Why people are in misery

People live with an idea that they have to achieve this, to achieve that, to be this, to be that. That keeps them tense and that very tension is the cause of misery. And because they are so tense, they cannot relax; they toss and turn even in their sleep. Even on their holidays they become occupied with some nonsense or other.

Psychologists are very concerned about the coming century because as technology is taking over man’s work the greatest problem that psychologists are going to encounter is: What is man going to do without occupation? He will create nuisance. He may turn destructive, murderous, suicidal. He may start doing things he has never done; he may become absolutely perverted because being restful is the only thing he is almost incapable of.

So that is your work: Drop all tensions, drop all hurrying; drop all goals and destinations. Drop the achieving mind and start enjoying the moment. Whatsoever you are doing in the moment or not doing – start enjoying it, so that you can slowly come back to the right place where you really belong.

Abridged from Scriptures in silence and sermons in stones by Osho