According to Osho, equanimity arises by seeing that the same One gives joy and sorrow; accept both as gifts. Recognize suffering’s sacred role—it polishes, awakens, and prepares you for deeper joy. Climb life’s ‘temple steps’ willingly; hardship magnifies fulfillment. Cultivate gratitude for what comes freely—life, love, sight—so pain is reframed as purposeful devotion, not an enemy.
Trust that everything comes from the same source, be grateful, and treat hardships as meaningful steps that make you ready for deeper joy.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
How can we accept life's joys and sorrows with equanimity?
He gives joy, he gives sorrow: the giver, the master is one. Everything comes from him. Accept with equanimity and you will see this truth: that everything comes from him. There is nothing other than he. Then suffering too has its greatness. Sorrow is not useless. Sorrow polishes, sorrow cleanses, sorrow awakens, sorrow gives depth. Only sorrow makes you deserving of joy. So don't make suffering an enemy. One who makes suffering an enemy remains deprived of joy also. Make sorrow steps to him, steps to his temple. Yes, there will be difficulties in climbing; I admit. Tiredness comes, breathing increases, sweat comes; I admit. But these are the steps to his temple. His temple is very high, there are many steps to his temple. His temple is a Mount Everest. There is difficulty in climbing, certainly, but the more difficulty in climbing, the more the bliss in reaching. And…
How can we accept life's joys and sorrows with equanimity?
He gives joy, he gives sorrow: the giver, the master is one. Everything comes from him. Accept with equanimity and you will see this truth: that everything comes from him. There is nothing other than he. Then suffering too has its greatness. Sorrow is not useless. Sorrow polishes, sorrow cleanses, sorrow awakens, sorrow gives depth. Only sorrow makes you deserving of joy. So don't make suffering an enemy. One who makes suffering an enemy remains deprived of joy also. Make sorrow steps to him, steps to his temple. Yes, there will be difficulties in climbing; I admit. Tiredness comes, breathing increases, sweat comes; I admit. But these are the steps to his temple. His temple is very high, there are many steps to his temple. His temple is a Mount Everest. There is difficulty in climbing, certainly, but the more difficulty in climbing, the more the bliss in reaching. And…
But many people ask—one friend even asked today—how to be free of the ego?
You won’t get rid of the ego directly. Grow love. As love grows, the ego will begin to dissolve. For the very energy that becomes ego is the energy that becomes love. In both love and ego, the same force is at work. So if you are very egoistic, don’t be discouraged. A great capacity for love lies hidden within you. Do not be disheartened; you have a vast source. If this same energy is freed, it will turn into love. But don’t fight the ego head-on. Whatever you do directly against it will not erase it. Begin instead to expand toward love. Start letting love spread from anywhere. Wherever your inclination goes, let love flow in that direction. Keep just one thing in mind: don’t let it stop. Let it go on increasing. Let its boundaries widen as much as they can. In that widening, one day you will…
Osho, I can bear neither sorrow nor joy. I am frightened of everything. I am afraid of death, of course, but I am also afraid of life. What is the path for me?
You will be surprised. You say, “We want to live happiness with our whole heart, but it is rare; and who would want to live sorrow wholeheartedly! Why would one? And it is plentiful.” Try living sorrow wholeheartedly too. What do I mean? Suppose you have a headache. The usual concern is: how to get rid of it? If it doesn’t go, at least forget it. Take an Aspro or an Anacin. If it won’t go, may I at least not feel it. Try an experiment: Sit quietly; accept that there is a headache today. Acknowledge it. Drop the tension. Drop the ill will toward the headache. Drop the notion that it should go. It is—accept it. Relax and observe the headache peacefully. You will be amazed: as acceptance deepens, the pain diminishes. Try it; it’s experimental. These are the ordinary processes of yoga—this is real yoga. Physical calisthenics and…
Osho, I love even your anger; I accept even your blows. Whether you give happiness or sorrow—give, Creator, and I will gladly receive. Be it your sunshine or your shade, I accept both. I like everything that is yours; I do not refuse even your “no.”
Auspicious—this very mood is the mood of a devotee. And one in whom this feeling of acceptance has arisen, who has gained the capacity to accept even nonacceptance; in whose “no” there is no sting; in whose defeat no thorns prick; who receives both pleasure and pain as gifts from the Divine, as prasad—his destination is not far. His feet have begun to draw near the goal; his path is nearing completion. Guard this state of feeling. Deepen it slowly. Let it soak into every pore of your being. Let it settle into every heartbeat. Those whom I find happy and rejoicing in every condition— in their garden I find a spring without autumn. Those who are happy in every circumstance—spring comes to their life, and fall never arrives. Blessed the eye they call the yearning eye; blessed the heart that remains captive in love. If such a mood of…