Is indulging one's passions the proper course if suppression is harmful?
Synthesized from Source
definition
"Indulging your passions is as harmful as suppressing them; true freedom lies in the vigilant observation of your desires, allowing them to fade into the clarity of your authentic self."
According to Osho, indulging passions is no better than suppressing them; both are forms of ignorance that strengthen desire in hidden ways. The right course is a third way: vigilant, non-reactive awareness. Simply observe lust, anger, greed as they arise—neither following nor fighting them. In clear, steady seeing, these impulses lose energy and fade, revealing authentic self-knowledge beyond social masks.
Don’t push your feelings away or chase them; just watch them calmly, and like shadows in light, they shrink and disappear.
Why this matters practically
- When anger or craving arises, pause, feel it in your body, and watch your breath; it often dissolves without harmful action.
- Breaks habit loops—less guilt from indulgence and less tension from repression.
- Encourages honest self-seeing, reducing the need to perform for others.
- Breaks habit loops—less guilt from indulgence and less tension from repression.
- Encourages honest self-seeing, reducing the need to perform for others.
AI Confidence Score: 98%
Read Original Discourse →