One man kills somebody - he is a murderer. And the same man in wartime kills thousands - he becomes a great hero. The society is not bothered by a murder, but the murder should be committed for the society - then it is okay. The society doesn't bother about morality. Morality means only that you should fit with the society. If the society is at war, then the morality changes. If the society is at peace, then there is a different morality.

Morality is a social politics. It is diplomacy. And each child has to be brought up in such a way that he fits into the society, that's all. Because society is interested in efficient members. Society is not interested that you should attain to self-knowledge. Society is always against religion. Hence, the crucifixion of Jesus. the murder of Socrates - because they also didn't fit.

-Rajneesh

Ego is the basic problem, the most basic. And unless you solve it, nothing is solved. Unless ego disappears, the Ultimate cannot penetrate you.

The ego is like a closed door. The guest is standing outside. The guest has been knocking, but the door is closed. Not only is the door closed, but the ego goes on interpreting. It says: There is nobody outside, no guest has come, nobody has knocked, just a strong wind is knocking at the door. It goes on interpreting from the inside. without looking at the fact. And the door remains closed. By interpretations, even the possibility of its opening becomes less and less. And a moment comes when you are completely closed in your own ego. Then all sensitivity is lost. Then you are not an opening, and you cannot have a meeting with existence. Then you are almost dead. The ego becomes your grave.

This is the most basic problem. If you solve it, everything is solved. There is no need to seek God. There is no need to seek Truth. If the ego is not there, suddenly everything is found. If the ego is not there you simply come to know that Truth has always been around you, without and within. It was the ego which wouldn't allow you to see it. It was the ego that was closing your eyes and your being. So the first thing to be understood is what this ego is.

-Rajneesh

Life is always changing. Nothing is static. And whatsoever you know will not be of much help.

You have to look at the situation, the whole situation. And if your response to it is with a perfect awareness, it is right. Then you'll never repent for it. And then you grow through it, then you become more aware.

Awareness has no past, awareness has no future, awareness has only this: here - now. sometimes you will act like a Christian, perfectly Christian, sometimes you will act like a perfect Buddhist, and sometimes you will act like a perfect Mohammedan. Nobody is. Sometimes the Koran, sometimes the Gita, and sometimes the Bible; then you never decide beforehand. You are never prepared for it. Anybody who is prepared is wrong.

-Rajneesh

Mind always wants to plan, because once you plan there is no need to be aware. You can become an automata, a robot, and go on - you have a fixed discipline. That's why in all the monasteries, they have a fixed discipline; no need to be aware. 'Do this, this is. right. Don't do that, that is wrong' - finished. You need not be aware. You simply become a robot. You know what is right, you know what is wrong.

I tell you, the right becomes wrong and the wrong becomes right when situations change.

-Rajneesh

In the middle, mind disappears. It is just like the pendulum; the pendulum goes on moving to the right and to the left. You know that if the pendulum is moving from right to left and from left to right the clock is functioning. If the pendulum is maintained in the middle, balanced, all movement gone - the clock stops. And when the pendulum goes to the left you only think it is going to the left, but it is gathering momentum to go to the right. So where is it going? When it goes to the left it is gathering momentum. This going to the left is nothing but a preparation to go to the right. It goes to the left, gathers the energy, the momentum, then it goes to the right. Left-right it moves. Those two extremes keep it moving.

Mind is a movement between extremes. It is a travel, a continuous movement between two. In the middle mind simply disappears, because movement disappears. When there is no movement, you are a being for the first time, you are in a state of being. Everything stops, time, space - everything has disappeared.

It doesn't mean that you stop functioning. It simply means that now, your headquarters have changed; they are in the middle. Now you will function from the middle. You will go to the left, you will go to the right. You can go to the left without any fear. You can go to the right and to the left, retaining yourself in the middle. That's why I call it the greatest art to be in the middle.

-Rajneesh