust yourself; you will have to trust the priest, the politician, the teacher, the parents — all kinds of authorities. And you will seek them, you will cling to them because the ground underneath your feet has been taken away. You are afraid to be left alone on your own because then you know you cannot decide, all that you decide is wrong; you cannot act, whatsoever you do is wrong. Then it is better to follow the mob; let them decide, you just be an imitator.
To create imitators and slaves each child's trust in himself is being destroyed all over the world, in all kinds of societies and cultures, in all countries.
My effort here is to give you again the feeling of worth, a self-trust — and that is possible only through meditation, because meditation can help you get rid of all conditionings. And it is only a matter of conditioning. Others have told you things again and again, they have hypnotised you. That hypnosis has to be destroyed, you have to be dehypnotised.
That's what meditation is: a process of dehypnotisation. Once you are dehypnotised you wake up for the first time, then suddenly you know that you are immensely valuable, as everybody else is. Then one feels tremendous respect for oneself also. And it is not ego, because you feel the same respect for others. You are not higher, you are not holier than others; suddenly you have known that everyone is esteemed by nature itself, by the universe itself.
Once the idea sinks deep into your unconscious that you are worthless you cannot trust yourself; you will have to trust the priest, the politician, the teacher, the parents — all kinds of authorities. And you will seek them, you will cling to them because the ground underneath your feet has been taken away. You are afraid to be left alone on your own because then you know you cannot decide, all that you decide is wrong; you cannot act, whatsoever you do is wrong. Then it is better to follow the mob; let them decide, you just be an imitator.
To create imitators and slaves each child's trust in himself is being destroyed all over the world, in all kinds of societies and cultures, in all countries.
My effort here is to give you again the feeling of worth, a self-trust — and that is possible only through meditation, because meditation can help you get rid of all conditionings. And it is only a matter of conditioning. Others have told you things again and again, they have hypnotised you. That hypnosis has to be destroyed, you have to be dehypnotised.
That's what meditation is: a process of dehypnotisation. Once you are dehypnotised you wake up for the first time, then suddenly you know that you are immensely valuable, as everybody else is. Then one feels tremendous respect for oneself also. And it is not ego, because you feel the same respect for others. You are not higher, you are not holier than others; suddenly you have known that everyone is esteemed by nature itself, by the universe itself.
Title: Re: Osho on Society
Post by: VeryGnawty on October 04, 2011, 12:10:19 AM
Post by: VeryGnawty on October 04, 2011, 12:10:19 AM
So true.
Title: Re: Osho on Society
Post by: Taka on October 06, 2011, 06:06:43 AM
Post by: Taka on October 06, 2011, 06:06:43 AM
i don't meditate, but reflection has gotten me to the conclusion that no authorities should be trusted blindly. i realized already in grade school, and of course society tried to convince me i'm wrong. as if i'd listen to arguments that don't even make sense, like "i'm right cause i'm right" or "the text book can't be wrong"
and now that i'm finally an adult, society has suddenly started to see me as valuable
but i suppose i could get better at relating to people and myself if i tried some meditation. i'm a hopeless case of far too cynical, and i like myself better this way than if i'd been sympathetic and emotional. thinking about it, this is something that society taught me, so maybe i really should try to get rid of it
and now that i'm finally an adult, society has suddenly started to see me as valuable
but i suppose i could get better at relating to people and myself if i tried some meditation. i'm a hopeless case of far too cynical, and i like myself better this way than if i'd been sympathetic and emotional. thinking about it, this is something that society taught me, so maybe i really should try to get rid of it
Title: Re: Osho on Society
Post by: Padma on October 06, 2011, 06:31:57 AM
Post by: Padma on October 06, 2011, 06:31:57 AM
This doesn't just apply to society or "authority" - it applies across the board: trust isn't an on/off switch, it's progressive; and it's contextual, not global.
Progressive: trust develops over time, as the situation or person or organisation proves deserving of it - and to the extent that you're willing to allow yourself to develop trust as well, of course, which is a completely different issue.
Contextual: I have a friend whom I trust implicitly with my possessions, but not with my secrets, for example. You learn to trust certain people/organisations in particular situations, it's not a requirement to trust across the board without experiential backup.
Investing your absolute trust in something or someone unproven is stupid. Withholding trust with prejudice (so that it can't grow) is equally stupid. The middle way is to test by experience, which involves taking risks.
IMHO ;D.
Progressive: trust develops over time, as the situation or person or organisation proves deserving of it - and to the extent that you're willing to allow yourself to develop trust as well, of course, which is a completely different issue.
Contextual: I have a friend whom I trust implicitly with my possessions, but not with my secrets, for example. You learn to trust certain people/organisations in particular situations, it's not a requirement to trust across the board without experiential backup.
Investing your absolute trust in something or someone unproven is stupid. Withholding trust with prejudice (so that it can't grow) is equally stupid. The middle way is to test by experience, which involves taking risks.
IMHO ;D.