According to Osho, yes—there are two hedonisms: a lower, bodily hedonism and a higher, spiritual hedonism. Both say “live in the moment,” yet diverge radically: the lower chases sensations unconsciously; the higher enjoys with awareness of the one who enjoys. Honor the body as a shrine, but center in consciousness; then pleasure deepens into real joy. This is the “spiritual hedonism” taught by Buddha, Krishna, Christ.
There are two ways to enjoy: one just grabs thrills, the other enjoys while staying awake to the one who’s enjoying.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Are there different levels of hedonism? I suspect 'eat, drink and be merry' means different things to different people.
Because the first hedonist lives in the body, there are people who are against the first hedonist and they think they are spiritual. They are not. That's a logical fallacy. Because the first goes on living in the body, there are people who Logically think 'We have to go against the body, then only can we enter into the second realm of our being, then only can we attain to happiness, to heaven, to bliss. Because the first is missing -- and the first is missing because he is too much obsessed with the body -- the second, this so-called spiritualist, becomes obsessed AGAINST the body. This is not a real spiritualist. The real spiritualist is a hedonist. Let me repeat it: He is not against the body, he is for the soul. So now there are three kinds of people: the ordinary hedonist who lives in the body, the…
Since I have been here this time I have been feeling increasingly unspiritual and more and more stupid -- like an orange vegetable. I feel to be enjoying sensual pleasures and in general to be very hedonistic. This doesn't fit with my previous feelings and ideas about being close to a master. What is happening? Am I going off the track? What to do?
Beautiful. Enjoy. Because it is only through enjoying them that you will come to see the illusoriness of them -- there is no other way. If I say they are illusory, Ikkyu says they are illusory, Buddha says they are illusory, they are not going to become illusory just because these people say so. You have to see it on your own. Buddha has said again and again: Don't believe what I say, unless you have examined it, lived it, observed it, concluded it, on your own. How can you know the illusoriness of these enjoyments unless you go into them? Go into them. Go into them as totally as possible, so sooner you can come out. Be a hedonist. By being a hedonist you will see that all pleasures bring pain, that each pleasure is followed by great pain. Slowly slowly, you will see that the pleasure and pain…
Start with the body because the body is the most easily observable thing. It is an object. Thoughts ere also objects but they are more invisible. Once you have become aware of the body you will be able to watch your thoughts too. Once you have become aware of your thoughts you will be able to watch your moods too but they are the subtlest; so only at the third state that awareness has to be tried. Once one becomes aware of all these three concentric circles around your centre the fourth happening of its own accord. Suddenly you know who you are -- not verbally; you don't get an answer, you cannot tell anybody -- but you know. You know in the same way you know when you have a headache. You know in the same way as you know when you are hungry or thirsty.
There is pleasure and there is bliss. Forgo the first to possess the second.
IF YOU ARE HAPPY AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER MAN'S HAPPINESS, YOU ARE FOREVER BOUND. YOU DO NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD. YOU DO WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT. YOU ARE RECKLESS, AND DESIRE GROWS. BUT THE MASTER IS WAKEFUL. HE WATCHES HIS BODY. IN ALL HIS ACTIONS HE DISCRIMINATES, AND HE BECOMES PURE. HE IS WITHOUT BLAME THOUGH ONCE HE MAY HAVE MURDERED HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER, TWO KINGS, A KINGDOM, AND ALL ITS SUBJECTS. THOUGH THE KINGS WERE HOLY AND THEIR SUBJECTS AMONG THE VIRTUOUS, YET HE IS BLAMELESS. The first sutra: THERE IS PLEASURE AND THERE IS BLISS. FORGO THE FIRST TO POSSESS THE SECOND. Bliss is your innermost core. Pleasure you have to beg from others; naturally you become dependent. Bliss makes you a master. Bliss is not something that happens; it is already the case. Buddha says: THERE IS PLEASURE AND THERE IS BLISS. FORGO THE…
Beloved Osho, can a person who has cosmic consciousness really enjoy pleasures or does he just act as though doing so?
Only a person who has cosmic consciousness can really enjoy. Only he can enjoy the ultimate bliss. Only he enjoys -- the rest of the people are under the false notion of enjoying. They are carrying false coins; actually, they are suffering. Your happiness and pleasures are nothing but the misery and agony which you have experienced. You say and you think that you are experiencing happiness, but in reality you are experiencing misery. Only the enlightened one enjoys. Ten tyakten bhunjithan -- those who renounced, only they enjoyed. He enjoys the divine. You are enjoying trivia, and the so-called enjoyment of the trivial is causing you great misery. One day a man came and put a lot of money at Ramakrishna's feet. Ramakrishna said, "Please take it away." That man said, "This is another proof of your being a great renouncer." Ramakrishna said, "You are a great renouncer, not…