"But in a way, becoming enlightened comes closest to showing gratitude to the master – you have fulfilled his effort, his effortless effort. His presence has not been wasted on you, you have proved your mettle. It is better to say you have not been ungrateful, you have not betrayed.

"Through all the ups and downs, through many dark nights of the soul, you continued having trust, love, never wavering for a moment – your enlightenment indicates that.

"But there is no need to express gratitude. What is needed is to become gratitude. And then it is not a question of being grateful to the master. When you become gratitude, you are simply a gratefulness towards the whole existence. The master was only a door to the open sky, to all the stars beyond.

"It is beautiful to think of gratefulness, but there are things where you are dumb. You want to say but you cannot – just the words fail, actions fail. And I am telling you, even experiences fail. It makes you transformed. Rather than just being grateful, it brings a mutation in you, a tremendous revolution – you become gratitude itself. That's the only way.

"But it has nothing to do with the master as such. When you pass the door, you don't thank the door. The master is simply an opening. You will remain always grateful, but your gratefulness will remain unexpressed.

"This is one of those things which, the moment you express them in any way they are dead. They remain alive only unexpressed.

Osho,
Is the master-disciple relationship accidental, or is it a conscious choice?

"It is both. As far as the master is concerned, it is absolutely a conscious choice. As far as the disciple is concerned, it is bound to be accidental. He is not conscious yet.

"The Egyptian mystics have a saying… And Egypt had a few of the most ancient mystery schools. They were connected with those mystery schools which existed on the continents of Atlantis and Lemuria. Those continents are drowned, under water. But Egypt, for a time – till the fanatic Mohammedans destroyed those mystery schools – continued the beautiful methodologies for finding oneself."