According to Osho, to truly be a 'fool' you must be deeply wise: integrate the playful, laughing, non‑serious heart with clear truth. Let the wise and the fool meet in you—sincere but not serious, joyful yet grounded in reality. Laugh at yourself, dance for no reason, celebrate life’s playfulness. In this delicate balance, joy becomes timeless and wisdom alive.
Be wise enough to laugh, play, and not take yourself too seriously, so truth and joy live together in you.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
While practicing zazen, just sitting, I discovered that I had become the greatest fool on earth. But suddenly I remembered one proverb: when ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise. Though this stupidity has made me a fool, I have never been so full as I am now. I have now fallen in love with this zazen stupidity. I invoke your blessings so that I remain a fool till eternity.
I have heard about one man who made a will when he died. And in the will he said, 'Write on my tomb: Born such-and-such year, died when thirty, buried when seventy.' Almost always it happens that people die near about thirty, then they are buried at seventy. That's another thing: burial is one thing, dying is another thing. When society comes to know that you are dead that's another thing. I have heard about a priest -- a Catholic priest of course -- who died, and for three days he could not understand what had happened. Then he came to his church and tried to communicate with his successor, and said, 'Be aware. I died, but for three days I did not think that I was dead because I was more dead while I was alive. I was feeling more alive so I did not think that I was…
I am no politician, no diplomat, and I feel like a clown. I want to dance on the desk and sing on the phone "hello-lujah " rather than "hello." may I sign up for the ashram fool?
The question is from Vani. Vani, it is too early. To be really a fool one needs to be very wise. To be a fool one needs to be TRULY wise. That's why all wise people have something of foolishness in them. Jesus was known as a fool, so was Buddha, so was Francis of Assisi. They were known as fools. There is a certain quality of foolishness in a real wise man. Why? Because a real wise man contains the opposite. He is both together. He is more comprehensive. A wise man who has no foolishness in him will be dry, dead. His juice will not be flowing. He will not be green. He will not be able to laugh; he will be serious; he will be a long face. A wise man who is just wise and in whose being the fool has not been integrated will be…
Osho, is it possible to become a fool by being here for a longer period? I sometimes feel a lack of logic in my mind.
Vidya, it is not only possible, it is certain. You will become a fool. But foolishness has its own wisdom. You will become a fool and wise together. The so-called wise who are never foolish are not really wise. Because wisdom is paradoxical. Wisdom is not only serious, it is playful too. And foolishness is playfulness. Wisdom is not only intellectual knowledge, it is existential celebration. Wisdom is not cerebral -- it is not of the head, it is of the total being. And the total being has emotions, sentiments, feelings. And the total being is far bigger than the poor small intellect. And whatsoever goes beyond intellect, the intellect says is foolishness: Beware -- don't move, don't take another step, otherwise you will become a fool. So people remain confined in the intellect. They remain knowledgeable but they never become wise. A wise man is playful. He can afford…
You say that seriousness is a disease. Whenever I remember myself I feel serious, so what should I do?
Don't get serious about it. Let it be so, and laugh. If you can laugh at yourself, everything is okay. People laugh at others, but never laugh at themselves. It has to be learned. If you can laugh at yourself, seriousness is already gone. It cannot make its abode within you if you are capable of laughing at yourself. In Zen monasteries every monk has to laugh. The first thing in the morning to do is to laugh, the very first thing. The moment the monk becomes aware that he is no longer asleep, he has to jump out of bed, stand in a posture like a buffoon, like a circus joker, and start laughing, laughing at himself. There cannot be any better beginning of the day. Laughing at oneself kills the ego and you are more transparent, more light, when you move in the world. And if you have…
I am a fool. What should I do?
What can you do? What can anybody do? Remain a fool, become a perfect fool. Accept it. Why should you ask about doing something? What is wrong in being a fool? Relax with it. Enjoy it. Persist in it. There is a statement of William Blake: THE FOOL WHO PERSISTS IN HIS FOLLY WILL BECOME WISE. So persist in it. Remain with it. Don't try to do anything else because if the fool tries to do something it will be foolish, it will come out of your foolishness and you will do something wrong. It is better to keep quiet. That's why Zen people say 'sit silently. Please don't do anything because whatsoever you do will be wrong. What can you do out of your foolishness? A fool trying to become wise -- is it possible? How is it possible? The fool is trying to become wise -- in his…