The Magic of Self-Respect (Authentic Living): Awakening to Your Own Awareness

"I have given you freedom, and I have given you individuality, and I have given you just a little taste of something that is always yours. You just have to claim it."

The Magic of Self-Respect is the second volume in a series titled Authentic Living. So much of the experience of everyday life, says Osho in this insightful guide, is shaped by religious and social conditioning - and we are not even aware of the fact. We are constantly being pulled away from the unique nature that is our birthright. In place of that original and unique self, a false self, called the "ego", is constructed, and it eventually gains control of our creativity, our ideas about what it means to be successful, our relationships, and our very experience of who we are. At the same time, he argues, the collection of egos known as "society" shapes our political, educational, and religious institutions, which in turn combine to force the same old patterns onto new generations.

• Chapter 1: Innocence Is Power
• Chapter 2: Jesus, the Only Forgotten Son of God
• Chapter 3: Priests Are the Devil's Agent
• Chapter 4: Religion Is Rebellion
• Chapter 5: Unfortunately for this chapter no audio recording exists because Osho's secretary at the time tried to censor Osho's statements, as Osho began in this talk to expose her. The complete talk was later re-constructed based on direct transcripts and statements of the people in the room, but is unfortunately only available in the book and not as recording.
• Chapter 6: Personality: the Carbon Cop-out
• Chapter 7: The Distillation of Rebellious Spirits
• Chapter 8: Conscience: A Coffin for Consciousness
• Chapter 9: Imitation Is Your Cremation
• Chapter 10: Jesus: The Only Saviour who Nearly Saved Himself
• Chapter 11: Watchfulness, Awareness, Alertness – the Real Trinity
• Chapter 12: Awareness Has its Own Rewards
• Chapter 13: Science Plus Religion – the Dynamic Formula
• Chapter 14: Positive Thinking: Philosophy for Phonies
• Chapter 15: The Magic of Self Respect

In this series Osho shows how to discard these old patterns in favor of a new and nurturing trinity of watchfulness, awareness, and alertness. The talks that are published in this Authentic Living series were given by Osho in the United States as the beginning of a new phase of his work.

Other titles in the Authentic Living series :

• Danger: Truth at Work
• Born with a Question Mark in Your Heart
• The Beauty of the Human Soul

This audiobook is a selection of talks (Chapters 16-30) from an original series previously published as From Ignorance to Innocence by Osho, given to a live audience.

©1984 Osho International Foundation ℗ 2025 Osho International Foundation