Osho's perspective on Organization
When Osho Spoke About Organization
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Question: OSHO, ISN'T ORGANIZATION A NECESSITY FOR A RELIGION TO SURVIVE? UNFORTUNATELY, it is. Religion needs some kind of organization, but the problem arises. Organization in itself is a political entity; organization does not need religion at all. To survive, religion needs organization. To survive, organization needs no religion at all. There is the crux of the whole problem. There have been in the past efforts to create religion without any organization, seeing that all the organizations somehow end up in being anti-religious. For example, the Catholic church -- it is a very solid organization but only an organization; there is no religion left. Religion is a disturbance as far as the hierarchy of the organization is concerned. Religion is a continuous trouble; religious people will be trouble.
Osho, if organization and sectarianism bring about the decline of religion and Tao, please explain why people like Buddha or Mahavira lay the foundations of organizations. And you too, being fully aware of this, why are you laying the foundation of an organization like Neo-Sannyas International?
As I said, birth comes with death; whenever truth is born, organization is born. This cannot be avoided. The moment truth is told to another, organization begins. Either the one to whom truth has happened keeps silent, drinks it alone, and tells no one. Buddha thought so. When he became enlightened he remained silent for seven days. He thought, There is no point in saying it. Those who can arrive will arrive without words; those who cannot, telling will not help—it will only create confusion. Better to remain quiet. But there is a sweet story: the gods, Brahma himself, came and pleaded at his feet, “Do not do this! Who knows after how many thousands of years someone attains buddhahood; what he has known should be spoken, communicated, shared.” Buddha said, “Those who can attain will attain without me, and those who cannot—why should I waste my time and energy…
Question: BELOVED MASTER, ARE YOU AGAINST TEMPORARY, WORKABLE ORGANIZATION? No. A temporary workable organization is an absolute necessity; otherwise there would be simply chaos. But remember that it is a temporary workable organization. It has no power, it is just functional -- just like the post office. Certainly we need a certain kind of organization; otherwise the post office cannot work. But nobody knows who the head of the whole organization is in America, who the head postmaster general is. There is no need to know; it is a functional organization. But why should you know about President Ronald Reagan? That should also be another postal organization, not more than that. There are railways functioning, airplanes functioning. They have their functional organizations; nobody bothers about who is the president. Then what special status has the government got?
Osho, a question has arisen about institutions and the sangha. Souls like Mahavira attained themselves by seeking themselves, not by following anyone else. This seems entirely true; and yet, by creating the fourfold sangha of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, did Mahavira not in fact create an organization? Did this formation of a sangha not become, in a direct sense, imitation? What might Mahavira have meant by having people follow after him? And isn’t a body of sannyasins and an organization forming around you exactly like Mahavira’s? Please clarify briefly.
Everything deteriorates in human hands. There is only one remedy: if only we could say to those who loved Moses, Please, do not worship the flute—learn to play it. If those around Moses learned to play—even if they could not play as Moses did—if they at least learned to play, one thing would be certain: no one would plate the flute with gold or stud it with jewels. Because then they could say: the worship of the flute is not of the flute, but of the music that arises from it. And that music arises only when the flute is hollow. Fill it with gold and no music will arise. Do not worship Mahavira and Buddha; rather, what happened in their lives—the heights that manifested, the summits they touched—if we too set out, even for smaller hills, perhaps there will be no distortion. But we get busy worshiping. Worship itself…
"Temporary organizations are not negative; they are essential tools that must remain flexible and serve the living needs of people, never overshadowing the creativity and essence of existence."
"True dialogue arises from presence and awareness; when egos relax, the right questions and insights flow naturally."
"Religion is like a delicate flower, needing the strong roots of organization for survival, yet those very roots can suffocate its essence if they become too powerful. True spirituality thrives in a minimal structure that nurtures authenticity rather than suppresses it."
"Freedom without responsibility is a fleeting gift; if not embraced, the old structures will reclaim their hold."
"Every organization is a necessary evil; it serves to coordinate life but can stifle individuality—true life is found in the fluidity of communion, not in rigid structures."
"The purpose of this vast organization is to create an uproar, to jolt you from your slumber and provoke the inquiry that leads to inner transformation."
"Organization is the servant of the spirit; it should support awareness, not dominate it, for meditation is the true master, not management."
"Even knowing that decay is inevitable, wise masters establish organizations to guide the seekers, shaping the form of truth themselves rather than allowing it to be distorted by others."
Profound Quotes on Organization
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