Osho's perspective on Acceptance
When Osho Spoke About Acceptance
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Question: BELOVED OSHO, DO YOU REALLY SAY YES TO ME TOTALLY JUST THE WAY I AM? Yes, I say yes totally to you as you are because that is the only way I can transform you. My acceptance does not mean that you have to remain what you are; my acceptance means that whatever you are I respect you, I love you. But at the same time, my acceptance means that you can be much more, that this is not the end of your journey. In fact, you have not even begun yet, but I can see the potential. For centuries, this has been the way to challenge you to seek and search: you have been condemned; whatever you are, you are wrong. The emphasis has been that if you are proved to be wrong, a sinner, then you will start changing. But that whole technique has failed.
Beloved Osho, why is it so difficult for the world to accept you as you are?
And I asked Jugal Kisore Birla, "If the mother had told Parasurama to cut off the head of the father, what do you think would have been the situation? Would Parasurama still be accepted as an incarnation of God? The god is a man, the father is a man, the son is a man -- this is a man's world; to kill the woman is okay." And this man Parasurama was a brahmin, the highest Hindu caste, and the suspicion was that the mother was having a love affair with a warrior. You cannot find in the whole history of the world such stupidity, that because the mother was suspected... And it was only a suspicion, there was no certainty; the mother was never asked. There was no proof. Not only did he kill his mother, the story is that he killed all the warriors on the earth -- because…
Beloved Osho, this morning the top of my head flew off to greet you. Like a lidless pot I sat drinking you in. Suddenly a question popped up: all the historical rebellions have a huge "no" at their source. Your rebellion of the soul is centered in the mystery of "yes." will you please speak to us on the alchemy of "yes"?
Certainly, a rebellion of my vision will take away all this garbage of nations, and discriminations between white and black, and give the whole of humanity a natural, relaxed, comfortable life. This is possible, because science has given us everything that we need, even if the population of the earth is three times more than it is today. Just a little intelligence is needed -- which will be released by meditation -- and we can have a beautiful earth with beautiful people, and a multidimensional freedom which is not just a word in the dead constitution books but a living reality. Devageet, one thing finally to be remembered: the days of revolution are past. We have tried them many times, and every time the same story is repeated. Enough. Now something new is urgently needed. And except the idea that I am giving to you of a rebellion, individual and…
Can cowardice and hypocrisy also be beautiful? Can I accept even my cowardice, my hypocrisy, my miserliness and a tendency towards privacy that you yourself have called "idiocy"? And if I accept such tendencies, all of which tend to bottle me up, how will I get free?
See the beauty of fear, see the alchemical work of fear. It is simply trying to prepare you for the situation so that you can accept the challenge. But rather than accepting the challenge, rather than understanding fear, you start rejecting it. You say, "Ashoka, you are such a great man, a great sannyasin, and you are trembling? Remember what Osho used to say, that there is no death, that the soul is immortal. An immortal soul, and trembling? Remember what Krishna said: 'Death cannot destroy you, fire cannot burn you, weapons cannot penetrate you.' Remember! And don't tremble: hold yourself in control!" Now you are creating a contradiction. Your natural process is that of fear, and you are bringing in an unnatural process to contradict fear. You are bringing ideals to interfere in the natural process. There will be pain, because there will be conflict. Don't bother whether the…
"To say yes to you as you are is to embrace your potential for growth; in unconditional acceptance lies the key to transformation."
"To transform, embrace your cowardice and hypocrisy without denial; only in the acceptance of what is can true change begin."
"Embrace your failures as the beautiful imperfections of life, for it is in our flaws that we find the essence of growth and aliveness."
"Embrace the chaos of 'neither this nor that,' for in the stillness of confusion, true creativity is born and the old self dissolves."
"I don't know" is the peak of wisdom; celebrate this innocence and drop the burden of borrowed knowledge to live freshly and joyfully."
"Embrace every part of yourself, even the parts that feel inadequate, for true understanding arises from total acceptance, allowing transformation to unfold naturally."
"Drop the illusion of separateness, and you will find that your inner rhythm and the outer situation are already one, flowing together in blissful harmony."
"Embrace your own pleasure and pain without resistance, for true acceptance within transforms into compassionate action against collective injustice."
What does it mean to accept the half?
definition"To accept only the half is to deny the fullness of existence; true awareness blossoms only when we embrace the whole, exactly as it is."
"To say "Whatever happens is right" is to embrace the perspective of an awakened witness, where the dissolution of desire frees you from the wounds of life's opposites. True contentment lies beyond pleasure and pain, in the acceptance of all that is."
"Accepting 'what is' dissolves mental resistance, transforming the sting of life into nectar, revealing grace and deep peace."
"When you accept your senses and desires with full awareness, the illusion of the self dissolves, revealing the divine essence that connects you to all of existence."
"Forcing situations ignites an inner civil war, robbing life of love and joy; in acceptance, your individuality and freedom blossom, revealing the divine in the present moment."
"When you reach the last center of acceptance, the mind dissolves, and in that no-place, even the seeker disappears, leaving no questions and no movement behind."
"When acceptance does not arise, life will relentlessly expose your illusions, forcing you to confront the truth and dissolve the false beliefs that bind you."
What is acceptance?
definition"Acceptance is not resignation; it is a joyful embrace of reality that transforms life into a profound intensity, revealing the path to self-knowing."
"Acceptance is the seed of true development; while discontent may drive outer progress, it ultimately leads to emptiness and crisis."
"True rebellion is not just a no; it is a profound yes that opens the door to love, peace, and a new humanity."
"Acceptance is the light that dissolves the shadows of hatred and envy, freeing you from the beggar-mind of expectation and allowing love to flourish in its place."
"Freedom arises when you embrace both possibilities equally, allowing life to unfold without the weight of demands or control. In acceptance, the mind relaxes, and the right moment reveals itself."
What is the ultimate acceptance of life?
definition"Ultimate acceptance of life is the recognition that the divine resides in everything, where nothing is rejected and wholeness brings forth supreme clarity and innocence."
What is total acceptance?
definition"True acceptance is not a concept; it is a natural state of being that arises from clarity and understanding, free from the burdens of ideology and moral effort."
"When you drop the need for 'more' and embrace life as a playful game, acceptance of yourself and others naturally blossoms."
"People interfere not because they care, but because your freedom threatens the very foundations of their conditioned existence."
"The world cannot accept you as you are because it fears the freedom of individuality that threatens its conditioned ideals and collective security."
Profound Quotes on Acceptance
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