According to Osho, celibacy is viewed negatively because it opposes nature: sexual energy is intrinsic and cannot be suppressed. Forcing abstinence distorts this energy into perversions, hypocrisy, and illness, harming individuals and society. No one truly becomes celibate; the body finds outlets. True spirituality accepts and guides natural sexuality consciously rather than imposing denial.
Trying never to have sex is like trying to stop your hair from growing—it won’t work and just causes trouble; better to accept it and be wise.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Question: BELOVED MASTER, WHY ARE YOU SO AGAINST CELIBACY? I am not. Nature is -- and I am all in favor of nature. To me, there is no other way to find truth, to find peace, to find meaningfulness, than being natural. Celibacy is one of the most unnatural things. It has destroyed so many human beings -- millions -- Catholic monks, Hindu monks, Buddhist monks, Jaina monks, nuns. For centuries they have been teaching celibacy; and the most amazing thing is, even in the twentieth century, not a single medical expert, physiologist, has stood up and said that celibacy is impossible, that in the very nature of things, it cannot happen. To impose celibacy means to pervert the sexual energy of man. It is celibacy that has created homosexuality. It is celibacy that has created sodomy. Perhaps you don't understand the word "sodomy"; it is making love to animals.
Osho, why in the first place religions developed the idea of celibacy if it is unnatural?
This is the way of a power seeker, although he pretended to be most humble. He tried hard to be simple, but if you look deep down, in his simplicity, in his poverty, in his so-called humbleness, you will find nothing but pure ambition to dominate. When there was danger that he may be killed by some Hindu fanatic, the government asked him can they be allowed to protect? Can some arrangement be made so that he is continuously guarded and protected? He said, "No! Absolutely no! If my purity is enough, if my celibacy is true, then nobody can kill me." You see the logic! Everything depends on his purity. But a brahmin from Poona killed him -- his purity was greater! His celibacy seems to be greater -- he was far more potent. If Mahatma Gandhi's logic is correct, then Nathuram Godse, the man who killed him, seems…
It is absolutely absurd that in my community there is limitless sexual activity. In fact, there are so many activities going on that nobody has time for sexual activity. And I am not for repression; that does not mean that I am telling you to be licentious. When I say, "Don't repress" I simply mean, "Listen to the body. It has a wisdom of its own." When you are eating, can you eat limitlessly? You know perfectly well that your body gives you clear cut indications when to stop. And if you listen to the body, you will be healthier. There are two kinds of extremists: one who will fast, will not listen to the body that 'I am hungry', and the other will go on eating when the body is crying that 'I am overloaded. Stop.
Question: BELOVED BUDDHA, ONCE A DISCIPLE OF MA TZU, CALLED IKAN, WAS ASKED BY A MONK, "HAS THE DOG THE BUDDHA-NATURE OR NOT?" IKAN REPLIED YES, AND THE MONK THEN ASKED, "HAVE YOU GOT IT OR NOT?" IKAN RESPONDED, "I HAVE NOT." THEN THE MONK ASKED, "ALL EXISTENT CREATURES HAVE THE BUDDHA-NATURE; HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVEN'T?" IKAN SAID, "I DON'T BELONG TO ALL EXISTENT CREATURES." THE MONK COMMENTED, "YOU SAY YOU DON'T BELONG TO ALL EXISTENT CREATURES. THIS `YOU' -- IS IT A BUDDHA OR NOT?" IKAN SAID, "IT IS NOT A BUDDHA." THE MONK THEN INQUIRED, "WHAT SORT OF THING, IN THE LAST RESORT, IS THIS `YOU'?" IKAN REPLIED, "IT IS NOT A THING." THE MONK CONTINUED, "CAN IT BE PERCEIVED OR THOUGHT OF?" -- AT WHICH IKAN CONCLUDED, "THOUGHT CANNOT ATTAIN TO IT; IT CANNOT BE FATHOMED.
As sex is closely related to death, what is the meaning of spontaneous celibacy?
Sex is more closely related to birth than to death. Birth is out of sex; birth is a sexual phenomenon. Naturally, sex is also closely related to death -- but as a by-product. Because birth is out of sex, death is also going to be out of sex. Hence the nonsensical idea arose in the East that if you remain celibate, if you remain a BRAHMACHARY, if you go beyond sex, you will never die -- you will become an immortal. That is foolish, because death is not something that is going to happen in the future, it has already happened with birth. You cannot avoid it. You can indulge in sex or you can indulge in celibacy, it is going to make no difference. Mulla Nasrudin had completed his hundredth year, and a few journalists came to interview him. He was the first citizen of his town who had…