Silent Period

CHAPTER 1

May 1982 pm in Lao Tzu House, Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, USA

[NOTE: This was published in THE RAJNEESH TIMES, 5th November 1982, while Osho was in
silence.]

ED BRADLEY OF THE 60 MINUTES TEAM VISITED RANCHO RAJNEESH IN MAY TO GET
FOOTAGE FOR LAST SUNDAY’S PROGRAM. SINCE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO
INTERVIEW OSHO DIRECTLY, HE SENT OSHO A LETTER CONTAINING FOUR QUESTIONS.
OSHO GAVE HIS REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS THROUGH MA ANAND SHEELA AND THEY
WERE FORWARDED TO BRADLEY.

Q: ARE YOU GOD?

Osho: There is not God, hence the question does not arise. ”Bhagwan” does not mean God, it
simply means ”The Blessed One.” The very idea of God is non-democratic. Either everything is God
or nothing is God.

Q: IN A LETTER TO WILLIAM JAMES, OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES WROTE: ”THE GREAT ACT OF FAITH IS WHEN A MAN DECIDES THAT HE IS NOT GOD.” PLEASE COMMENT.

Osho: Faith has nothing to do with religion. Faith is rooted in believing in something you know
nothing of. It is a way of covering your ignorance. Religion is not belief or faith but knowing. The
whole of human history has been ninety-nine-point-nine percent just stupid – because of faith. But
all the so-called religions preach it, because that is the easiest way to exploit.
Neither William James knows anything about religion, nor Wendell Holmes.

Q: WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT? YOU ONCE SAID IT WAS LIKE CHOCOLATE. TRUE? WHAT
WILL IT DO FOR THE WORLD?

Osho: Enlightenment is coming to know that there is nothing to know. In other words, existence is a
mystery and there is no way to demystify it. To know it and to live it is not intellectual; it is a taste –
hence I have called it like chocolate. Either you have tasted it or you have not tasted it. There is no
position in between

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