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Osho on Passivity

Passivity

In the essence of Osho's wisdom, true passivity embodies a vibrant, watchful energy, a serene readiness that savors the simplicity of existence—like a poised cat—while laziness languishes in inertia, devoid of life’s dynamic pulse.

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Osho's perspective on Passivity

When Osho Spoke About Passivity

Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.

Tao The Three Treasures Vol 2 · Discourse 6 1975-06-26 Buddha Hall English

What is the difference between waiting for godot and waiting for god?

It is as if the sun has risen in the morning and you are sitting in your room with closed doors and windows, in darkness. Open the doors, you become available to the sun. The sun was already available -- just the meeting happens. You cannot wait for God. All waiting is for Godot. Godot means the one who never comes, who CANNOT come, whose arrival is impossible. And the only impossible thing is that which has already happened -- how can it happen again? You are alive, and you are waiting for life, Now, this is ridiculous. The real man of religion does not think in terms of God. He thinks in terms of life or, even better, of living -- because life can again become an abstract idea. Living, moment-to-moment living. In that very living, one knows what God is, because one knows who one is. Your idea…
Tao Upanishad · Discourse 85Question 1 1973-11-24 Bombay Hindi

Osho, on the first day you explained that “non-ability” is a precious word in Taoist vision and carries great spiritual value. In that context it seems that tamasic and lazy people already possess the quality of non-ability, yet their spiritual growth is not visible. What is your view on this?

What Lao Tzu calls “non-ability” is the name of the deepest ability. It is not laziness; it is the ultimate state of rest. Nor is it tamas; it is a most incandescent state of energy. Understand the difference clearly. The confusion is natural, because if someone is sitting inactive it appears to us that he is lazy. But all who sit inactive are not lazy. The one we call lazy does not truly sit empty; the work of the mind goes on. Perhaps the lazy man does nothing with his body, but with the mind he is fully busy. Where those who are bodily active are running, he too runs with his desires and cravings. In the mind there is no difference. He seems lazy to us because he is not running as we are. But he too is running. If laziness becomes absolute—what Lao Tzu calls non-doing—then laziness itself…
The Cypress In The Courtyard · Discourse 23Para 36 1976-06-27 Chuang Tzu Auditorium English
With the modern concept it is very difficult. In ancient times it was possible because the very economics of the society was such. In India just a hundred years ago it was possible to support thousands of sannyasins. In fact, in every family you could have found one or two people who were not doing anything. But nobody was against them, because even if one person was a working member in the family -- a family of thirty, forty people -- that was enough. So lazy people were not condemned. And if a lazy person became religious, he was worshipped. There was no problem about it. He was almost thought to, be a great holy man. Passivity is being completely at ease, with no goal, no effort, nothing to be done. If something happens, it happens. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. One has no choice about it.
The Razor S Edge · Discourse 27 1987-03-10 Chuang Tzu Auditorium English

Beloved Osho, what is the difference between the emptiness of the child before the formation of the ego and the awakened childlikeness of a buddha?

Whether you are for it or against it doesn't matter -- your concern shows where your ego is hanging. And I will include the capitalist in it also: his whole concern is how to gather money, hoard money -- because money has power over matter. You can purchase any material thing through money. You cannot purchase anything spiritual, you cannot purchase anything that has any intrinsic value; you can purchase only things. If you want to purchase love, you cannot purchase; but you can purchase sex. Sex is the material part of love. Through money, matter can be purchased, possessed. Now you will be surprised: I include the communist and the capitalist both in the same category, and they are enemies, just as I include Charvaka and Mahatma Gandhi in the same category, and they are enemies. They are enemies, but their concern is the same. The capitalist is trying…

"Passivity is the vibrant alertness of being fully present, while laziness is the dull inertia of a life unengaged. Embrace the stillness of passivity, for it is the readiness to act without the compulsion to do."

Passivity is like a cat resting but ready to jump; laziness is like being too tired to move.
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