The ego is often counted among the greatest demerits in spirituality. In every religion, every spiritual tradition, it has been said that as long as there is ego in the person, he cannot follow the path of truth, love and salvation. But when Osho says that “the absence of ego is also not a good symptom”, this may sound a bit shocking. After all, why do they say this? Are Osho supporting ego? Let’s know the depth of his thoughts.
Osho’s perspective: ‘Lack of ego versus’ to cross from ego’
Osho has always made it clear in his discourses that denying the ego can also be a type of ego. He says that if a person constantly calls himself a “very humble” or “I am egoless”, it becomes a subtle ego in itself. According to Osho, the right way to avoid ego is not to press or deny it, rather understand why he is and then crosses it easily. They believed that as long as you keep thinking that “I am not”, the existence of a ‘I’ remains somewhere. That is why they say, “Not having ego is also not a good symptom.” The real thing is that the person goes beyond both ‘ego’ and ‘unhappy’ – a situation where there is no ‘I’ and no ‘I’.
Ego: Construction and confusion
According to Osho, ego is a composition of a person’s mind, which is made up of society, education and experiences. This is a false image of ‘self’, which we think of ourselves. For example, “I am a doctor”, “I am beautiful”, “I am successful” – these are all forms of ego. But Osho also says that it is wrong to see the ego as a villain. It is important to have a healthy ego in the early stages of life so that a person can make his identity, set boundaries for himself and get a place in the society. If there is no ego at all, then it can be confused about its existence.
Humility vs. Daman
Many times people try to suppress the ego under social or religious pressure. They look polite from outside, but within a ‘hidden’ ego inside. This ‘suppressed’ ego is even more dangerous because it becomes a cheating. In such a situation, the person follows the truth, but the ‘Truth -like image’. Osho warns that when you peep inside you, then you have to see whether the ‘humility’ you are showing, is real or a new form of ego.
Ego
According to Osho, meditation is the means by which a person can know his ‘real form’. In meditation, the mind is calm, thoughts stop and then the person comes out of the layers of ego and experiences his ‘pure power’. Osho also says that going beyond the ego is not a forced job, it should be a natural process. When a person continues to self -consciousness and lives in a witness, then the ego starts falling on its own.