Sannyas simply means the beginning of dropping all your masks

THIS WHOLE SOCIETY has been created around a certain idea that is basically HYPOCRITICAL: HERE YOU HAVE TO BE WHAT OTHERS EXPECT YOU TO BE, NOT WHAT YOU ARE. That's why everything has become false, phony. Even in friendliness you are keeping a distance. Only so far do you allow anybody to come close....

    EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD in which we have been living has been UNTRUE AND UNAUTHENTIC. MY VISION OF A SANNYASIN is of a REBEL, of a man who is IN SEARCH OF HIS ORIGINAL SELF, of his ORIGINAL FACE. A man who is READY TO DROP all masks, all pretensions, ALL HYPOCRISIES, and show to the world what he, in reality, is. Whether he is loved or condemned, respected, honored or dishonored, crowned or crucified, does not matter; because TO BE YOURSELF IS THE GREATEST BLESSING IN EXISTENCE. Even if you are crucified, you will be crucified fulfilled and immensely contented.

    Just remember Jesus' last words on the cross. He prayed to God, "FATHER, FORGIVE THESE PEOPLE who are crucifying me, because THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING." He is not angry, he is not complaining. On the contrary, he is praying for them, that they should be forgiven. What a great dignity, what a man. A man of truth, a man of sincerity, a man who knows love and who knows compassion, and who understands that people are blind, unconscious, asleep, spiritually asleep. What they are doing is almost in their sleep.

    Being an initiate into SANNYAS SIMPLY MEANS THE BEGINNING OF DROPPING ALL YOUR MASKS. And that's what is happening to you. Gradually, you are feeling a new space... "Out of this space a more open and less fearful connection happens. And yet, I often watch myself not being totally authentic and real."

    Don't be impatient. YOU HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED for so long, for so many years -- YOUR WHOLE LIFE -- now unconditioning will also take a little time. You have been burdened with ALL KINDS OF FALSE, PSEUDO IDEAS. It will take a little time to drop them, to recognize that they are false and they are pseudo. ONCE YOU RECOGNIZE SOMETHING AS FALSE, IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO DROP IT. In fact, the moment you recognize the false as false, IT FALLS BY ITSELF.

    The very recognition is enough. Your connection is broken, your identity is lost. AND ONCE THE FALSE DISAPPEARS, THE REAL IS THERE in all its newness, in all its beauty. Because sincerity is beauty, honesty is beauty, truthfulness is beauty. JUST BEING YOURSELF IS BEING BEAUTIFUL.

    And to me THERE IS NO OTHER RELIGION THAN THIS. Just a little patience... what you have gathered in your sleep of many, many years -- even if you wake up, the dust of dreams that you have gathered will take a little time to fall away. But your awareness, your understanding and YOUR COURAGE THAT YOU ARE DETERMINED AND COMMITTED TO FIND YOURSELF, WILL DISSOLVE ALL FALSE FACES that have been given to you by people.

    They are also unconscious -- YOUR PARENTS, YOUR TEACHERS -- don't be angry with them. They are also VICTIMS LIKE YOU. Their fathers, their teachers, their priests, have CORRUPTED their minds; and your parents and your teachers have CORRUPTED you. All that you can do is: DON'T CORRUPT THE YOUNGER CHILDREN. Your children are your brothers and your sisters. Anybody whom you can influence, don't influence in a way that he becomes false; HELP THE PERSON TO BE HIMSELF. What has been done in unconsciousness to you, you should not do to others -- because you are becoming a little conscious, and each day the consciousness will grow.

    It needs NOURISHMENT, SUPPORT. And BEING HERE WITH ME and with ALL THESE FELLOW TRAVELERS, you can get IMMENSE SUPPORT and NOURISHMENT. The whole atmosphere is to bring your authentic self out of all the clouds that have been covering you. But a little patience is certainly necessary.

OSHO
The Rebel
Ch #32: The face behind the mask
pm in Chuang Tzu Auditorium

posted by Subhuti @ RiverIIOsho