According to Osho, the raised-hand gesture some mistake for a Hitler salute is a benediction—an open-palmed outpouring of love and energy, a greeting without hierarchy. He critiques conventional namaskar and saintly “blessing” as status games; his gesture playfully subverts such conditioning and exposes media projections, urging people to see the intention and presence behind any external form.
It’s not a Nazi salute—Osho is sending love and blessings, not showing power.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Beloved Osho, last night, when you stood up to leave, you saluted with the gesture that we call in germany the "hitler" greeting. May I ask you what was your idea in doing this? What were you conveying through this gesture?
Now look Niskriya, how many troubles you are creating for me! This question is from Hilmar Pabel and Inge Byhan, photographer and journalist for BUNTE. Soon you will see my photograph on the cover of BUNTE with the salute... and I hope with a negative article. I enjoy negative articles! And Pabel, I know you are not negative. You have loved the place, you have loved my people. You will be in difficulty now. You will have to write lies. But write! If you write anything positive about me, the article will not be published. I am just making you aware and alert: if you want your photographs and article to be published, make it as negative as possible. I love all kinds of things. Your question may seem superficial to others -- it is not. As far as I am concerned there are many kinds of greetings. The Hindus…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE RAISED HAND AND "YAA-HOO"? Neelam, you must have seen that today I have raised both my hands, because the German idiots have made a law in Germany that raising one hand is a criminal act. And what about all the dogs? They are not just raising one hand, they are raising one leg all over the Fatherland and pissing! They are the real followers of Adolf Hitler. I had not been aware that Germany will never become intelligent. It is unfortunate that they have banned me from entering Germany; otherwise I would have been in jail by now, another deportation... I have missed a great experience! Because if you have seen a German jail the American jail is nothing you have seen the very hell. But the Germans themselves have prevented me; otherwise I would have raised one hand, without fail!
Osho, my hand just won’t leave my heart—how are we to salute you?
So I said to that man, “Do not say this again. I understand why you are saying it: so that the people of your village will recognize that although you have come for the darshan of a non-Muslim, you are still a Muslim. If even in a moment of love it still occurs to you that I am a Muslim, I am a Hindu, I am a Jain, I am a Christian, then that love is not worth two pennies.” It is enough that your hand has reached your chest. And the hand has reached the chest only because the feeling has arisen in the heart. The salaam has happened, the pranam has happened, the prayer has happened, the meditation has happened. All the mantra-like, mysterious experiences of life happen in that small instant. Now do nothing more. Because if you do something more, then you will be the doer.…
A friend has asked: Osho, I forbid people to touch my feet! But why do I forbid it?
But behind whom? Defeated by whom? Bowed to whom? Bowed to the Infinite—such people are raised up, lifted. Defeated by the Infinite—such people have won; now there is no possibility of defeat. So of course I say: do not bow at my feet. Because this “mine-and-thine,” this “my feet” feeling, is itself the obstacle to bowing. Where mine and thine disappear, bowing begins—bowing arrives. So do not be upset. Some friends said to me, “Whatever you say… we will still touch your feet!” In our land, habits are strange. If someone says, “Don’t touch my feet,” it becomes a clever device for getting one’s feet touched. Tell people, “Keep your distance,” and they come closer. Abuse them, and they will think, “This man is a Paramahansa.” This is our centuries-old wrong habit, and clever people exploit it. It seems that the one who says, “Do not touch my feet,” must…
Another friend has asked something related. He says, Osho, when you get up—someone folds their hands to you, someone touches your feet—I feel very puzzled. He has written that he feels very surprised. Why should anyone touch someone’s feet? Why should anyone fold their hands to someone?
And then it is worth asking: someone else is bowing, and some third person is getting upset! If they were bowing and they themselves were troubled, it would be understandable. But one person bows at someone’s feet and another person gets disturbed. What a strange disturbance! Why are you disturbed? Why should I be disturbed? Two people are loving—and I become disturbed! I grow restless: why are two people loving? What does my restlessness reveal? One person is giving another respect, reverence, thanks—and I get upset. Why am I disturbed? There can be two or three reasons. One: seeing others bow, my inner ego, which never knows how to bow, gets badly hurt. If no one bows, it relaxes. If someone bows, it feels wounded. Like this: three men are walking and a beggar stands before them. One of the three takes out money and gives it, and the other…