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Osho on Jealousy

Jealousy

Jealousy emerges from the ego's desire to possess rather than love, revealing the absence of true connection; when genuine love flourishes, recognizing the divine in others and embracing selfless devotion, jealousy effortlessly dissipates.

Osho's perspective on Jealousy

When Osho Spoke About Jealousy

Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.

Is it possible to live without jealousy unless one is enlightened?

It is possible. If you are enlightened then the question of jealousy does not arise at all; then it is impossible to have jealousy. Before enlightenment it is possible to live without jealousy. You just have to look into the causes of jealousy. What makes you jealous? -- possessiveness. Jealousy itself is not the root. You love a woman, you love a man; you want to possess the man or the woman just out of fear that perhaps tomorrow he may move with somebody else. The fear of tomorrow destroys your today, and it is a vicious circle. If every day is destroyed because of the fear of tomorrow, sooner or later the man is going to look for some other woman because you are just a pain in the neck. And when he starts looking for another woman or starts moving with another woman, you think your jealousy has…
The Book Of Wisdom · Discourse 27Question 4 1979-03-09 Buddha Hall English

What is jealousy and why does it hurt so much?

You know your interiority, and only you know it, nobody else. And you know everybody's exterior, and their exterior people have made beautiful. Exteriors are showpieces and they are very deceptive. There is an ancient Sufi story: A man was very much burdened by his suffering. He used to pray every day to God, "Why me? Everybody seems to be so happy, why am only I in such suffering?" One day, out of great desperation, he prayed to God, "You can give me anybody else's suffering and I am ready to accept it. But take mine, I cannot bear it any more." That night he had a beautiful dream -- beautiful and very revealing. He had a dream that night that God appeared in the sky and he said to everybody, "Bring all your sufferings into the temple." Everybody was tired of his suffering -- in fact everybody has prayed…
Bin Ghan Parat Phuhar · Discourse 4Question 3 1975-10-04 Pune Translated from Hindi by Osho Live

Osho, yesterday you said that jealousy is included in respect. I have immense respect for you, but the jealousy inherent in it keeps poisoning it, and I feel guilt and pain. Does reverence transcend this poison-laced respect?

It needs a little explaining—it's a delicate point. Whenever you respect someone, you do so because you see in that person something you do not have. You respect because you glimpse in the other something you would also like to possess. A beggar respects an emperor because he, too, longs to be an emperor. So on the one hand he respects, and inside he also envies. Because he is not yet an emperor but wants to be. You have attained what he wants to attain. He respects you as skillful, successful: “I stand far back in the line; you have gone ahead to where I should have been.” So you are powerful, clever, intelligent, strong—he respects you. But inside a fire of jealousy also burns—if he gets the chance, he would like to be in your place and push you aside. And if the beggar gets that chance, he will…
ओशो के मूल हिंदी शब्द · Osho's original Hindi

तीसरा प्रश्न: ओशो, आपने कल कहा, आदर में ईर्ष्या सम्मिलित है। आपके प्रति मुझमें अपार आदर है, लेकिन उसमें निहित ईर्ष्या उसमें जहर घोलती रहती है और मैं ग्लानि और पीड़ा का अनुभव करता हूं। क्या श्रद्धा इस विष-भरे आदर का अतिक्रमण करती है?

भिखारी सम्राट का आदर करता है, क्योंकि उसकी भी आकांक्षा है कि सम्राट हो। तो एक तरफ आदर भी करता है, भीतर ईर्ष्या भी करता है। क्योंकि सम्राट अभी वह है नहीं, सम्राट होना चाहता है। तुम हो गए हो, तुमने वह पा लिया है जो वह पाना चाहता है। इसलिए तुम्हें आदर भी करता है कि तुम कुशल हो, सफल हो, मैं पंक्ति में बहुत पीछे खड़ा हूं, तुम आगे पहुंच गए हो, तुम उस जगह पहुंच गए हो जहां मुझे होना चाहिए था। इसलिए तुम शक्तिशाली हो, होशियार हो, बुद्धिमान हो, बलशाली हो, तुम्हारा आदर करता हूं। लेकिन एक भीतर ईर्ष्या की आग भी जलती है--अगर मुझे मौका मिले तो उस जगह मैं होना चाहूंगा, तुम्हें हटाना चाहूंगा। और जब मौका मिल जाएगा इस भिखारी को तो यह सम्राट को हटा कर धक्का दे देगा, सिंहासन पर बैठ जाएगा।

