Awareness: The Key to Living in Balance (Osho Insights for a New Way of Living)

by Osho

How to get rid of memory? It is always there, following you. In fact, you are the memory, so how to get rid of it? Who are you except your memories? When I ask, “Who are you?” you tell me your name—that is your memory. Your parents gave you that name some time back. I ask you, “Who are you?” and you tell about your family, your father, your mother—that is a memory. I ask you, “Who are you?” and you tell me about your education, your degrees, that you have a master of arts, or you are a Ph.D., or you are an engineer or an architect. That is a memory. When I ask you, “Who are you?” if really you look inside, your only answer can be “I don’t know.” Whatsoever you will say will be the memory, not you. The only real, authentic answer can be “I don’t know,” because to know oneself is the last thing. I can answer who I am, but I will not answer. You cannot answer who you are, but you are ready with the answer. Those who know, they keep silent about this. Because if all the memory is discarded, and all the language is discarded, then who I am cannot be said. I can look into you, I can give you a gesture; I can be with you, with my total being— that is my answer. But the answer cannot be given in words because whatsoever is given in words will be part of memory, part of mind, not of consciousness.