According to Osho, Padmasambhava’s prophecy has no binding meaning for him—it’s simply Padmasambhava’s own “trip,” an attempt to impose a mission, judgment, and destiny on others. Osho rejects all prophecy and missionary agendas as political and dangerous. He urges living as oneself, without borrowed goals, sharing joy if it resonates, and refusing any spiritual trap of promised heavens or threatened hells.
It means nothing you must follow; it’s his idea, not yours—be yourself and enjoy life together if it feels right.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Question: First question: Osho, you said the thirsty one goes to the well, not the well to the thirsty. Those who are thirsty have already come, are coming, and will keep coming; but what of those so deeply asleep that they do not even know they are thirsty, or who, sipping the waters of dream, feel as if they are waking—how will they ever experience real thirst? Will your fountain of bliss not flow everywhere, awaken their thirst, and then quench it? It is said that the supreme expression of Lord Buddha’s compassion was his vow that until all living beings attain nirvana, he himself will not enter nirvana. Who knows how powerful he was. Even though in realization of the Absolute all enlightened ones are one, still their expressions and their capacity to help others realize the Absolute are different.
Osho, you once said that Vivekananda was harmed by shaktipat!
There is a very strange incident in Nasruddin’s life. In his village he is the only literate man—and where there is only one literate man, he is never very literate! So if anyone needs a letter written, he must go to him. A man came to have a letter written. Nasruddin said, I won’t write; my legs are hurting badly. The man said, Who is asking you to write with your legs! Write with your hand. Nasruddin said, You do not understand: when I write the letter, I am the one who also reads it; I have to go to the other village to read it out. My legs are in great pain; I will not get into the bother of writing letters now. I can write it—who will read it? I myself have to go to the other village, don’t I! So until my legs are better, I have…
Question: The first question: Osho! About thirty years ago in Jabalpur, when a pandit was disputing topics like moksha, Daddaji said, “You may know the scriptures and doctrines; I only know that this is my last birth.” On another occasion, he went to Kashi on work and attended a muni’s satsang. Finding Daddaji a stranger, after the discourse the muni asked, “I haven’t seen you here before!” He said, “Yes, I am not from here.” He asked, “Where have you come from, and where will you go from here?” He said, “I have come from Nigod and I will go to moksha.” Five years ago, when he had a heart attack, seeing Mother anxious he said, “Do not worry. I still have five years of life left.” Osho, please shed compassionate light on the mystery behind these proclamations of his.
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, is sannyas a human possibility or an ultimate destiny? Please tell us.
Those great knowers said “it will happen, it is going to happen” and emphasized it strongly to wake you from sleep: if it is going to happen anyway, then let it happen now. Why delay? Why postpone it till tomorrow? If it is going to happen tomorrow, let it happen today. Why suffer till tomorrow? Why endure anguish till tomorrow? Let it be today. Accept it today. If it is going to be anyway, why erect obstacles? All your obstacles will break and the event will occur. The wise said: do not create obstacles—that was their purpose when they said sannyas is destiny. And they also said it so that, if you understand destiny, you will be freed from the past. The moment you see that someone abused you yesterday and that it was bound to happen, then the abuser bears no responsibility. It had to be. That abuse was…