Become each being

What the method is

The meditation method “Become each being” is an advanced practice rooted in Tantra’s core philosophy of non-duality, aiming for the realization of fundamental interconnectedness with all existence. While the specific sutra for “Become each being” is not explicitly detailed in the provided text, its essence can be understood by drawing upon closely related concepts such as “Realize the oneness of existence” and “Experience existence as wave-ing”. The core understanding is that distinctions and divisions are ultimately illusions of the mind. Just as individual waves are not separate from the ocean, human beings are fundamentally inseparable from the cosmic, universal existence. The method encourages a shift from perceiving oneself as a fragmented individual to experiencing a unified, boundless reality.

How it is done

Since direct, step-by-step instructions for “Become each being” are not provided in the excerpts, the practice can be inferred through the general principles of Tantric meditation and techniques aimed at dissolving individual boundaries:

  • Contemplative Awareness: The practitioner needs to contemplate and deeply feel the interconnectedness of all phenomena. This is not merely an intellectual understanding but an existential experience.
  • Dissolving Individuality (Ego): The central barrier to this realization is the ego, which fosters the false and illusory sense of individuality. The practice involves consciously working to dissolve this egoistic identification.
  • Perceptual Shift: Rather than perceiving events as happening to oneself as a separate entity, one practices feeling them as happening to the cosmos through oneself. For example, a Zen master, Dogen, would say, “It seems the universal feels hungry through me” when he felt hungry, or “The existence is thirsty within me” when thirsty. This involves “leaving everything to the Universe”.
  • “Remember the Ocean and Forget the Wave”: A key practical aspect is to continuously focus awareness on the underlying “ocean” of existence instead of identifying with the individual “wave” form. This cultivates a connection to the boundless and deathless aspect of being.
  • Non-Judgmental Acceptance: This method requires a stance of total acceptance of oneself and existence as it is, without judgment or condemnation. By remaining with facts and not judging them, mental divisions dissolve.
Commentaries and Insights
  • Mind as the Architect of Duality: Osho repeatedly stresses that the mind is the primary source of division and duality, creating concepts like good/bad, pure/impure, and life/death. These mental constructs prevent the direct experience of non-dual reality. The world appears problematic because it is viewed through the mind’s fragmenting filters.
  • Ego and the Fear of Death: The ego, an outcome of the illusion of individuality, is the root of suffering and the fear of death. When one identifies solely with the “wave” (individual form), the inevitable dissolution of that form evokes fear. Realizing oneness with the “ocean” (universal existence) eradicates this fear, as the ocean itself is deathless.
  • Total Acceptance as Transformation: Tantra’s fundamental teaching is total acceptance of reality without struggle. This “no-fight” attitude dissipates inner conflict, accumulates energy, and leads to profound transformation. Acceptance is not passive resignation but an active transcendence, going beyond the dualities the mind creates.
  • Bliss and Samadhi: The result of such deep participation in existence, free from mental divisions, is bliss. This state, known as samadhi, is described as an “oceanic feeling” where the individual center dissolves into the cosmos, leading to omnipresence. It is a state of “no-mind” where ego boundaries disappear, and one feels “at home in the existence”.
  • Beyond Moral Judgments: Tantra transcends conventional morality, asserting that nothing is inherently “pure” or “impure”. The only “impurity” is sleepiness or unawareness, while “alertness is pure”. This liberation from judgment fosters deeper acceptance and inner unity.
  • Effort and Spontaneity: While initial effort is necessary to break identification and dissolve barriers, the ultimate realization of oneness is not a causal phenomenon that needs to be “achieved”. It is already the inherent state of being, requiring only a shift in awareness to be recognized. The more effortlessly one approaches it, the more easily the realization occurs. Tantra does not seek to create something new, but to uncover what is already there.
  • Connection to Other Traditions: Osho often draws parallels to “Become each being” from various traditions:
    • Buddha: While Buddha emphasized “no misery” rather than “bliss,” both point to the same state of liberation achieved by dissolving the self, becoming “no more”. His teaching of the “middle path” aligns with Tantra’s non-extreme approach.
    • Shankara (Advaita Vedanta): Shankara’s philosophy of maya (illusion) is seen as an experiential truth that aligns with the non-dual realization. His concept of “I am all” signifies the dissolution of the self into totality.
    • Zen: Zen masters like Dogen exemplify this oneness by experiencing hunger or thirst as the universal doing so through them. The Zen concept of “ordinary mind is the buddha-mind” also aligns, emphasizing awareness in simple, everyday actions.
  • The Role of the Master: Osho indicates that for such powerful and profound techniques, guidance from a master can be crucial. A master can help by shattering illusions and providing the appropriate technique at the right moment, as these methods can be “dangerous if not completed properly”. A master can act as a catalyst for transformation, even in seemingly simple instructions.
  • Simplicity vs. Depth: The methods, though seemingly simple, are profoundly deep. The mind often dismisses simple approaches, preferring complexity which feeds the ego’s need for challenge. True transformation often arises from simple yet deeply applied awareness.