When joy arises, become it

What the Method Is

The core instruction for this technique is: “On joyously seeing a long absent friend, permeate this joy”. It can also be phrased more broadly as: “When joy arises, become it”. This instructs the practitioner to fully immerse themselves in the feeling of joy, allowing it to permeate their entire being.

How It Is Done

To effectively practise “When joy arises, become it”, the steps involve:

  • Recognising an arising joy: The technique can be applied in any situation where joy or happiness arises, such as joyously seeing a long-absent friend, experiencing the sunrise, or any other moment of positive emotion.
  • Concentrating on the joy itself: Instead of focusing attention on the external source or object that triggered the joy (e.g., the friend, the sun), the practitioner must concentrate solely on the feeling of joy arising within them.
  • Permeating and becoming the joy: The instruction is to “permeate this joy,” to enter it and become one with it. Allow the feeling of joy to spread throughout your entire body and being, becoming the joy itself rather than merely observing it.
  • Keeping the external on the periphery: The external object or situation that initiated the joy should remain secondary, “just on the periphery,” while your inner focus remains firmly centred on the feeling of happiness.
  • Merging, not just observing: Do not merely observe the joy; actively merge into it. This prevents the joy from being momentary and allows it to deepen.
Commentaries and Insights

Osho’s commentaries offer deep insights into the philosophical and practical dimensions of this technique:

  • Inner Source of All Emotions: Osho emphasises that joy is always present within you. External events, such as seeing a friend, are not the cause of joy but merely situations that allow the hidden inner joy to manifest and be expressed. This principle applies to all emotions, positive or negative; others are simply “situations in which things that are hidden in you are expressed”.
  • Transformation through Awareness: Awareness operates differently on positive and negative emotions. When you become aware of a negative emotion (e.g., anger, sadness), it tends to dissolve, providing relief. Conversely, when you become aware of a positive emotion like joy, you don’t merely observe it; you become it. The emotion spreads and integrates into your being, leading to a deeper experience of that positive state. This process helps to reveal positive emotions that were previously obscured by the focus on the negative.
  • Moving Beyond Object-Centredness: A common human tendency is to be “object-centred,” attributing joy to external factors. This prevents a deeper engagement with the inner experience and makes joy fleeting. By shifting focus from the external object to the internal feeling, the joy can be sustained and deepened.
  • Cultivating Sensitivity and Totality: Unlike some traditions that may advocate for suppressing senses or desires (e.g., Jainas’ concept of “Aswad” or no taste), Tantra encourages heightened sensitivity and total engagement with life. The aim is to make you more alive and open, allowing more life to enter your inner being. This technique encourages a “total act”, where one is completely present in the experience, leading to transformation and a release of pent-up energy.
  • Acceptance as the Foundation: Tantra is rooted in total acceptance of life and all its energies, without condemnation or conflict. This technique embodies acceptance by encouraging you to embrace and become the joy rather than intellectualising or controlling it. True transformation arises from understanding and acceptance, not from fighting against aspects of oneself. When you accept totally, inner divisions dissolve, leading to a sense of oneness.
  • Freedom from Dependence: By realising that joy originates within, the practitioner becomes less dependent on external people or situations for their happiness. This enables a constant communion with existence, seeing the entire universe as one’s beloved.
  • Beyond Duality and Mind: The practice of immersing oneself in joy and becoming it, like other Tantra techniques, helps to transcend the dualistic nature of the mind. When one remains a witness to phenomena without clinging or escaping, the mind’s pendulum movement between polarities ceases, and a deeper, unmoving centre is revealed. The mind is often the source of unreality and suffering; these techniques help to “unmind” the mind and access authentic being.
  • Ecstasy and Centering: This method helps in shifting from the “periphery” of experience to the “centre” of one’s being. The ecstatic feeling is not merely fleeting pleasure but a glimpse of the individual’s “real centre,” leading to a deep sense of bliss and contentment. This allows the “inner space to be vacant” and enables mindlessness within, which can lead to bliss.
  • Connecting to Other Practices: This technique resonates with the concept of self-remembering, where one maintains awareness of their own being (“I am”) during daily activities, allowing for a deeper connection to the “ever-living”. It’s also linked to the idea that any act can become meditative if the right quality of consciousness is brought to it.
  • No Forced Effort: Osho’s approach is often against strenuous effort or forced discipline in meditation. The idea is to “play” with techniques and allow processes to become effortless. Genuine silence and transformation occur not from forced suppression, but from releasing pent-up energy through total awareness.
  • The Path is the Goal: Centering is often the method or path, not the final goal (samadhi or cosmic consciousness). Centering helps to gather scattered energy, which then leads to an “explosion” where the individual center dissolves into the cosmos. The “wondrousness” or “blessing” that arises is a by-product of total immersion in the act and non-concern with the result.
  • Warnings and Authenticity: While not explicitly dangerous in the same way as Kundalini techniques, Osho’s general warnings about sincerity in practice apply. If the “sincerity and depth that can be lost was not real”, then its loss is beneficial. Authenticity is crucial; avoid deceiving oneself about one’s feelings or experiences. The transformation is a revelation of the actual being, not a cultivation of a false image.