Osho,
You said that you “speak Lao Tzu and you speak “about” Patanjali. Does this depend on you, or on us, or what?

If I were alone, you were not there, I would never speak on Patanjali; because that would be absolutely absurd. If only you were there and I were not, then I would continuously speak on Patanjali; because then it would not be possible to speak on Lao Tzu. But because you are there and I am here it is a fifty-fifty case – on condition that if you hear me on Lao Tzu I will talk on Patanjali. You have to hear me on Lao Tzu, then I will talk on Patanjali; and because you want to hear me on Patanjali, you will have to hear me on Lao Tzu also.

Your whole mind would like to think in gradual steps. That’s what I mean when I say Patanjali. I’m not saying anything about Patanjali – don’t misunderstand. Patanjali means that you would like to grow gradually, slowly. step by step: that means you would like to postpone, prepare. Patanjali means postponement, preparation. Remember the p’s – Patanjali and postponement, preparation. With Patanjali time is possible, tomorrow is possible, future is possible. He is not saying to you, “Just now, right now, jump.” He is very, very logical, scientific, gradual – does not talk nonsense; he talks sense. You can understand him easily; he starts from where you are.

Lao Tzu is simply absurd: looks more like a poet and less like a scientific mind; looks more like you can delight in him, but you cannot do anything with whatsoever he is saying. How can you do it? The distance is so vast.

I talk to you on Patanjali so that you become, by and by, aware, alert; and I go on talking on Lao Tzu also: that if you are really understanding Patanjali you will become more and more prepared. Patanjali prepares; again remember the p’s. Patanjali prepares, he is a preparation, but if you go on listening to Patanjali you may go on preparing and preparing and preparing, and the moment never comes when you jump. It is like a man who always prepares, consults maps and guides, and never goes on a journey. In fact, that becomes his whole business, the whole hobby. He thinks about going, he purchases books about the Himalayas – maps, guides, pictorial books – he goes to see films, he talks to people who have been to the Himalayas and he prepares – he purchases clothes and anything that may be required for the journey – but he always prepares and then dies. Listening to Patanjali that danger is there: you may get addicted with preparation.