Jagat Taraiya Bhor Ki · Discourse 10Question 1 1977-03-20 Pune Translated from Hindi by Osho Live
Question: First question: Osho, why is there jealousy in love? If there is jealousy in love, then love is not love at all; something else is operating in love’s name. Jealousy indicates the absence of love. It is like this: the lamp is lit and yet there is darkness. If the lamp is lit, there should be no darkness. The disappearance of darkness is the proof that the lamp is burning. The disappearance of jealousy is the proof of love. Jealousy is like darkness; love is like light. Take this as the touchstone. As long as jealousy remains, understand that love is not yet love. Some other game is going on in the name of love; the ego is on a new trip—the pleasure of possessing the other in love’s name, exploiting the other in love’s name, using another person as a means.
ओशो के मूल हिंदी शब्द · Osho's original Hindi

प्रेम में ईर्ष्या हो तो प्रेम, प्रेम ही नहीं है; फिर प्रेम के नाम से कुछ और ही रोग चल रहा है। ईर्ष्या सूचक है प्रेम के अभाव की। यह तो ऐसा ही हुआ, जैसे दीया जले और अंधेरा हो। दीया जले तो अंधेरा होना नहीं चाहिए। अंधेरे का न हो जाना ही दीये के जलने का प्रमाण है। ईर्ष्या का मिट जाना ही प्रेम का प्रमाण है। ईर्ष्या अंधेरे जैसी है; प्रेम प्रकाश जैसा है। इसको कसौटी समझना। जब तक ईर्ष्या रहे तब तक समझना कि प्रेम, प्रेम नहीं है। तब तक प्रेम के नाम से कोई और ही खेल चल रहा है; अहंकार कोई नई यात्रा कर रहा है--प्रेम के नाम से दूसरे पर मालकियत करने का मजा, प्रेम के नाम से दूसरे का शोषण, दूसरे व्यक्ति का साधन की भांति उपयोग। और दूसरे व्यक्ति का साधन की भांति उपयोग जगत में सबसे बड़ी अनीति है। क्योंकि प्रत्येक व्यक्ति परमात्मा है। प्रत्येक व्यक्ति साध्य है, साधन नहीं। तो भूल कर भी किसी का उपयोग मत करना। किसी के काम आ सको तो ठीक, लेकिन किसी को अपने काम में मत ले आना। …

Respect often hides envy for someone’s stuff; reverence is loving the one who shows you the goodness already inside you, so there’s nothing to steal.
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Stop trying to own someone, enjoy today together, and give them freedom and space—then jealousy fades.
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Jealousy means you’re scared to face whether you truly love; real love lets the other be free and happy, even with someone else.
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Don’t push jealousy down—bring it out, look at it honestly, and by really seeing how it hurts you, it loses power and fades.
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Holding onto jealousy, greed, and violence just keeps you upset and fake; noticing them and letting go makes you peaceful and real.
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Jealousy is what happens when you keep measuring yourself against others—it shows you forgot to be with yourself, so turn inward and it fades.
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Jealousy comes from comparing your insides to other people’s shiny outsides instead of growing your own joy.
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When lots of people love a teacher, others who can’t inspire people feel jealous and scared, try to stop him, and that stopping makes even more people curious.
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Jealousy shows up when we try to own someone instead of loving them freely; with real love and trust, it fades away.
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Instead of struggling with jealousy, see it as a sign of what you truly long for, aim it at something boundless, and the need to cling fades.
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Don’t blame your wife; quietly notice your jealous feelings inside you until, by watching them without reacting, they fade away.
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Jealousy comes when we treat people like our property; real love lets them be free and feels happy when they are happy.
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Jealousy happens when we try to own someone; real love lets them be and serves them, so jealousy fades.
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Profound Quotes on Jealousy

Explore our structured collection of meaning-mapped quotes regarding Jealousy.