According to Osho, political “success” requires a near-absence of intelligence and conscience: a deeply sleeping awareness that can lie, deceive, and abandon morality. Cultivate a single-pointed lust for power, a hard heart that climbs on people’s heads, and a changeling face—endless masks, sycophancy, and boot‑licking—shifting sides as needed. Intelligence, artistry, and meditation, he says, belong elsewhere.
To win in politics, keep changing faces, tell lies, and chase power without caring about right or wrong—real intelligence and heart only get in the way.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, what is the most astonishing law in this world?
A Sufi story. A thief, at night, began to climb into a house through a window. The window frame gave way, he fell, and broke his leg. The next day he went to court and blamed the householder for his broken leg. The owner was summoned and said in his defense: The one responsible is the carpenter who made the window. The carpenter was called; he said the contractor who built the wall hadn’t made the windowed section strong enough. In his defense the contractor said: My mistake happened because of a woman who was passing by—she drew my attention away. When the woman was presented in court, she said: At that time I was wearing a very fine dress. Normally no one even looks at me. So the fault lies with the dress, which was so exquisitely sewn. The judge said: Then summon the tailor who sewed it; he…
Osho, what is the first experience of samadhi like?
You will know only when it happens. It cannot be said; at most a few hints can be given. It is as if, in the dark, a lamp is suddenly lit. Or as if a dying patient, right at the edge of death, suddenly finds a medicine that works; life’s wave, life’s thrill spreads again—so it is. As if a corpse becomes alive—such is the first experience of samadhi. It is the taste of nectar. The experience of the ultimate music. But it will be only when it happens; and only then will you understand. You will not understand by my saying it. It is as with love. How can anyone explain it? To someone who has never loved, never known love, no matter how many explanations you offer—he will hear it all and still ask, “I haven’t understood; please explain a little more.” It is like explaining light to…
Osho, the way you are imparting education is, in the ultimate sense, right education. But it seems doubtful that politicians and rulers would also regard it as right education.
Just yesterday I saw a politician giving a speech, explaining to people: just a little more patience, socialism is about to arrive. A man stood up and shouted, socialism will never come; we’ve been hearing this for thirty years. The politician said, trust me; now it is not far, it is just about to arrive. Not much longer, a little more patience. Just this one more election and socialism will be here. A few others stood up and said, socialism will never come. Your secretary was saying last night at the club that socialism will never come. The crowd was so large and started shouting so loudly that the politician was flustered. He said, my secretary was saying that—how can that be? Because this speech has been written by my secretary. And I tell you again, socialism is coming. But more people stood up. They said, socialism will never come.…
Osho, I am in politics. Won’t you change me too? Won’t you shower your grace on me?
Uday Singh! Brother, the job is a bit difficult. We will try; success or failure is in God’s hands! Because one doesn’t land in politics without a reason. What does politics mean? Politics means: the ambition to have ownership, lordship over others. And religion is exactly the opposite of politics. Religion means: the ambition to have ownership, mastery over oneself. These two directions are different. You are saying, “I am going east; will you help me go west?” I will try, but if you are fixated on going east, taking you west will become very difficult. You will have to leave politics—which is hard. Because the taste of politics is like liquor; once it catches, it won’t let go. It becomes very difficult. It returns again and again by a thousand excuses. Even if you enter religion, there too you will play some political tricks. It will come in through…
Osho, why does politics have so much prestige? Why are politicians sitting on everyone’s chest today?
Not just today—they’ve always been sitting on your chest. The fault isn’t the politician’s; the fault lies with those who let someone sit on their chest. If you allow it, someone will climb up—if not A then B, if not B then C. Man wants to remain a slave; that’s why. He wants a master. He doesn’t want to stand on his own feet, to find his own direction. He wants to follow, to be a follower. He doesn’t want to open his own eyes. He wants to walk holding someone’s hand. Because man is not yet a complete man, politics becomes important. And politics is important also because much animality still remains within man; as long as that animality remains, politics will remain significant. It is because of the animal in man that brute force seems valuable. What is a politician’s power? Only as long as he holds office…