Osho's perspective on Karma
When Osho Spoke About Karma
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, you say the same thing in countless ways. But when I listen to you, it feels as if I am hearing it for the first time. And I feel so much joy that I don’t feel like going back home. What should I do—what can I do—so that I can just keep listening to you!
You will feel as if you have been made to rise out of season, before time—as if you were not yet to go and yet had to go. And if you go in that way, your home will become even more desolate than before. I do not want to make your home desolate; I want to make your home a temple. I want that when you go home, your home’s new form is revealed. I do not want to tear you away from home, from the world, from family life. That is the newness of my sannyas: I do not want to sever you from the world; I want to join you to the world in such a way that your connection with the world becomes a connection with the Divine. Let the world no longer be a barrier between you and the Divine; let it become a means. If…
Osho, Mahipal-ji asks about karma: this evolution that is happening—the animals and birds moving toward the human realm—is it simply the result of a spontaneous, automatic evolution that runs by itself, or does their conscious effort also participate in it?
As I said: when a new consciousness develops, new bodies must be assumed. When a conscious society’s numbers increase, new planets and satellites must be colonized. Scientists cannot explain how life first appeared on Earth; they can describe evolution, but evolution presupposes something that evolves. Where did life come from? If the fish became human, where did the fish come from? If plant became fish, where did life enter the plant? Life must come from somewhere. Similarly, when a mother becomes fit to conceive, a soul enters her. When a planet or satellite becomes fit for life, life migrates there from other planets. The first germs always transmigrate; there is no other way. From another planet—perhaps one where life is nearing its end—the seed comes. You also asked whether the efforts of Buddhas and Mahaviras—or I, or anyone—ever actually help beings to evolve. It has happened many times. Our view…
Beloved master, why is it that sincere, gentle and kindhearted men are suffering and neglected? Why is it that the cunning, the cheap and the evil are flourishing and respectable? Is it the result of their past life karma, prarabdha?
There is no need to believe in prarabdha, in fate. There is no need to believe that people are suffering because of their past evil acts, karma. The reality is that the good people, the nice people, the virtuous people are bound to suffer. You cannot have everything in life. If you have goodness, enjoy it; if you have virtue, enjoy it; if you have a niceness, enjoy it. Why should you be jealous of the cunning people becoming prime ministers, of the evil people becoming rich? The evil people are bound to win in the race with the good people if the race is for money, if the race is for power, prestige, respectability. But if the race is for inner silence, peace, calm, coolness, silence, meditation, godliness, then the evil people will not get anything, anywhere. I don't see any problem at all. If you had asked this…
What is the law of karma?
It is not in fact a law, because there is nobody behind it as a lawgiver. On the contrary, it is intrinsic to existence itself. It is the very nature of life: whatsoever you sow, you reap.But it is complex, it is not so simple, it is not so obvious. To make it more clear, try to understand it in a psychological way, because the modern mind can understand only if something is explained in a psychological way. In the past, when the law of karma was talked about -- when Buddha talked about it and Mahavira talked about it -- they had used physiological, physical analogies. Man has gone far away from that, man has moved far away from that. Now man lives more in the psychological, so this will be helpful. Every crime against one's own nature, every one, without exception, records itself in our unconscious -- what…
"Surrender to the natural flow of karma and become the watcher; in that stillness, you transcend suffering and remain untouched by the wheel of cause and effect."
"True merit flowers as humility—'I did nothing; I am blessed.' Drop the doer and receive the grace that is given unasked."
"When consciousness matures, actions dissolve into zero, revealing that true spirituality is not about producing effects, but simply about being."
"Every action bears its own fruit in its own time; good cannot erase bad, nor can bad negate good—each deed must be lived through."
"Karmas exist only because we mistake the dream for reality; when awareness recognizes the seer as real and the seen as illusion, karma dissolves effortlessly."
"The enlightened radiate love without cause, while we approach them burdened by our own karmic chains. In their presence, all play-acting dissolves into the divine spontaneity of being."
"Happiness and unhappiness are not predetermined by karma; they are the fruits of your present choices and actions. Awaken to your power to transform your conditions and create a life of joy."
Is repression also karma?
definition"Repression is karma; it binds you to suffering, but awareness transforms that energy, dissolving the chains and opening the door to true freedom."
"Evolution of the body may be automatic, but the evolution of consciousness demands our will; it is a journey of intentional participation and self-directed transformation."
"The battle with karma is a solitary journey; true freedom arises when you decline all support, for in seeking company, you betray your quest for inner liberation."
"Karma ripens instantly; every thought, word, and deed carries its result within itself, and you taste it in your own consciousness, here and now."
What are the fruits of karma?
outcome"Only actions done in awareness, free from ego and attachment, yield the fruit of freedom—clarity, compassion, and a joy that transcends reward and punishment."
"Awareness transforms sacred moments into blessings; without it, we miss the divine and prolong our inner anguish."
"Your presence in a meditative field can dissolve the chains of past karma; embrace it with openness, or risk creating new layers of missed opportunities."
"Every condition in life is an invitation to awaken; it is not the label of fortune or misfortune that matters, but how consciously we respond to our unique journey."
"Karma does not carry over into the next birth; only the dry traces of our past actions remain, shaping our tendencies and character unless we consciously choose to forge a new path."
"Karma in relationships is not fate, but the mind's repetitive patterns; true freedom arises when we drop expectations and see each other as we truly are."
What is the fruit of karma?
outcome"The fruit of karma is not a punishment but a precious opportunity; use it consciously to exhaust old patterns and free yourself from the cycle of bondage."
What is the function of the fire of knowledge in relation to enduring the sins of infinite births?
outcome"The fire of knowledge does not erase karma; it ignites a willingness to face suffering, transforming the eternity of reaping into a brief, conscious endurance."
"In sannyas, you awaken to awareness, transforming each action into a conscious act that leaves no karmic residue, liberating you from the chains of the past."
What is the law of karma?
definition"Karma is not a cosmic law of justice but a simple reflection of cause and effect; existence is neutral, and our actions merely reveal our latent tendencies."
"What you give to others is never lost; it returns to you, often multiplied, for we are all interconnected in the dance of existence."
"Your birth circumstances are the echoes of your past actions, revealing the karmic patterns that shape your journey; true transformation begins when you change your actions and attitudes, transcending the limitations of your conditioning."
"Unconscious acts bind you in misery, while conscious actions blossom into bliss; awareness is the key that dissolves the chains of karma."
"Ignorance is the fertile ground for karma; only through total awareness or complete surrender can we break free from its binding cycle."
Profound Quotes on Karma
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