According to Osho, donating money directly to him is neither necessary nor primary—he asks for your life, your being, the dropping of mind. Don’t rush or seek appreciation; if you give, do it out of love, quietly and without ego (through the right channels). Money is only utility; the real offering is surrender, not a miserly token.
Don’t try to give Osho money; change yourself inside—and if you give, do it quietly from love, not for praise.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
I am very much impressed by what you say and want to donate quite a substantial amount of money to your work. But I want to give the money directly to you. Is this possible?
DON'T BE IN SUCH A HURRY. Money is great. Impressions come and go -- money remains. Impressions are not so substantial, money is substantial. If you listen to my advice, don't donate -- because tomorrow you may repent. My feeling is that you will repent. This is all hypnosis. You got hypnotized. Wait! Give it time, and soon you will understand what I am saying. Money is not what is needed here. I require your life! Less than that won't do. I require you, your being. Money you can keep -- don't keep yourself. Then you have understood some thing. But the way the question is formulated shows you have not understood me at all. Otherwise, why this hankering to come and give the money directly to me? Do you want to show how -- much money you are giving? Then you have not understood. Then you want somehow... as…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, THEN SAID A RICH MAN, SPEAK TO US OF GIVING. AND HE ANSWERED: YOU GIVE BUT LITTLE WHEN YOU GIVE OF YOUR POSSESSIONS. IT IS WHEN YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF THAT YOU TRULY GIVE. FOR WHAT ARE YOUR POSSESSIONS BUT THINGS YOU KEEP AND GUARD FOR FEAR YOU MAY NEED THEM TOMORROW? AND, TOMORROW, WHAT SHALL TOMORROW BRING TO THE OVER-PRUDENT DOG BURYING BONES IN THE TRACKLESS SAND AS HE FOLLOWS THE PILGRIMS TO THE HOLY CITY? AND WHAT IS FEAR OF NEED BUT NEED ITSELF? IS NOT DREAD OF THIRST WHEN YOUR WELL IS FULL, THE THIRST THAT IS UNQUENCHABLE? THERE ARE THOSE WHO GIVE LITTLE OF THE MUCH WHICH THEY HAVE -- AND THEY GIVE IT FOR RECOGNITION AND THEIR HIDDEN DESIRE MAKES THEIR GIFTS UNWHOLESOME. AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE LITTLE AND GIVE IT ALL.
Question: BELOVED OSHO, THE ZEN MASTER HOTEI USED TO TRAVEL AROUND WITH A BAG ON HIS SHOULDER, GIVING OUT SWEETS TO CHILDREN AND PLAYING WITH THEM. IF A ZEN DEVOTEE WERE TO MEET HIM ON THE ROAD, HOTEI WOULD SIMPLY BOW DOWN TO HIM AND SAY, "GIVE A PENNY!" AND IF HE WERE ASKED TO GO TO A TEMPLE TO GIVE A DISCOURSE, AGAIN HOTEI WOULD SAY THE SAME THING: "GIVE A PENNY!" ONCE HE WAS PLAYING WITH SOME CHILDREN, AND ANOTHER ZEN MONK MET HIM AND ASKED, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ZEN?" IN SILENT ANSWER, HOTEI PUT HIS BAG ON THE GROUND. THE MONK THEN ASKED HIM, "WHAT IS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ZEN?", AT WHICH THE SMILING BUDDHA PICKED HIS BAG UP AGAIN, PUT IT ON HIS SHOULDER, AND SET OFF. THE OTHER MONK ALSO LATER BECAME A FAMOUS ZEN MASTER.
Beloved Osho, this morning during discourse a great sadness overwhelmed me. I feel so poor... There is nothing I can give you, not even my heart. Slowly I surrender to my reality. There is no need to pretend any longer. A quiet peace and serenity descends, and a warmth that is not mine follows in their wake, leaving my sadness. There is nothing I can give you, not even my heart. Haven't you taken it long before?
Deva Gita, there is no question of anything to be given to me; on the contrary, you have to be receptive to what I am giving to you. It is true you are poor, but I am not poor. Let my riches be your riches, and let my mornings be your mornings, and let my nights, full of stars, be your nights too. The very idea that you have to give something to me is absurd. All that you can do is to be receptive and available. When I knock on your doors, I should not find them closed -- it is more than enough on your part. And when I take you into unknown territories you should come with me without any fear, without anything holding back. You have all the money in the world but you are poor. I don't have any money in the world but I…
Beloved Osho, what is the source of your infinite spring of giving?
Beware! While the time is there, give, give as much as you can, give whatsoever you can. Sing a song, share a joke, dance! Give whatsoever you can give. It costs you nothing, but it will bring you more and more joys. Existence goes on repaying you tremendously. Whatsoever you give to existence, it returns a thousandfold; it comes back to you. You give one flower, and a thousand flowers shower on you. Don't be clingers. If you really want to be rich, if you want to have an enriched inner world, then learn the art of giving. THOSE WHO DARE GIVE NOTHING ARE LEFT WITH LESS THAN NOTHING; DEAR HEART, YOU GIVE ME EVERYTHING, WHICH LEAVES YOU MORE THAN EVERYTHING -- THOUGH THOSE WHO DARE GIVE NOTHING MIGHT JUDGE IT LEFT YOU NOTHING. GIVING YOU EVERYTHING, I TOO, WHO ONCE HAD NOTHING, AM LEFT WITH MORE THAN EVERYTHING AS…