Osho's perspective on Simplicity
When Osho Spoke About Simplicity
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Osho, the path of simplicity is the second one. What is it?
The first path is to try to be simple, to make an effort, to practice it. Cultivated simplicity is always false. Because to practice, by its very meaning, is to practice against your own mind; otherwise, what is the practice against? If being naked is blissful for me, I will not call it practice. If wearing clothes is blissful for me and then I start practicing being naked, will nakedness be a “practice”? And if being naked is simply blissful—if wearing clothes never gave me the joy that comes from being naked—then no one would call it a practice. It is my joy. We practice only that which is contrary to us; practice means repression. Practice is inevitably repression. And wherever effort is required, against whom is that effort made—against oneself? No effort made against oneself can ever win. How could it win? Who would win? How can I win…
ओशो, सरलता का मार्ग तो दूसरा है। वह क्या है?
पहला मार्ग तो यह है कि सरलता की चेष्टा करो, एफर्ट करो, साधो। साधी हुई सरलता सदा झूठी होती है। क्योंकि साधने का मतलब ही होता है, अपने चित्त के खिलाफ साधना, नहीं तो साधना किसके खिलाफ है? अगर मुझे नंगा होना आनंदपूर्ण है तो इसको मैं साधना नहीं कहूंगा। अगर मुझे कपड़ा पहना आनंदपूर्ण है और फिर नंगे होने का अभ्यास करूं तो नंगा होना साधना होगी? और अगर नंगा होना मुझे सिर्फ आनंदपूर्ण है, यानी कपड़ा पहने मुझे वह आनंद कभी आया ही नहीं, जो नंगा होने में आता है, तो इसको कोई साधना नहीं कहेगा। यह मेरा आनंद है। साधते हम उसी को हैं, जो हमारे विपरीत है। यानी साधते हम वही हैं, जिसमें दमन करना पड़ता है। साधना अनिवार्य रूप से दमन है। और जिसमें हमें प्रयास करना पड़ता है, उसमें हम किसके खिलाफ प्रयास करेंगे—अपने खिलाफ? और अपने खिलाफ कोई भी प्रयास कभी भी नहीं जीत सकता। क्योंकि जीतेगा कैसे? कौन जीतेगा? मैं ही कैसे जीत जाऊंगा अपने खिलाफ! …
Osho, you criticize Gandhism. But isn’t the Gandhian principle of simplicity correct?
I said to her, “You will at least grant that Krishnamurti has at least as much intelligence as you? He too could have thought before leaving home: ‘I, a renowned wise, enlightened man, will go buy a tie—what will people think!’ If he had held back, that would have been cunning, hypocrisy. And he wasn’t sneaking into some smuggler’s den like a thief; he was standing in a shop in the middle of the market. A small town—at least six thousand people had gathered there to hear him; they were all around. He bought the tie in front of all his devotees! Do you think it didn’t occur to him that “Six thousand of my devotees are here; what will they say if they see me buying a tie!” He could have had the shopkeeper bring them home, chosen in privacy. He wouldn’t have lost devotees; no harm done. But…
चौथा प्रश्न: ओशो, आप गांधीवाद की आलोचना करते हैं। लेकिन क्या गांधीवाद का सादगी का सिद्धांत सही नहीं है?
मैंने उस महिला को कहा: तुम इतना तो मानोगी कि कृष्णमूर्ति में उतनी तो बुद्धि होगी ही, जितनी तुममें है? इतना तो मानती हो? उनको भी घर से चलते वक्त यह खयाल आ सकता था कि मैं, इतना प्रतिष्ठित ज्ञानी, प्रबुद्ध पुरुष, टाई खरीदने जाऊंगा; लोग क्या सोचेंगे! और अगर रुक गए होते, तो वह चालबाजी होती; वह पाखंड होता। फिर उस दुकान में भरे बाजार में खड़े थे, कोई चोर की तरह कहीं किसी स्मगलर के घर में घुसकर तो टाई नहीं खरीद रहे थे। बीच बाजार में खरीद रहे थे। छोटा सा गांव, वहां कम से कम छह हजार लोग इकट्ठे हुए थे कृष्णमूर्ति को सुनने; वे सब वहीं थे गांव में। इन सब भक्तों के सामने खरीद रहे थे! …
Dear master, what is simplicity?
The really humble people will not know that they are humble; how can they then brag about it? How can the humble person know that he is humble? The humble person is a person no more. The humble person is in a state of fana: the humble person has dissolved. Now he is only a presence. Humbleness is a presence, not a characteristic of personality, not a trait, but just a presence. Others will feel it, but you will not be able to feel it yourself. So is the case with simplicity. Simplicity simply means living moment to moment spontaneously, not according to some philosophy, not according to Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, not according to any philosophy. Whenever you live according to a philosophy you have betrayed yourself, you are an enemy to yourself. Simplicity means to be in a deep friendship with oneself, to live your life with no idea…
Beloved Osho, for years you have talked to us of simplicity: simplicity in love, the simplicity of enlightenment, and now the simple solution to the power game between the united states and russia. Why has man developed such complexity, and why does he show such mistrust and disbelief in the simple?
The yogis have not produced anything, have not created anything, have made no contribution to the world. What have your ascetics given to the world? What have your so-called saints been doing all along, except being parasites sucking your blood? And these are the people you have been worshipping. And why have you been worshipping them? For the simple reason that you cannot stand for twelve hours on your head. Try it -- even for twelve minutes it is difficult. In fact, when you first try you will fall many times; you may have a broken rib. The yogi is doing something difficult. A man is standing naked in the snow in the Himalayas, and people come from thousands of miles to touch his feet. All that he is doing is getting frozen and dead. What is his contribution? Nobody goes to touch the feet of Albert Einstein, or Bertrand…
Do villagers possess simplicity?
definitionWhat is simplicity?
definitionWhat is the path of simplicity?
definitionWhy has man developed such complexity?
definitionProfound Quotes on Simplicity
Explore our structured collection of meaning-mapped quotes regarding Simplicity.