Osho's perspective on Devotion
When Osho Spoke About Devotion
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, is there an inner harmony between “God,” “devotion,” and “bhog” (divine enjoyment)?
How could you even be without being joined to the Divine? Not for a moment, not for a single instant. If He breathes in you, breath goes on. If He shines as the sun, your body is warmed. If He moves as the winds, you receive life. If He comes as rain, your thirst is quenched. If He appears as food, you gain strength. Only when He comes in a thousand forms do you live at all. Severed from Him for even a moment, life ends. The very name of being joined to Him is “life.” Therefore the devotee says: there has been no breaking—talk of joining is mistaken. We are joined; now simply enjoy. The devotee says: you are joined and yet you do not enjoy—how insane! What are you waiting for? The celebration is already prepared. Everything is all-ready—how can you sit there sad? For whom are you…
Osho, what does a devotee truly desire—merit, or knowledge, or heaven?
Its falling from the eye gives such pain, for in it the whole world of love was housed. Only the devotee knows the value of a tear—only the devotee knows it fully! Lovers get a little hint; the devotee knows through and through. No, the devotee has no use for merit, nor for knowledge, nor for heaven. The devotee asks: Give me weeping. Give me longing. Let me weep for You. Let me ache; give me the pain of separation. Give me thirst. Kindle my thirst. Make me white-hot. Why am I so enamored of the garden? Listen to me: Someone’s radiance has come and hidden itself in the rose. The whole creation has poured into the heart’s reflecting cup; What grain is there that does not hold what the sun contains? There was light in the world of faith and trust; Darkness is all I found in questions and…
Question: Third question: Osho, does a devotee ever quarrel with God? Only the devotee quarrels! Who else would? Only the devotee can quarrel! Who else has such strength? A devotee knows no fear. Where is there fear in love? That is why I say: Tulsidas’s statement is wrong when he said, “Without fear there is no love.” Tulsidas did not know love. Where there is fear, how can there be love? And whatever arises out of fear will be something else—it is not love. Someone stands over you with a stick and says, “Love me!” You will obey because you see the stick—otherwise he’ll crack your skull. A mother says to her son, “Love me, I am your mother! Otherwise I won’t give you milk; you will starve.” The son thinks, “I’ll have to love.” This “love” is born of fear. A father says, “Love me, I am your father!
Osho, what are the similarities and differences between the sthitaprajna and the devotee? This too was in the earlier part of the question.
What is the difference or similarity between the sthitaprajna and the devotee? Sthitaprajna means one who is no longer a devotee—he has become God. Devotee means one who is on the journey toward becoming God. The devotee is on the path; the sthitaprajna has arrived. The path is the same; the arrival is the same. But “sthitaprajna” is the name for one who has reached the destination, and “devotee” is the name for the traveler who is still moving. There must be similarity, because the path and the goal are connected—otherwise how would the path reach the goal? There must be similarity, because the goal is simply the completion of the path. Where the path is complete, the destination appears. There must be similarity, because the one on the path is, in a sense, already at the destination—only a little distance remains, that’s all. It’s a matter of distance. The…
Are prayer and devotion different?
definition"Prayer is the worded approach to the Divine, while devotion is the wordless fulfillment; one matures into the other, for without prayer, there can be no true devotion."
"Devotion is not a technique but a radical surrender; when the ego dissolves, love becomes the only path to union with the Divine."
"Devotion is the blossoming of your own being, while dependence is a subtle form of slavery; true devotion leads you to freedom, not obedience."
"Devotion is the vast, musical heart that embraces all, while knowledge and yoga often remain trapped in the narrow confines of logic and coherence."
Does a devotee ever quarrel with God?
definition"The quarrel of a devotee with God is not a conflict, but a profound expression of love; in the depths of longing, even complaints become a sweet prayer that deepens devotion."
"Devotion begins not in loneliness, but in the joyous solitude of self-sufficiency, where the inner crowd dissolves and peace dances within."
"Let your restless mind be the fuel for your devotion; transform every thought and feeling into a surge toward the Divine, surrendering it all at His feet."
"The Divine is already enamored of you; your existence is its smile. Let devotion be a simple, innocent expression of gratitude, and love will naturally flower."
How can individuals devote a few years of their lives to spread teachings in different regions?
practice"Start where you are, with what you have, and let your joy and commitment be the seeds that grow into a movement."
"When the intellect reaches its peak, the heart naturally awakens, leading us from the strain of thought to the play of devotion. In this age of disillusionment, true devotion arises not from borrowed beliefs, but as a spontaneous descent into the depths of our being."
"Devotion blossoms when you transcend the identity of body and mind, recognizing yourself as the soul; love is the bridge that transforms sexual energy into the pure essence of bhakti."
"Devotion blossoms when you shed all masks and surrender your entire being, for in that nakedness, you discover that you are love itself."
"In true devotion, the devotee surrenders the entire ledger of karma, allowing grace to operate instead of the arithmetic of cause and effect. When you offer up your actions to the Divine, even karma is transformed into a path of liberation."
"In the state of separation, the devotee dances on the edge of misery and joy, for the pain of longing is the sweetest reminder of the Beloved's imminent arrival."
Is devotion a cash religion?
definition"True devotion is not a transaction; it is the currency of your own experience, paid for with the depth of your being."
"Choose the path that transforms your doing into dancing, where being is primary and devotion flows effortlessly."
"Devotion is not a discipline but a total surrender, where the ego dissolves and the sweet current of divine enjoyment flows effortlessly between the devotee and God."
"Devotion may appear as dreaming to the intellect, but in the heart's language, it is the truest reality that can lead you to God. Choose the path that awakens your heart, for it is in love and poetry that the divine reveals itself."
"Devotion is not about allegiance to an external deity; it is an inner attitude that transforms the seeker into the divine they seek."
"The sthitaprajna has become one with the Divine, transcending the longing of the devotee; while both share the same path, one embodies completion and the other continues to seek."
"Drown single-pointedly in love and devotion, for through ecstatic surrender, awareness will blossom naturally. Choose one path and give it your whole life; do not dilute your faith."
"True science is the pursuit of wholeness, embracing the natural order of existence, where devotion flows freely and unites body and spirit. Renunciation, in its conflict with nature, reveals itself as a partial truth, unscientific in its essence."
"A true devotee seeks not merit, knowledge, or heaven, but only the total union with God, where the 'I' dissolves into the Divine, becoming one with the Beloved."
"In deep devotion, the head bows and the heart begins to see; true vision blossoms not through the eyes, but through the surrender of feeling."
"When you become a vessel of devotion, your entire life-energy converges into pure attention, allowing the Divine to reveal itself in the depths of your longing."
Profound Quotes on Devotion
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