Question 2:

Osho,

I Understand everything that you say, but why does my Life still remain Unchanged?

 

 

Sudhas, to understand something intellectually is one thing, but to understand something intellectually is not going to transform your life. You will remain the same. To understand something intellectually is really to deceive yourself. You have not understood, the mind has only pretended to have understood. This is a trick, because if you really understand it then change is bound to happen. And the mind does not want any change.

 

The mind is very traditional, conventional, conformist, orthodox. The mind is never revolutionary; it is against all change. And the change I am talking about is a total change.

 

You say, “I understand everything that you say….”

 

You only believe that you understand. You understand the words, naturally. My words are simple, I don’t know many words. In fact, if you count, I must be using not more than four hundred words. But see the turnout! I am not a man of language. You can understand what I am saying as far as words are concerned — but do you comprehend it? That is the question, that is the crux of the matter. Do you comprehend what is being imparted to you?

 

Sudhas, you must have a very philosophical bent of mind.

 

Meditate over this anecdote:

 

A patient of his, a great philosopher in his thirties, eagerly responded at the beginning of therapy to each interpretation his analyst made by saying, “I hear you, I hear you.”

 

“I’m sorry,” said the doctor. “I didn’t know you were a little deaf.”

 

“I’m not. I hear you. It means I comprehend,” said the philosopher.

 

“Well, what is it that you comprehend?”

 

The philosopher paused. “Jesus,” he finally replied, “I don’t know.”

 

Understanding is not the question, but comprehension. Understanding is of the head; comprehension is something deeper, of the heart. And if it is really total then it is even deeper, of the being. When you understand something then you have to do something about it. When you comprehend something you need not do anything about it; the very comprehension is enough to change you. If you comprehend something, it has already changed you; there is no need to do anything about your comprehensions.

 

Please don’t try to understand me intellectually. I am not an intellectual, in fact I am anti-intellectual. I am not a philosopher, I am very anti-philosophic. Try to comprehend me. And how does one try to comprehend? How does one try to understand in the first place? Understanding means listening with the head, continuously interpreting, evaluating, judging: “This is right, this is wrong. Yes, this is true, I have read about it. This must be right, because Jesus also said it in the same way. This is also in the Gita and in the Vedas.”

 

This goes on, this constant chattering inside that you call understanding. And then out of this hotch-potch you create a hypothesis, and you think this is what I have been telling you. Comprehension cannot come this way; this is the way to prevent comprehension.

 

Listen silently with no inner chattering, with no inner talk, without evaluating. I am not saying believe what I say, I am not saying accept what I say.

 

I am saying there is no need to be in a hurry to accept or reject. First at least listen — why be in such a hurry? When you see a roseflower, do you accept or reject it? When you see a beautiful sunset, do you accept or reject it? You simply see it, and in that very seeing is a meeting.

 

Don’t let your mind wander. Listen silently, attuned, and then something will stir in the heart. Truth has that quality, it stirs the heart. Truth has the quality of being self-evident, it needs no proofs. If what I am saying has anything of truth in it, it will be understood by your heart. But the mind has to give way. And then you will not need to change your life according to it, it will be changed of its own accord.

 

- Osho, "The Book of Wisdom, #15, Q2"