Develop pure attentiveness

What the method is

“Develop pure attentiveness” is listed as a method in the sources. However, it is not presented with a single, specific sutra or core instruction in the same way as other distinct meditation techniques described by Osho. Instead, it represents a fundamental quality of consciousness or a state of being that is cultivated through various Tantric meditation practices. It is closely associated with alertness and is the means to move from a “non-alert state of mind” (which is the world) to an “alert state of mind” (which is nirvana).

How it is done

Developing pure attentiveness involves integrating awareness into various aspects of life and being present in actions, moving beyond mechanical reactions:

  • Starting with simple actions: Begin by consciously performing ordinary, everyday activities. This can include walking, eating, bathing, or even speaking. The key is to join awareness with anything you are doing.
  • Non-mechanical execution: Perform these actions not mechanically, but with full alertness and knowing, ensuring your mind does not wander to other thoughts. For instance, when raising your hand, do so with full awareness, feeling the movement and the presence of consciousness in your hand. This conscious action will make your mind thoughtless as awareness moves into the activity.
  • Feeling sensations: Cultivate the ability to feel physical sensations deeply, without intellectual inference. This helps develop the “feeling dimension” necessary for these techniques to work effectively.
  • Self-remembering: Practice remembering your own being or presence, simply feeling “I am” without verbalizing it. This self-remembering should become so fundamental that it accompanies you constantly, even entering your dreams and sleep, grounding you in your center.
  • Witnessing: Cultivate the ability to be a witness or an observer of your thoughts, emotions, and external situations. This means looking at what is happening (e.g., anger, desire, pain) without identifying with it or being disturbed by it. This detachment allows you to see these phenomena as separate from your true self.
  • Effort to effortlessness: Initially, cultivating pure attentiveness will require conscious effort. However, with sustained practice and familiarity, this attentiveness will become effortless and spontaneous, a natural state of being.
Commentaries and Insights
  • The ultimate goal of meditation: Osho emphasizes that all meditation techniques, regardless of their specific focus, ultimately aim to develop and intensify alertness and awareness. This intensity of awareness transforms everything, reducing the tendency to drift into unconscious “dreaming” and bringing one closer to reality and “nirvana”.
  • Attention vs. Awareness: A crucial distinction is made between “attention” and “awareness.” Attention is exclusive, focusing on a single object or thought, while awareness is inclusive, encompassing everything within consciousness. The initial stages of practice involve attention, which then gradually evolves into comprehensive awareness.
  • Physiological and Psychological Connection: Tantra deeply believes in the intimate link between physiological processes and psychological/spiritual states. Therefore, working with the body through techniques can directly impact and transform the mind. The body is considered a sacred vehicle for spiritual transformation.
  • Spine as the foundation: The spine is considered the base of both the body and mind, housing energy centers (chakras). Visualizing one’s essence as light rays rising through the vertebrae is a core meditation technique that helps awaken “livingness” and vitalize the spine, contributing to a brilliant mind and overall vitality.
  • Kundalini and Inner Rebirth: Specific meditations, like visualizing light rising through the spine, are direct techniques for raising Kundalini, the dormant psychic energy at the base of the spine. When this energy rises, practitioners experience a profound sense of peace, liberation, a rising warmth, and an inward light, leading to a new sense of “livingness”. The ultimate goal is for this energy to reach the Sahasrara (crown chakra) and dissolve, symbolizing complete inner rebirth and liberation, leading to omnipresence and the realization of one’s true nature as light.
  • Warnings and Master’s Guidance: Due to the powerful nature of these meditations, especially those involving Kundalini, Osho warns against leaving the energy “in the middle” during practice, as it can be harmful. The energy must be fully brought to the head and released into the cosmos. He advises seeking the guidance of a master or stopping if discomfort arises.
  • The Role of Imagination: While the process begins with imagination, it is rooted in reality, as Tantra suggests all existence is fundamentally light or energy. When one’s attention is focused at the third eye, imagination becomes potent and can manifest phenomena, transforming the internal visualization into a felt reality.
  • Simplicity vs. Depth: The methods may seem simple, but their execution is profound. The mind often dismisses simple methods because the ego seeks difficulty for self-fulfillment. However, these “simple” methods are powerful because they touch fundamental realities of existence.
  • Transformation, not Adjustment: Meditation aims for transformation, not mere adjustment to societal norms or personal problems. True silence and inner harmony arise from this transformation, not from superficial cultivation. It may initially make one aware of inner chaos and fears, which can be unsettling, highlighting the master’s role in guiding through these phases.
  • Acceptance as the Framework: Tantra emphasizes total acceptance as the foundational framework for all spiritual practice. This means working with what is, without struggle or judgment, allowing transformation to naturally follow understanding. This principle applies to all energies, including those considered “negative” like anger or sex, which are seen as raw energies to be understood and transmuted through awareness, not suppressed.
  • No specific ideal: Tantra does not present external ideals (like becoming “like Buddha”). Instead, it provides techniques for self-discovery, asserting that each individual is their own unique ideal. This approach encourages authenticity and freedom from imitation.