Osho's perspective on Life
When Osho Spoke About Life
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Question: Second question: Osho, it feels as if life is passing moment by moment. I have even found a true master; still, why is the next step unclear? If you truly sink into this moment, you will be so soaked with joy that a note of gratitude to the divine will arise on its own. That is prayer. No temple is needed for prayer. What is needed is entry into the moment—a dip into the current of time within it. From there the “ah!” of wonder arises, and then it surrounds the entire horizon of your life. No, do not even ask what the next step is. There is no next step. There is only one step. Take this very step now; tomorrow you will take this same step; the day after tomorrow too. Do not wait for tomorrow’s path. Open your heart and take it today.Read the full discourse →
Osho, is life not sometimes far more surprising than fictions themselves?
Laughter was his device. It is said many people became enlightened through Hotei's laughter. That was his only meditation: to laugh and help people laugh. Just watch life, and you will be surprised. A Scot, an Italian and a Jewish man were dining together in an expensive restaurant. When the bill arrived, the Scotsman promptly declared that he would take it. Now this is impossible! "The Scotsman promptly declared that he would take it." Can you believe it? Is it possible? It has never happened, it is not going to happen -- but that day it happened. The next day the newspapers carried the headline: "JEWISH VENTRILOQUIST SHOT IN RESTAURANT." McLeod and his wife visited one of the circus airfields where they charge fifty dollars for a plane ride just around the town. Naturally he would not spend the money until the pilot approached him. "I will take you and…Read the full discourse →
Question: Third question: Osho, why does life seem futile? Life is a blank sheet; you will read what you write on it. You can write abuse on it, you can write songs. And remember, abuse is composed from the same alphabet as songs; the alphabet is neutral, impartial. The paper you write on is neutral, impartial. The pen you write with is neutral, impartial. All the cards are in your hands. You must have lived in a certain way—hence it appears futile. The mistake is in your way of living. Do not abuse life. It’s a great joke: people say, “Life is futile.” They don’t say, “Our way of living is futile!” And your so‑called sadhus, saints, mahatmas also keep telling you—life is futile. I want to tell you something else.Read the full discourse →
Osho, you say, “As He wills, let us become mere instruments; whatever role in life we have been given, let us fulfill it.” But letting what happens happen—i.e., flowing along with the body, mind, and ego—gives rise to suffering. So should we keep applying the principle of instrumentality even in relation to the body, mind, and ego, and go on suffering? How do we solve the riddle between the principle of instrumentality and the continuous reality of suffering?
That supreme bliss is beyond both pleasure and pain. It is neither like night nor like day. It is twilight. The sun has set, night has not yet come; the light remains—very gentle, sweet, non-aggressive—that is twilight. Morning has come, the sun is not yet risen, the night has gone—such is the twilight. One who abides in that twilight—that is what we call prayer. That is why Hindus call their prayer sandhya. Sandhya means one who has stopped in between the dualities, who has found the truce between the two. Between pleasure and pain, love and hate, victory and defeat, night and day, life and death—one who has found the pact and stands in that concord. Seek that interval of conjunction. Krishna says, it is simple to find. If you cease to be the doer, you will find it instantly. It is only through your doer-ship that you keep missing.…Read the full discourse →
"Each sperm cell holds the potential for life, waiting for the moment when technology and intention align to bring forth new souls into existence."
"Awakening is the key that unlocks the circular wheel of life, allowing you to step beyond the repetitive cycle of desires and fears into a realm of freshness and responsiveness."
"Drop the past each moment and meet this moment nakedly; only then will life reveal its eternal freshness."
"A life without mistakes is lifeless; embrace challenges and make fresh errors, for only through adversity does the soul truly mature."
"Live with natural acceptance and gratitude, allowing your unique essence to flow freely, for life’s purpose is the blossoming of your authentic joy."
How should life be lived?
practice"Live as a mirror: welcome everything, cling to nothing, for life is only here and now. Embrace the beauty of the moment, like a rainbow—fleeting yet profound."
"To sit steadfastly at the gate of life, embrace the dance of birth and death as one, for in fearless witnessing, the blackboard of death reveals the writing of immortality."
Is life a question or a riddle?
definition"Life is not a question to be answered but a riddle to be lived; dive into its mystery and celebrate each moment without seeking conceptual solutions."
Is life all a joke?
definition"Life is a cosmic joke, and the weight of suffering comes from our seriousness; embrace laughter and lightness to see the beauty in the play."
"Life is not a struggle; it transforms into a celebration when you drop the ego and embrace the present moment."
Is life nothing but misery?
definition"Life is not misery; it is an empty canvas, and your consciousness is the artist that can create heaven or hell through your choices and awareness."
Is life really just a play?
definition"Life is a divine play, revealed only when you awaken from the slumber of illusion, transforming your fears and ambitions into the joy of existence."
Is life really meaningless?
definition"Life is not a destination to be reached; its meaning unfolds in the beauty of each present moment. When you are fully aware, meaning is not sought—it is simply experienced."
Is life really so unserious and absurd?
definition"Life is a radiant play, absurd to the mind, but when you witness it from a distance, seriousness dissolves and laughter blossoms. Embrace the world like a lotus—fully engaged yet untouched, choosing blissful awareness over habitual misery."
"Life is a dreamlike mystery that always outstrips fiction; awaken your sensitivity, and even the ordinary becomes miraculous."
Is life true or false?
definition"Life is a blank canvas, and you are the creator; with awareness and devotion, you can transform existence into fragrance rather than dust."
"The Divine is not a destination to be reached; it is the presence that exists here and now, waiting for your awakening in this very moment."
Is the purpose of life limited to being born, earning a living, having children, and dying?
definition"Life is not merely a cycle of birth and death; it is a self-created celebration of joy, consciousness, and creativity. Transcend the ordinary and transform existence into a meaningful, ecstatic living."
Is there a gap between man and life?
definition"There is no gap between man and life; the separation you feel is merely a creation of the mind. When thought quiets, you realize you are not an observer of life, but life itself flowing in harmony."
"You receive exactly what you are willing to pay; offer everything, even your ego, and in that total giving, you receive eternal life."
Is there any point in living?
definition"Life has no distant point to reach; its significance lies in the beauty of living itself—stop asking "for what?" and simply embrace the joy of now."
"Life is not a business to profit from; it is a dance to be celebrated in the fullness of each moment. Live lovefully now—this is the only reward."
"Buddha's declaration of life as 'misery' is not a truth but a mirror reflecting the questioner's inner turmoil, a compassionate nudge to awaken inquiry and transcend belief."
"Life is merely the body's slow decay, while true existence lies in the deathless consciousness that transcends birth and death. Embrace meditative awareness, and you will see death as simply changing worn clothes, freeing yourself from the fear of living."
"Embrace life in all its dimensions, where body, mind, soul, and the Divine dance together in harmony, celebrating existence without attachment. Treat every experience as sacred, for in the integration of all, true freedom is found."
Profound Quotes on Life
Explore our structured collection of meaning-mapped quotes regarding Life.
Open Quotes Library →