According to Osho, people criticize those who proclaim godliness or enlightenment because misery and ego cannot bear a living example of bliss. The presence of a 'mountain' exposes their own 'desert,' acting like a mirror that humiliates them. Negativity says 'no' to transcendence, so they deny, reject, and ridicule what they have not realized - an ancient, habitual defense against the wound of comparison.
When someone shines with real joy, unhappy people feel hurt and call it fake so they don’t have to face their own pain.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Question: OSHO, WHY DO PEOPLE CRITICIZE YOU AS A SELF-STYLED AND SELF-APPOINTED GOD? There are many things to be understood. It is one of the ancientmost reactions of people, it is not anything new. It happened with Krishna, with Moses, with Christ, with Mahavira, with Buddha, with Mohammed, with Al-Hillaj Mansur. It has been happening all along, as far back as one can see. People live in misery and they cannot accept anybody who is not miserable just like themselves. To accept that somebody has become blissful is humiliating to them; it wounds their ego. They would like a Jesus, a Buddha, a Krishna, not to be at all, because the height of that Everest suddenly makes them aware of where they are. It is said that camels don't want to go near mountains, they are very much against mountains.
Osho, why does there seem to be so much conflict between the world and God?
It is as if someone were sleeping deeply in this garden. The cuckoo comes and sings, birds are chattering, the sun rises, breezes dance through the trees; but someone is fast asleep. The breezes touch him, the birds’ songs echo at his ears, the sun’s rays play on his face, but he knows nothing. Then someone comes and shakes him awake. His eyes open—the glory of the sun is revealed, the song of the passing breeze is heard, suddenly the cuckoo’s call, the fragrance of flowers. Do you think something new has happened? Everything was already there, just as it is. Only this man has become new—nothing else has changed. The same garden, the same sun, the same flowers, the same birds—everything the same; only a small difference: he was asleep; he is awake. The meaning of “world” is: you are asleep in God. The meaning of “God” is: you…
Beloved master, why is it that nobody likes to be criticized, and yet everybody loves to criticize others?
Gayatri, the ego is very sensitive and very fragile, and is very afraid of criticism. The ego depends on others' opinions. It has no reality of its own. It is not a real entity, it is not substantial -- it is just a collection of others' opinions. Somebody says, "You are beautiful," and you collect it. Somebody says, "You are intelligent," and you collect it. And somebody says, "I have never come across such a unique person," and you collect it. And then one day a person comes and he says, "You are repulsive!" Now how can you accept criticism? It goes against the image that you have been creating of yourself. You will retaliate, you will fight tooth and nail. But whatsoever you do, the mind has taken the impression of this opinion too. Then somebody says, "You are ugly," and somebody says, "You are stupid." And there are…
Yogis still condemning others, eating meat, drinking wine, taking drugs? By the hundreds they go to hell, shree gorakh raja speaks plain truth. Aloneness the siddha knows, needing two is sadhu, the true seeker, needing four-five the householder, ten-twenty the worldly man. Greatness is when greatness effaced, consider this word of truth: one who becomes tiny the master seeks out, lifts the load off his head.
Criticism is an exploration into what truth is, into how is truth is. Criticism can be very hard because a sword sometimes must be used to cut falsehood. There are stones of falsehood so the hammers and chisels of truth have to prepare them. Ultimately Gorakh is making blows with hammer and chisel. And after Gorakh comes Kabir who keeps a sharper blade -- on his sword there is more of an edge. Kabir's blows are such that they cut to bits. But they don't cut you to bits, they cut your falseness. When you attack a thief it is condemnation and when you attack stealing it is criticism. When you start hating the sinner it is condemnation and when you hate the sin it is criticism. A yogi cannot condemn. Only a completely unconscious person enjoys condemning. What is the psychology of condemning? Most people in the world have…
Osho, why are people constantly pouring scorn on you? Why?
Jesus was only criticized in the small vicinity where he lived. Buddha was critized only in the small province where he moved, Bihar. The name comes from his movement -- the name Bihar means "where Buddha moved." So just in that small province he was criticized. I may be the first man who is being criticized all over the world; irrespective of race, country, religion -- all are agreed about one thing: "This man is dangerous!" This is really something to make one happy! You should rejoice -- something great is going to happen out of it. If the criticism of Buddha in only a small province created so much energy, if the ciriticism of Jesus in a small area around Jerusalem created such an impact on history, then there is great promise. The criticism of me around the world is going to affect the whole of humanity, the whole…