According to Osho, a conventional "saint" cannot be a rascal - by definition he is flat, renunciatory, one-dimensional, anti-life. But a rascal can become a saint: existence is multidimensional and compassionate, transforming his wild, colorful energies into awakened playfulness. Exemplars like Chuang Tzu, Hotei, Bodhidharma, and Gurdjieff defy pious norms; they did not renounce life but lived it totally, revealing holiness that includes laughter, paradox, and celebration.
A strict saint can’t be naughty, but a naughty person can wake up and turn that playful energy into wisdom and love.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Question: BELOVED OSHO, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT A SAINT CAN BE A RASCAL? The question reminds me of a small story -- it happened in a Christian monastery. Two monks were discussing in the garden of the monastery -- every day they were given one hour to walk in the garden and meditate on God.... They were discussing, "Is it possible to smoke while walking in the garden?" They were not in the church, they were not in the monastery; they were outside the church, outside the monastery. Both decided it would be better to ask the abbot of the monastery. Next day, the first was sitting under a tree very dejected, very sad, and the other came along, smoking a cigarette. The first could not believe it.
Osho, not only is there no tradition around revelers like Baba Malukdas; even companions are scarcely ever heard of! Why has there always been fear and objection to drinking with drunkards? Please speak.
When someone like Maluk appears in the world, he says: drop fear; come, let us talk of love. Drop fear—come, let us be intoxicated. Drop fear—come, let us hum the Beloved’s songs—in ecstasy, in love. Beyond God-love there is nothing else. Come, place your hand in God’s hand, embrace the Beloved; dance with God, play the rās. When a saint says something like this, you get frightened. Because the nets of fear woven over lifetimes—your chains, your habits, your notions, your conditioning—suddenly halt and stiffen: this is dangerous talk. You know that if you drop fear, your whole morality goes; your whole conduct goes. It is all false—that is why you fear its going. Maluk brings a new kind of conduct into the world—a conduct that rests on love; a conduct that rests on joy. You cannot do wrong because you are so blissful—how could you do wrong! You cannot…
Question: Osho, the Zen fakir Hotei would wander with a sack slung over his shoulder, distributing sweets to children and only playing with them. When he met a Zen devotee on the road, he would bow and say just this: “Give me one coin.” And when someone told him, “Come to the temple and give a discourse,” even then Hotei would say, “Give me one coin.” Once, while he was playing with children, another Zen monk met him and asked, “What is the meaning of Zen?” In silent answer Hotei put his sack down on the ground. And when that monk asked, “What is the attainment of Zen?” the laughing buddha hoisted his sack back on his shoulder and walked away. And that monk became very famous. What were his messages? Please explain. A saint’s words and life do not move on the rails of logic.
the so-called saints i don't count as sages the so-called saints live a structured life according to certain prescriptions of others they are basically slaves they are performing certain rituals but doing it efficiently hence the people who believe in those rituals will call them saints so a christian saint may not be thought of as a saint by the hindus because their rituals differ their definitions differ for example, no hindu has ever thought that saints should go and serve the poor -- that has not been part of their definition a saint has to be served he is not to be a servant a saint being a servant is sacrilege to the hindu but to the christian the saint is one who serves the poor, the down-trodden there are three hundred religions in the world and three hundred definitions of saints all those definitions are manufactured according to…
Osho, in human life crimes range from lies to rape and murder. Since ancient times sages and saints have inspired righteous action. In this context, please explain how today’s enlightened class should resolve the disorder-born problems of human life?
Now there are two kinds of people. One: those who harm others—you call them sinners, wrongdoers. Two: those who harm themselves for the good of others—you call them saints. There is not much difference between the two. One harms others; one harms himself—both harm. I call him a saint who harms no one—neither another, nor himself. Only when such a rare event happens does a ray of religion descend. This event does not happen to the crowd—it cannot. It is asked again: “In this context, please explain how today’s ‘enlightened’ class should solve the disorder-born problems of human life?” Whom do you call enlightened? Because you got a university degree? Because you managed to publish a few articles in two-bit newspapers? Whom do you call enlightened? Because you can spout a little nonsense in a logically dressed-up way? Whom do you call enlightened? “Enlightened” is a very big word. Do…