The Philosophy of Nonviolence: about turning the other cheek

By Osho

While nonviolence is a philosophy to Mahatma Gandhi; it is not a philosophy to Osho, but an experience. Osho talks about his understanding of reverence for life, he does not use the word non-violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Osho Media International
• Release date: Jan 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9780880500142

Osho

Osho is one of the most provocative and inspiring spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. Known for his revolutionary contribution to the science of inner transformation, the influence of his teachings continues to grow, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world. He is the author of many books, including Love, Freedom, Aloneness; The Book of Secrets; and Innocence, Knowledge, and Wonder.

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The Philosophy of Nonviolence

about turning the other cheek

Osho

Copyright © 1984, 2012 OSHO International Foundation

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The Philosophy of Nonviolence, by Osho

From a series of OSHO Talks titled: From Ignorance to Innocence, #2

This OSHO Talk is complete in itself.

The series From Ignorance to Innocence is available in book and audio formats.

Available in book format under the titles:

Danger: Truth at Work, OSHO Media International

The Magic of Self-Respect, OSHO Media International

The Philosophy of Nonviolence is also available as audio recording under the same title, spoken by Osho.

Published by

OSHO MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

an imprint of

OSHO INTERNATIONAL

www.osho.com/oshointernational

Distributed by Publishers Group Worldwide

www.pgw.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-88050-014-2

The Philosophy of Nonviolence

Osho,

What do you think about the philosophy of nonviolence, and particularly about the Christian idea of turning the other cheek?

I am not a philosopher. The philosopher thinks about things. It is a mind approach. My approach is a no-mind approach. It is just the very opposite of philosophizing. It is not thinking about things, ideas, but seeing with a clarity that comes when you put your mind aside, when you see through silence, not through logic. Seeing is not thinking.

The sun rises: if you think about it you miss it, because while you are thinking about it, you are going away from it. In thinking you can move miles away, and thoughts go faster than anything possible.

If you are seeing the sunrise then one thing has to be certain, that you are not thinking about it. Only then can you see it. Thinking becomes a veil on the eyes. It gives its own color, its own idea to the reality. It does not allow reality to reach you, it imposes itself upon reality; it is a deviation from reality.

Hence no philosopher has ever been able to know the truth. All the philosophers have been thinking about the truth. But thinking about the truth is an impossibility. Either you know it, or you don’t. If you know it, there is no need to think about it. If you don’t know it, how can you think about it? A philosopher thinking about truth is just like a blind man thinking about light. If you have eyes, you don’t think about light, you