According to Osho, love of jazz isn’t inherently an obstacle to enlightenment; it depends on your consciousness. Jazz, unlike classical, tends to stimulate sexuality, but with awareness and growing meditation you can purify it, link it to higher centers, and let music and meditation merge. Then jazz becomes a bridge to silence and celebration; without meditation, it keeps you earthbound.
Jazz isn’t the problem—if you bring awareness and meditation to it, it can lift you up; without that, it just stirs lower urges.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Beloved Osho, from what I heard you say, I understood that for enlightenment to happen, meditation is a preparation, but also an intense urge is required, a realization that nothing else really matters. I see myself being interested in all kinds of things, all kinds of mind-stories, music, women, sense perceptions. Will these interests prevent enlightenment?
Anand Virendra, there is a very ancient story that an old man came to his master and said," I have been to see a great number of teachers and I have given up a great number of pleasures. I have fasted, been celibate, and stayed awake all night, seeking enlightenment. I have given up everything I was asked to give up and I have suffered, but I have not been enlightened. What should I do?" The master replied, "Give up suffering." Virendra, neither music can prevent your enlightenment, nor sense perceptions, nor women. Only one thing can prevent your enlightenment, and that is suffering. Enlightenment is the ultimate celebration, so any small celebrations that you are having will become just like steps towards it. But suffering cannot become a step towards enlightenment. You are asking, "I see myself being interested in all kinds of things, all kinds of mind-stories..." They…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, SEX SEEMS TO BE DROPPING ME. IS MUSIC NEXT? Milarepa, sex is dropping so many people that the problem is not that sex is dropping you also, the problem is that many others may start picking it up! Dropping is okay; avoid picking up. And I can understand your worry. You are asking, "Sex seems to be dropping me. Is music next?" Music is not something biological; it is not something concerned with your chemistry or physiology. Music is not even of the mind. Music is something... a space between mind and meditation. It is one of the most mysterious phenomena. To conceive of it in intellectual terms is almost impossible for the simple reason that it is beyond mind -- but it is not yet meditation. Music can become meditation -- it has both possibilities -- it can come down and become mind.
So your sannyas has to become a great effort to become aware. Walking on the road become aware that you are walking. Walk slowly with great awareness; don't forget that you are walking. Listening, don't forget that you are listening; talking, don't forget that you are talking. Even when moving your hands, be aware deep down inside that the hand is being moved. And you will be surprised: slowly slowly it happens for a few moments, then it happens for a few seconds, then for hours and then for days. And once a person can remain alert even once for twenty-four hours, he becomes a Buddha. Then there is no going back, then all darkness has disappeared. Then the interior of your being is full of light; then you are that light -- not that you are an observer of the light, you are the light itself.
But it can be used as a meditation if one understands how to use it. It is a tremendously powerful method. The whole art consists in this: if you can play music yourself then get lost in playing. Don't remain separate from the music: dissolve into it, be possessed by it, and it becomes meditation. Or, if you are just a listener, then get lost in listening, become music again. Don't be there as a spectator, don't be critical, don't question whether it is good or bad. Don't bring in your likes and dislikes: be choicelessly lost. Let it overpower you, let it surround you... first without and then within, slowly slowly. Then you will be just a part, a throbbing part of the melody, and immediately music will open a door to meditation. Whenever the ego is lost, meditation arises.
Beloved Osho, when I'm not near you physically, music seems to be the easiest way to feel your love. Sometimes, listening to classical music, it touches me so deeply that there comes a moment when I feel I cannot take in more joy. Suddenly I remember you, and all the excitement falls into a greater depth, more calm, silent, soothing. Now there is no more boundary to joy... And so much gratitude.
"You have beautiful instruments and you have beautiful art, but your heart is not in the music; it is in defeating somebody. And unless you drop that idea you will never be equal to Tansen. He has no idea to defeat anybody, that's why he goes on winning." It was very difficult for Baiju Bawara to get rid of the desire, because that was the desire through which he had devoted his whole life to music. But if the master said so, then it was better to wait. He forgot all about Tansen, slowly slowly. And once, when Haridas became very old, be became sick; and he had a kind of paralysis of the legs, so he could not go from his small cottage to the nearby Krishna temple. And without seeing Krishna, he would not eat anything. Many physicians tried to treat him. They could not do anything. Baiju…