Buddham Saranam Gacchami Osho

"The Buddhist monk tries to become a Buddha. That is stupid. You cannot become anybody else. You can only be yourself. When you take refuge in the Buddha, you are taking refuge in the idea that you, too, can wake up."

From a psychological perspective (Osho often bridged the gap between Freud, Jung, and Buddha), the chant serves as a powerful deconditioning tool.

He describes the master's presence as a magnetic force. By taking refuge, a disciple's hand is held by someone who knows the way, providing security against the mind's illusions. buddham saranam gacchami osho

: Surrendering to the "awakened one." Osho explains this is not worshiping a person, but aligning with the energy of awareness. To "go to the feet" of a Master is to practice deep humbleness, allowing the Master’s experience to permeate your own life. Sangham Sharanam Gacchami

The ferryman continued: “You chant Buddham Sharanam Gacchami as if the Buddha is a person outside you. But Osho’s Buddha is not Gautama the prince. Osho’s Buddha is your own awareness when the ‘I’ disappears. To go for refuge to the Buddha means to drop the ego — the one who thinks ‘I am going, I am seeking, I am suffering.’” "The Buddhist monk tries to become a Buddha

The practice of taking refuge in Buddha, in Osho's context, can be a powerful declaration of one's intention to awaken. It is a reminder that the potential for enlightenment is within each individual. By embracing meditation and inner reflection, individuals can start to peel away the layers of conditioning and reveal their true nature, much like the Buddha did.

Raghava sat alone on the bank. For the first time, he did not chant. He simply breathed. The river flowed. The moon rose. And somewhere inside him, a boat that had been full of noise and ambition and fear — suddenly became empty. You can only be yourself

’s interpretation of “Buddham Sharanam Gacchami” (I go to the feet of the Buddha) transforms a traditional religious chant into a radical call for internal revolution. Rather than a plea for salvation from an external deity, Osho frames this "taking refuge" as a psychological and spiritual surrendering of the ego. The Essence of the Three Refuges