Hour 16 Meditation – Meditation is Not a Practice – It is a State
Meditation is Not a Practice – It is a State
Introduction to Osho’s Revolutionary View on Meditation
Osho’s teachings on meditation shake many of the conventional assumptions that have been embedded in spiritual practices for centuries. Most traditionally, meditation is viewed as a practice, a technique, or a sequence of practices to be mastered over time. But Osho fundamentally transforms the concept of meditation by saying that meditation isn’t a practice at all—it is a state of existence.
In this module, we explore Osho’s take on meditation as a state of existence and not a practice to be adhered to. This change in perspective has far-reaching implications for the manner in which one goes about meditation, spiritual evolution, and life itself.
The Traditional View of Meditation: A Practice
In the majority of traditional spiritual traditions, meditation is conceived of as a process involving some level of effort, discipline, and time. To illustrate, a large number of systems of meditation teach practitioners to employ particular methods—such as the concentration of attention on the breath, recitation of a mantra, or visualization of an object—specifically designed to calm the mind and bring mental quiet.
For practitioners, meditation may feel like something that one has to accomplish or master in the long run. There’s a feeling of working towards something, like inner peace, mindfulness, or enlightenment. Meditation is presented as a practice that one does on a regular basis in order to cultivate their consciousness and spiritual practice.
But Osho defies this model by noting that this is an approach based upon the misunderstanding that meditation is something distinct from life—a particular technique or experience that you do at times. Osho contends that this view of meditation is restrictive and ultimately misses the point of meditation entirely.
Osho’s Vision: Meditation is a State of Being
Osho’s vision of meditation is a revolution from the traditional concepts. Meditation, to Osho, is not something you practice in the traditional sense of the term. It is no activity or practice to be honed over years. It is a way of being—a natural quality of being fully present, awake, and aware.
1. Meditation as the Natural State of the Mind
Osho says that the natural state of the mind, when without distraction, desire, and attachment, is already a meditative state. It is a state of alertness, presence, awareness. As water in its purest form is clean and stagnant, the mind in its natural state is calm and serene. Osho elaborates that the fluctuations of the mind—like thoughts, judgments, and worries—give the impression that meditation is something we have to attain. The truth is that these mind fluctuations are the disturbance which obscures the natural state of meditation.
Key Concept: Meditation is not the product of effort but the spontaneous expression of a mind that is unruffled and unattached. It’s not about doing but being in your authentic state of consciousness.
2. Meditation as Awareness of the Present Moment
For Osho, meditation happens when we are intensely aware of the now, without judgment, expectation, or distraction. That awareness is the center of meditation. Meditation, according to him, is not a technique to gain something in the future but a plunge into the now, into the present moment.
There is a possibility of meditation in every moment. Whether sitting quietly, walking, speaking, or doing the ordinary things of life, meditation is possible when you release the mind’s propensity to get lost in the past or future. Rather, you focus your entire attention on the present moment, sensing each moment as it is, without attempting to alter or manipulate it.
Key Concept: Meditation is nothing more than the art of awareness—the power to be completely awake and present with whatever is arising in the moment.
3. Meditation as a State of Pure Witnessing
Osho often refers to meditation as witnessing—the power of watching the mind without becoming involved in its thoughts, feelings, or responses. This is what Osho terms as the witness or the observer. While meditating, you are not attempting to stop or control your thoughts, but you watch them from a state of pure consciousness. You become the witness of the arising thoughts, feelings, and sensations without attachment or identification.
Here in the state of witnessing, the mind’s natural tendency of understanding and reacting to experience starts breaking down. It results in an incredible sense of freedom—freedom from the constant thought flow and emotion that normally regulate the mind.
Key Concept: Meditation is a practice of observing your inner life—thoughts, emotions, and sensations—without becoming engaged or identified with them. It is observing from a position of pure awareness.
4. Meditation as Liberation from the Ego
Osho’s teaching is that the ego is the primary barrier to having the experience of meditation as a state of being. The ego is always busy with a process of identification with thoughts, memories, and desires. Until the ego is dissolved, we are stuck in the illusion of being an isolated, separate self. Meditation, according to Osho, is the means to dissolve the power of the ego and return to the state of oneness with existence.
When you step into the state of meditation, you pass beyond the ego-created sense of separation. You feel yourself as one with the whole, united with the universe in an intimate, cosmic sense. Here, there is no self to be protected, no “I” to defend. It is simple, unmediated awareness.
Key Concept: Meditation is the lack of ego—the dissolution of the sense of apartness, and the recognition of unity with all of existence.
Meditation as Spontaneity and Effortlessness
Osho points out that when meditation is understood as a practice, then necessarily comes the idea that effort is needed in order to be successful. Effort, however, generates resistance. The more we attempt to “do” meditation, the less we are able to enjoy it, since effort suggests that we are attempting to control or manipulate something.
1. Spontaneity and Effortlessness Meditation
For Osho is a moment of spontaneity, not an effortful structure. It happens when you relax your mind and body fully and release the effort to control the experience. Effortlessness is the vehicle to the actual meditation. The more you try to push it, the more it recedes. Osho terms this as the non-doing, a state of allowing and receiving more than forcing or accomplishing.
When meditation is handled as a state, it can be a spontaneous flow. For this reason, Osho tends to focus on the point that meditation isn’t something which you do but something that comes to you. It is a state that unfolds when you abandon the effort of controlling, pushing, or striving for anything.
Key Concept: Meditation is natural, effortless, and occurs naturally when you no longer try to make it happen.
2. Relaxation and Letting Go
For Osho, authentic meditation is not a matter of attempting to control the mind or impose stillness. It is a matter of releasing all tension—physical and mental—and permitting the mind to settle naturally. Relaxation practice is necessary to enter this meditative state. The more relaxed you are, the more accessible the state of meditation is to you.
Relaxation is all about releasing all effort. It is not making an effort to get to some specific state or target, but rather simply letting go and being. This is the reason Osho also always stresses how important it is to let go of all expectations in the context of meditation.
Main Insights and Real-World Application
Meditation is not a practice; it is a state of being.
Meditation emerges when you are completely present in the moment without attachment to thoughts and feelings.
Being witness to the thoughts and feelings without getting identified with them is the crux of meditation.
The meditative state is a state of freedom from the ego, where you move beyond the feeling of separation and find unity with all.
Meditation is spontaneous and natural. When you unwind and release, meditation flows automatically.
Conclusion: Accepting Meditation as a State of Being
Osho’s revolutionary view of meditation challenges us to move beyond accepting meditation as a technique or goal-driven practice. Rather, he urges us to approach meditation as a state of being that arises naturally when we are intensely aware, relaxed, and ego-free.
By releasing the need to “do” meditation and instead allowing it to occur spontaneously, we are able to feel genuine freedom and inner peace. Meditation is less about accomplishing and more about simply being in the present moment with complete awareness.
It is here that we find that meditation is not an assignment to accomplish but a condition, wherein we are tuned in to the energy of life and are perceiving the world just as it exists—free of interference from the mind.