Why do revolutions fail?

Why do revolutions fail?

First, because they are not revolutions. Revolution is possible only in the individual soul. The social revolution is a pseudo phenomenon, because the society has no soul of its own. Revolution is a spiritual phenomenon. There can be no political revolution, no social revolution, no economic revolution. The only revolution is that of the spirit; it is individual. And if millions of individuals change, then the society will change as a consequence, not vice versa. You cannot change the society first and hope that individuals will change later on. That's why revolutions have been failing: because we have taken revolution from a very wrong direction. We have thought that if you change the society, change the structure, economic or political, then one day the individuals, the constituent elements of the society, will change. This is stupid. Who is going to do this revolution? For example, in 1917 a great so-called…

Question: Second question: Osho, are you against social revolution? I, against revolution! But there is no such thing as social revolution. I am in favor of revolution—of radical revolution. Yet “social revolution” as such does not exist; all revolution is individual. Revolution is only individual. “Social revolution” is a trick played upon revolution. Those who want to escape real revolution take shelter behind the slogan of social revolution. The same old disease: “When society changes, then we will change. How can we change right now? The whole society is wrong—how can we change?” When will society change? It hasn’t till now. Revolutions upon revolutions have happened, and man remains the same. Not a flicker of transformation has occurred in consciousness. Whether a man is Russian or American, Indian or Chinese—there is no difference: the same greed, the same lust, the same anger, the same everything.

Osho, most of the youth of Italy’s New Left are beginning to relate to you. Would you call this an evolution of the Left, or a distortion of the right understanding of your experiment?

Therefore, Silvano, many young people of Italy’s New Left have taken sannyas. The very father of the Left’s revolution in Italy has also become a sannyasin. The air in Italy is very heated—because no one can quite believe what is happening! Those from whom bombs were expected are meditating! Those from whom killings were expected are singing songs of love! Those expected to become guerrillas have put on saffron robes! They are dancing, humming songs; they are losing themselves in the mystery of the starry sky! Therefore there is anger toward me as well. Their comrades simply cannot believe what has happened! But this fire will spread, because behind this fire there are historical grounds. All revolutions so far have failed; now only one hope remains: perhaps rebellion may succeed. Let each person make a revolution within his own life. Let each person begin to live in his own way;…

The whole credit goes to the revolutionaries. If the world is in such a mess it is because of so many revolutions. Utterly ignorant people, not knowing even the ABC of the inner world, are trying to change the world. With no light inside they are blind, and whatsoever they do is going to harem. Of course their intentions are good but just good intentions don't help. Somebody's intention may be good and he may operate on your appendix knowing nothing of surgery. He may not even be able to recognise the appendix. His intention is good: you are in pain, he opens your stomach to remove the appendix. But he will do harm, he will kill you. And that's what has been happening in the world. Only buddhas can bring revolution because they have gone through inner transformation themselves.

Question: THERE WAS ONCE A VERY RICH MAN WHO HAD A SON. HE SAID TO HIM, "MY SON, HERE IS A JEWELLED RING. KEEP IT AS A SIGN THAT YOU ARE A SUCCESSOR OF MINE, AND PASS IT DOWN TO YOUR POSTERITY. IT IS OF VALUE, OF FINE APPEARANCE, AND IT HAS THE ADDED CAPACITY OF OPENING A CERTAIN DOOR TO WEALTH." SOME YEARS LATER HE HAD ANOTHER SON. WHEN HE WAS OLD ENOUGH, THE WISE MAN GAVE HIM ANOTHER RING, WITH THE SAME ADVICE. THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN THE CASE OF HIS THIRD AND LAST SON. WHEN THE ANCIENT HAD DIED AND THE SONS GREW UP, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, EACH CLAIMED PRIMACY FOR HIMSELF BECAUSE OF HIS POSSESSION OF ONE OF THE RINGS. NOBODY COULD TELL FOR CERTAIN WHICH WAS THE MOST VALUABLE.