According to Osho, what society brands as 'perversion' is usually not moral depravity but an accidental imbalance—often hormonal—that distorts masculine-feminine energies. The person is not at fault and deserves compassion, not condemnation. Instead of moralistic counseling, find practical ways to restore balance—e.g., appropriate hormonal adjustment—bringing about a qualitative change rather than labeling or shaming.
Osho says many things we call perversion are just mix-ups in body chemicals, so don’t blame people—help them find balance.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, this change of a man into a woman or a woman into a man—we cannot call someone a pervert for that, if it is natural. With social conditions changing, a woman becoming man-like or a man becoming effeminate—I am not talking about that—but medically, in the inner structure that functions, where even a one-percent difference brings about change, for that we cannot use the word “perverted”...
No, no, we should not. Absolutely not. Just as someone may have a disease; we cannot call them a pervert. No, no—the question of calling them a pervert does not arise. But many people do say, “This is perversion.” No—not perversion, an accident. Not perversion—an accident. You are saying this now, but ordinarily people... No, there is no question of perversion. It is simply an accident, and measures should be taken to save one from this accident. And the person with whom this accident is happening is worthy of compassion, not of an abuse like “pervert.” No—the mistake is ours, and every attempt to “correct” him is an attempt born of our ignorance, unless we concern ourselves with making his whole personality qualitatively feminine—which can be done; there is no difficulty in it. With a few hormone injections he can become feminine, he can become masculine. But we are not…
What is sexual perversion? Why do strange sexual habits evolve, and from where? For example, sado-masochism.
Man is not what he appears to be, he is far bigger. We know about man only in a very partial way. You will have to understand these five categories: the first is the conscious mind. The conscious mind is a very tiny mind, just a little bit of you which can reason, think, rationalize, go through logical processes and is a little bit alert. It is a very tiny part of you, and we know man only from that tiny part. We have looked into the great palace of human consciousness from a very tiny hole, maybe the keyhole. And whatsoever we have seen through the keyhole is not the whole reality. Man is vast. Just hidden behind the conscious mind there is the unconscious mind. Its discovery is the great contribution of Sigmund Freud to humanity. The unconscious mind is nine times bigger than the conscious mind. It…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF PERVERSION IN REGARD TO SEX? Sarjano, perversion means your energy is not going in the natural way; the natural way has been blocked, suppressed, condemned. But the energy is there and collecting, it is bound to find some outlet. That outlet will not be natural. That outlet will be perversion. And the whole past of man is nothing else -- from different directions, for different excuses you have been told to cut off your natural paths for energy and expression. Man is an intelligent being. Even unintelligent animals are bound to find some way. In the wild, no animals turn homosexual; there is no need because there is no priest.
Can we not call this perversion? Can we not call these people perverts?
It is not a question of calling them perverts, it is an accident. It has nothing to do with perversion. It is basically an accident, and ways should be found to save oneself from such an accident. The one who is a victim of such an accident deserves pity, he should not be called a pervert. The person is not at fault. Unless we care to bring about a qualitative change in people with respect to their effeminacy or masculinity, which is not too difficult, all our efforts to correct them are acts of foolishness. By injecting hormones the person can be made feminine or masculine -- but we don't think along these lines. If a woman nags her husband, harasses him, dominates him, the husband never thinks of consulting a doctor. He prefers rather to bring her to a monk, a holy man, for him to counsel her. The…
Osho, the one who tends a dhuni (sacred fire) all year—well, in terms of sexual perversion, can we place both on the same level? Or is there any difference between the perversion in the two?
I understand; what you say is quite right. The discovery of psychology over the last hundred years is that to cause suffering to others, or to cause suffering to oneself, or to honor the miserable, or to support the possibilities of suffering, is in one way or another a distorted form of the sex-energy—a sexual perversion. This is absolutely true. In fact, it is necessary to understand this. In truth, kama or sex is the lowest possibility of bliss—of pleasure. One should understand that sex is a natural, spontaneous pleasure given by nature. If one rises above it and discovers greater joy, then the need for the pleasure of sex no longer remains. If one rises above it and finds greater joy, then the pleasure of sex is no longer needed. Gradually, kama is transformed—it transforms—and ultimately it can become brahmacharya (celibacy). But if one does not seek greater joys…