What truth is there about the impact of population explosion on nature?

Osho, there is a population explosion all over the world. I’ve heard some people say that when the burden of humans on the earth becomes too great, nature cannot tolerate it. What truth is there in this?

Man’s greatest foolishness is his constant urge to shift the blame for his actions onto someone else. Take this saying that when the number of people becomes too large... it sounds as if the numbers increase by themselves, as if we have no hand in it— as if we are standing aside, watching the numbers rise. Then we say nature takes revenge. Even there we put the revenge on nature. The truth is: we increase the numbers. And that very increase becomes the revenge. Neither God increases the numbers, nor nature increases them, and nature takes no revenge. We are responsible. Our sayings are very clever—except that there is nothing in them but stupidity. They allow us to keep ourselves at a distance. There are many such sayings. “When sins increase, God takes birth.” As if sins increase on their own. And even then nothing is done by us; even…

Osho, in ignorance I went on having children. I have ten children—what should I do now?

Now just see: the husband was blind, and the wife had her eyes bound—and still they found each other and managed to have a hundred children! They must have been groping around for where the other was. And in the jostling of a hundred children, searching must have been quite a task. You, with eyes, have given up so soon! This is not the Indian tradition. Will you destroy the tradition? Your forefathers didn’t do this; will you? “The Raghu lineage’s rule has always continued!” It just goes on. Look into the Puranas—how many sons people had! They were heroic men. And your name is Virchand, and you are stopping at just ten! Drop despair! Abandon dejection! Raise the flag high again. Keep our flag flying high! Is this any way to lower the flag! And if you don’t produce more children, think also of the harm you’ll do. If…

My beloved ones! Before I say anything about birth control or family planning, I want to share two or three things with you. First: man is an animal who learns nothing from history. He writes history, he makes history, but he learns nothing from it. I say this first because the greatest fact established by all historical inquiry is that many species on this earth destroyed themselves by multiplying beyond the earth’s capacity to hold them. This planet once housed very powerful animals, but they destroyed themselves by overbreeding. Five hundred thousand years ago—and I say this on the basis of scientific research—there were lizards on earth larger than elephants. Today, the house lizard in your home is their only remaining descendant. Those were mighty creatures. We have their bones; they had spread across the entire earth. How did they disappear so suddenly?

Osho, from Morarji Desai’s government to Rajiv Gandhi’s, you have remained only a critic. But do you have any particular approach or answer for solving this country’s problems?

This country’s population is the enemy of this country—a problem that can be solved very simply, with a little intelligence. In the commune I created in America there were five thousand sannyasins, twenty-five hundred couples. In five years not a single child was born. No guns were used, no police stood guard—only understanding. Second: India has been enslaved for two thousand years—by Mughals, Turks, Huns, Muslims, the British. Two thousand years is a long time. Slavery has sunk so deep into the mind that it doesn’t leave even when you try to remove it. We must remove this inner slavery. It is not only slavery; it has filled your mind with rubbish that will go only when slavery falls. Outwardly you look free—only outwardly. Within, no difference. Slavery is a chain that stifles human genius. In three hundred years the British built schools, colleges, universities here—not so you would become…

Beloved Osho, in being responsible, one has to choose. How does it fit together with choicelessness?

He came back. He was looking very miserable, even after the shower. And I said, "I was just joking! Can't you see me? Can't you understand? Have you forgotten all those Hindus outside?" -- because in India you can recognize very well who is who. Mohammedans have different caps, different kind of clothes; Hindus have different caps, different kind of clothes. It is not difficult. I said, "You are just unnecessarily bothering." He fell again. He kissed my feet this time really hard. He said, "I was suspecting while I was taking the shower... this man does not look like a Mohammedan. And I am relieved of a great difficulty; otherwise I would have repented my whole life." I said, "You will have to repent. Can't you see my beard?" He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Exactly what you understand. I am a Mohammedan." The man rushed back…