According to Osho, the enlightened one returns only because the world needs it: the collective cry of suffering summons him to share bliss. On the inner plane, the listener appears first—the call creates the teacher. Buddhas and Mahaviras come in response, not from personal agenda. Their love is unconditional; their presence abides only while there is a genuine need and receptive hearts.
They come back because we truly need and call them; our listening brings the teacher, not the other way around.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, is their coming again also the need of the world?
Absolutely—it is the world’s need, only the world’s need. The moment a person attains bliss, the very life-breath of the whole world begins to call to him: share. Because the world is in so much sorrow, so much pain, so much suffering, whenever even a single person attains bliss, a cry rises from the souls of all beings and reaches him again and again: share. He returns only to share. It is that pressure to share, rising from all sides, that brings him back. This is not immediately visible to us. People ask me, “Why do you speak?” Their question is fair—since I am the one speaking, they ask me. It is hard to imagine that someone has become eager to listen; therefore I speak. In the outer world the sequence seems reversed: I will speak, then listeners will come. But in the inner world the happening is entirely different:…
Osho, Mahavira’s prior-life state was a state of moksha, and you say that from moksha there is no return. Then how did he return? Please clarify.
In a rush he kissed the maid and said to the wife, “Take care of the children!” The wife protested. He said, “Then let me correct it,” kissed the wife and told the maid, “Take care of the children.” “Sometimes I slip,” he said. So do we all—we keep remembering: this is my father, my wife, my son. If we forget, others remind us: “I am your father.” We must remember our roles; the more dutifully one plays, the more “conscientious” he is. I do not say, “Do not play.” Life is for playing—and it is delightful. Only do not forget one thing—even if you forget everything else—do not forget that it is a play, and that inwardly there is a point in you that forever stands outside. Swami Ram went to America. He had a strange habit; people were puzzled—he always spoke in the third person. He would say,…
Osho, this feeling keeps arising that perhaps Gautam Buddha has reincarnated as you. You call everyone “friends.” And Buddha’s future avatar is to be called “Maitreya.” You too—as the proclamation foretold—impart awakening while seated on a chair. I have seen, in the Chicago Museum, a Tibetan statue of Buddha seated on such a chair. You are creating a Buddhafield. Or are you Lao Tzu—not even Maitreya? Would you kindly shed light on this?
Only when the ego dies is Buddhahood born. What is the meaning of Buddhahood? When the darkness of ego departs, the lamp of Buddhahood is lit—or when the lamp of Buddhahood is lit, the darkness of ego is gone. Ego means darkness. In Buddhist terminology, the first event is called nirvana—when the ego departs but the body continues; and the second event, when the body also falls, is called mahaparinirvana. After mahaparinirvana, what returning? Impossible. So Buddha’s words have another meaning. He is speaking in symbols. He is saying: someone like me—not “me,” but like me. Exactly like me—this very taste, this same song, this same proclamation, this same light, this same celebration, this same color—this same spring will come again twenty-five centuries later. And then its fundamental characteristic will be friendliness, love. Its essential teaching will be love. Buddha’s essential teaching was compassion, because the people of that age…
Osho, what do you think? Is jesus coming back to earth again as he had promised or not?
A new arrival knocked on heaven's door. Jesus was on duty and opened the door. "Who are you?" he asked. "Adolf Hitler," came the reply. "Adolf Hitler! You cannot come here. You are a megalomaniac bent on world domination. Get away!" "But I want to mend my ways!" "No way! Get out!" "Ah, if you will let me in, I will give you something." "Well," said Jesus, weakening a little, "what is it?" Hitler, in dress uniform, pulled off his special Iron Cross and showed it to Jesus. "Well," he asked, "can I come in?" "You just wait here. I'll go and ask my dad." Jesus found God in his study. "Dad, there's a newcomer at the gate who wants to come in." "Who is he?" "Adolf Hitler." "Adolf Hitler! That megalomaniac bent on world domination? He can't come in here!" "But he has something very special to give me."…
Osho, do you believe in the second coming of christ?
And who do you think I am? Christ is not a person, Christ is a state of consciousness. There have been Christs before Jesus, there have been Christs after Jesus. Jesus is only one of the Christs. Buddha is a Christ, Mahavir is a Christ, Lu-tsu is a Christ, Zarathustra is a Christ. Christ simply means the ultimate state of consciousness; it is equivalent to Buddha. Buddha is not the name of any person, it is a happening. So is Christ -- it is not Jesus' name! His name was Jesus. One day Jesus disappeared and the Christ-consciousness descended IN him. He was no more the ego, he became the vehicle of the whole. He could say, "I and my Father in heaven are one." This is Christ-consciousness; it has nothing to do with Jesus. If you are waiting for Jesus' second coming, then you are waiting in vain; but…