According to Osho, physical immortality is a foolish pursuit: life’s beauty comes from its momentariness—turning the body deathless would make it plastic, not blissful. Rather than extending the perishable body, discover what is already deathless in you—consciousness, the soul—through awareness and meditation. Accept impermanence, savor each moment, and shift from clinging to the body to realizing the inner immortal witness.
You can’t make the body live forever; instead, enjoy life’s short moments and find the part of you that never dies—your aware self.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, I have only one dream in my life, and that is to attain physical immortality. Can you help me to realize my dream? I hate the momentariness of life.
Surendra, MEDITATE over these three maxims of Murphy. First: If life were a bed of roses, some people would not be happy until they developed an allergy. Now what is wrong the momentariness of life? Just think of a kiss with a woman which is eternal... Just think about it. Eternal! Now there is no way to escape. What is wrong with a kiss? A kiss has to be momentary, only then is it beautiful. I have heard about a Mohammedan king whose wife fell in love with one of his slaves. He was so angry that he wanted to punish him, and punish him in such a way no man has ever been punished. He asked his wise advisors... One old man said, "Do this: bind them to a pole and let them make love to each other, and keep them chained to the pole in a state of…
Beloved master, is there any truth in the philosophy of physical immortality which says that it is only our belief in the inevitability of death which produces old age, disease and death? To what extent do our thoughts manifest results?
John Fisant, man is afraid of death; hence he goes on creating all kinds of stupid ideas. Physical immortality is sheer nonsense because anything that begins is bound to end. Physical immortality is possible only if you are not born through parents but manufactured in a factory. If you are made out of plastic, if you are not a real man, then there is a possibility. Plastic seems to be the only immortal thing. So if you don't have skin but plastic instead, if you don't have real blood but synthetic blood which you can change any time -- you can go to the petrol pump -- and all that you have in your body -- your bones, your joints, everything -- is replaceable so whenever there is some problem, things can be replaced; you just have to change a few parts and parts will be available.... You may have…
Someone asked Osho's views on death and dying.
There is nothing as sure as death. Where there is life, there is bound to be death. He who bears not this fact in mind, wastes life, whereas he who knows this truth, obtains that which is immortal. I do not feel depressed at anybody's death, because there is no need to feel anything about it. However, it is a matter of sorrow, no doubt, if I see a life wasted. We have not to grieve after a dead body, but over a wasted life. You know, King Janak was called 'videh', i.e., without or beyond the body. Once, a young minister of his asked him, 'Your Excellency! How can you be considered without a body, when you do have a physical body? The king smiled but said nothing. After a few days, however, the king invited the minister for lunch. Such an invitation from the king himself was a…
Osho, there is a great fear of death. Is there any way to be free of it?
I have heard that on his campaigns Alexander reached a place where he learned there was a spring whose water, if drunk, makes one immortal. He went in search of it. When he reached the spring, he rejoiced; never had he seen water so crystal clear. He was about to cup it in his palms when a crow perched on a branch said, “Stop, Alexander! You will regret it. First hear me.” Alexander was astonished—one marvel: water that grants immortality; another marvel: a speaking crow. “What do you want to say?” The crow said, “I too drank this water. I am no ordinary crow; as you are Alexander among men, I am Alexander among crows. I spent my life searching and found this spring. I drank—and now I writhe. I have been alive for thousands of years; I cannot die. I throw myself from cliffs, dash my head on rocks,…
Beloved Osho, does the being, or self, in the person die with the death of the person; or does it live beyond death in another body?
Parents teach children that there is a God -- and they know nothing of God. They tell their children that there is heaven and there is hell -- and they know nothing of heaven and hell. I have heard: it happened one day in New York, in New York's biggest church, that as the cardinal came in he found a young man, and he was puzzled whether he was a hippie or Jesus Christ. He looked like Jesus Christ, but you don't find Jesus Christ like this! He must be a hippie. The cardinal was afraid because Jesus was not his own experience -- he could not recognize him. He went close to him and asked, "Who are you?" And the young man said, "You can't recognize me? And daily you pray to me, `My Lord, Jesus Christ,' and now I have come and you have some nerve to ask…