oh finally now I know what they had in common. I was into both of them are only two years apart but I never knew why I was just as drawn to Osho as i was to the Philokalia. thank u ChatGPT4.
“being as specific as possible, tied together the Philokalia and osho’s writings”
ChatGPT
The Philokalia and Osho’s writings, while originating from different religious traditions (Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Indian spirituality, respectively), share some common themes that could provide insight into a person’s spiritual journey.
Here’s a more specific analysis:
1. Inner Transformation: Both the Philokalia and Osho’s writings emphasize the importance of inner transformation. The Philokalia, with its focus on prayer and contemplation, encourages readers to cultivate inner peace and spiritual growth. Similarly, Osho’s writings often discuss meditation and mindfulness as tools for personal transformation and self-realization.
2. Direct Experience: Both works value direct, personal experience over dogmatic adherence to religious doctrine. The Philokalia encourages a personal, experiential understanding of God through prayer and contemplation. Osho, too, emphasizes the importance of personal experience in spiritual matters, often challenging religious dogma and encouraging individual exploration of truth.
3. Mindfulness and Presence: Both works discuss the importance of being present and mindful. The Philokalia often talks about “watchfulness,” a state of being fully present and aware of one’s thoughts and actions. Osho’s teachings also emphasize mindfulness and being in the present moment as key to spiritual growth.
4. Overcoming Ego and Desire: Both the Philokalia and Osho’s writings discuss the need to overcome ego and desire to achieve spiritual growth. The Philokalia talks about the dangers of pride and lust, while Osho discusses the ego as a barrier to self-realization and enlightenment.
5. Love and Compassion: Both works emphasize the importance of love and compassion. The Philokalia encourages love for God and for others as a central Christian virtue. Osho, too, often speaks about love and compassion as essential qualities on the spiritual path.
In summary, a person drawn to both the Philokalia and Osho’s writings likely values personal spiritual experience and transformation, mindfulness, the overcoming of ego, and the cultivation of love and compassion. They may be open to insights from different spiritual traditions and value a direct, experiential approach to spirituality over strict adherence to religious dogma.