Osho, the most influential spiritual master of modern times, often spoke about the need to transcend the ego and attain enlightenment. He used various metaphors and analogies to illustrate his teachings, and one of them was the concept of the seven gates of the ego. According to Osho, the ego is a false sense of self that separates us from our true nature and the divine. The ego is composed of seven layers, or gates, each representing a different aspect of our personality and identity. These are the body, the mind, the emotions, the desires, the beliefs, the knowledge, and the pride. Osho claimed that to reach enlightenment, one has to go through these seven gates and drop them one by one until nothing remains but pure awareness and bliss.
Osho was not the first to propose such a path of spiritual transformation. He often quoted and commented on the teachings of other mystics and prophets, especially those of Jesus Christ. Osho admired Jesus as a great master who had realized his true self and had tried to share his wisdom with humanity. Osho interpreted the words of Jesus in a non-traditional and non-conventional way, revealing their deeper and more universal meaning. One of the most famous quotes of Jesus that Osho used to explain his vision of enlightenment was this:
"Unless you become like small children, you will not enter into my kingdom of God." (Matthew 18:3)
What did Jesus mean by this? Osho suggested that becoming like small children means overcoming the sevenfold ego, and entering the kingdom of God means attaining enlightenment and paradise. Children, unlike adults, are innocent, spontaneous, curious, playful, and free from the conditioning and expectations of society. They live in the present moment without worrying about the past or the future. They are not attached to their bodies, their minds, their emotions, their desires, their beliefs, their knowledge, or their pride. They are simply themselves, expressing their true nature and enjoying life. This is the state of being that Jesus wanted his followers to achieve, and this is the state of being that Osho also advocated.
However, Osho also pointed out that most people misunderstand the teachings of Jesus and distort them to suit their egos. He argued that contrary to popular belief, the teachings of Jesus do not include hells with unquenchable fires. Heaven and Hell, as we know them, have come to Christianity from Jewish legends and have nothing to do with the original message of Jesus. For Jesus, unawakenedness is hell, and awakenedness is heaven. Hell is not a place where sinners are punished for eternity, but a state of mind where one is trapped in ignorance, suffering, and fear. Heaven is not a place where saints are rewarded for eternity, but a state of mind where one is liberated from ignorance, suffering, and fear. The only way to escape Hell and enter Heaven is to awaken one's true self and connect with the divine.
Osho also criticized the way that Christians have corrupted the practice of confession, which was originally meant to be a tool for enlightenment. He explained that every evil done keeps the person in the mind more and more and increases his ego. The ego thrives on conflict, violence, greed, hatred, and jealousy. The more one acts on these impulses, the more one strengthens the ego and distances oneself from the true self and the divine. The only way to break this cycle is to watch and describe the evil done, which creates awareness about it and helps to overcome the ego. This is the true nature of confession: to watch and thus make sin impossible and the mature ego to fall. By confessing one's sins, one is not seeking forgiveness from an external authority but from oneself. By acknowledging one's mistakes, one is not feeling guilty or ashamed, but taking responsibility and learning from them. By exposing one's darkness, one is not inviting punishment or condemnation, but inviting light and transformation.
Osho lamented that later Christians forgot this, and an extraordinarily beautiful means of enlightenment was transformed into "confession" to escape the fires of Hell. Instead of using confession as a way of self-inquiry and self-improvement, Christians started using it as a way of avoiding accountability and consequences. Instead of confessing to themselves and the divine, Christians started confessing to priests and the church. Instead of being honest and sincere, Christians started being hypocritical and superficial. Instead of being free and joyful, Christians started being fearful and miserable.
Osho also drew parallels between the Christian concept of confession and the Islamic concept of prayer, which he claimed had suffered a similar fate. He said that prayer, which is a Miraj, a Burak that leads to the Miraj, and therefore a means of enlightenment, has become for later Muslims an obligation to escape the fire. Miraj is the term used to describe the ascension of the prophet Muhammad to the highest heaven, where he met God and received his revelations. Burak is the term used to describe the mythical creature that carried Muhammad on his journey. Osho interpreted these symbols as metaphors for the inner journey of the seeker, who uses prayer as a vehicle to reach the ultimate reality and to commune with the divine. Prayer, in this sense, is not a ritual or a duty, but a meditation and a celebration. It is not a way of begging or bargaining with God, but a way of expressing gratitude and love to God.
Osho regretted that later Muslims had turned prayer into a mechanical and formal act that had lost its spirit and meaning. Instead of using prayer as a way of connecting with the divine and experiencing bliss, Muslims started using prayer as a way of fulfilling a religious obligation and avoiding hellfire. Instead of praying to God and themselves, Muslims started praying to the Quran and the mosque. Instead of being spontaneous and creative, Muslims started being rigid and repetitive. Instead of being peaceful and compassionate, Muslims started being violent and intolerant.
Osho's teachings are challenging and provocative, but also inspiring and enlightening. He invites us to question our assumptions and beliefs and to discover our truth and wisdom. He urges us to go beyond the ego and the mind and to enter into the heart and the soul. He guides us to go through the seven gates of the ego and to enter the kingdom of God.
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