Osho's perspective on Sufism
When Osho Spoke About Sufism
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Why do sufis deliberately disguise and hide themselves?
-- because they want their energies to be used rightly, because they are creative people. They are not interested in name and fame, they are not interested in anything else; they are only interested in giving a new life to people who are desiring God, longing for God. Why should they waste their time and energy? There are many kinds of people in the world. A few are curious people, they come just out of curiosity, they waste time. Then there are a few who come with enquiry. They are better than the curious people, there is some possibility that they may grow, but that is only a possibility. Then there is a third kind who is really a seeker, who is ready to stake his life, who is ready to lose something for it, who is ready to pay the price for it. The Sufi will work with the…
Why do the sufis say that man is a machine?
You are a machine. It is just a built-in program in you now: you feel nervous, your hand goes into the pocket, the packet comes out. It is almost like a machine doing things. You take the cigarette out, you put the cigarette in your mouth, you light the cigarette, and this is all going on mechanically. This has been done millions of times, and you are doing it again. And each time you do this it is strengthened; the machine becomes more mechanical, the machine becomes more skillful. The more you do it, the less awareness is needed to do it. This is why the Sufis say man functions as a machine. Unless you start destroying these mechanical habits... Sufis have many methods to destroy them. For example, they teach many devices. They say: Do something just contrary to what you have always done. Try it. You come home,…
If I can truly experience the music of the fluteplayer, can that be on the same level as the experience you wish to occur with you? I am thinking of the sufis: I see, but I do not see. I am behind a glass wall.
The object is irrelevant. Only the subjectivity is relevant. Whether listening to me, or listening to a fluteplayer, or listening to the birds in the morning, or sitting by the side of the waterfall and listening to it, the same experience can happen. It happens not from what you listen to, it happens because you listen. Just listening gives you total silence; in deep listening you disappear. The whole art is how to listen. Once you know how to listen, in deep receptivity, sensitivity, you are not there. The listener is not there, only listening. And when the listener is not there, there is no ego: there is no one who listens, only listening. And then it penetrates to the very core of your being. If you listen to me with mind, you will miss. If you listen to the waterfall without mind, you will get. It is not a…
Yesterday you said that zen is the beautiful result of melting tao and buddhism, and sufism the flower that blooms out of islam and hinduism. Is your teaching the super-flower, the cross-breeding between zen and sufism?
It is not a flower, it is just a meeting of two fragrances. Zen is a superflower, so is Sufism. Nothing can be added to them; they are perfect. As far as flowers are concerned, they have attained to perfection; nothing more can be added to them, they have bloomed. What I am doing here is trying to fuse their fragrances. A rose has flowered and so has flowered a lotus. Both arc spreading their fragrances to the wind. What I am doing here is trying to fuse their fragrance, which is a very subtle phenomenon. A flower is gross, fragrance is subtle. A flower is visible, fragrance is invisible. A flower is material, fragrance is simply spiritual. That's what I am doing here trying to bring together all the flowers of Tantra, of Yoga, of Tao, of Sufism, of Zen, of Hasidism, Jews, Moslems. Hindus, Buddhists. Jains-l am trying…
"Authentic masters exist in every moment; it is your awareness and receptivity that reveal their light."
"In the depth of silent, egoless listening, whether to a flute or a Sufi master, the listener dissolves, and in that vast silence, truth reveals itself."
"You need not whirl to find the unmoving center within; simply witness your thoughts, and in the silence that follows, the eternal stillness will reveal itself."
"Sufism is the timeless essence that transcends religious forms, a rebellion against the rigidity of ritualism that seeks to renew the original spirit of truth."
"True mystics often walk the path of rebellion, for their insights challenge the confines of orthodoxy and illuminate the essence of existence."
"Total focus emerges when you drop the goal and relax into the moment; let go of striving, and allow action to unfold effortlessly."
"A true master is not recognized through arguments, but through the spontaneous love and joy that arise within you; your transformation is the only proof needed."
"True love is not possessive; it is the trust that allows the beloved to explore their own path, for in freedom, love blossoms and the Divine reveals itself."
"To dance the Sufi dance, you do not change your clothes; you change your inner attire to total surrender, unconditional love, and trust, allowing grace to move through you."
"Being a Sufi is a dance between willful seeking and the grace of surrender; you strive until the ego collapses, and in that defeat, the blessing of existence descends."
Is the concept of 'no God until you have met Him' connected with the awareness we are seeking?
definition"Truth is realized only through direct awareness; belief is an escape, while courageous, childlike curiosity opens the eyes to the divine here and now."
"My teaching is not a cross-breeding of Zen and Sufism; it is the fusion of their living essences into a single, subtle perfume that transcends all sectarian forms."
"Remember, you are not just a clod of earth; awaken to the inner sky of consciousness and unite with the Divine before the clay returns to clay."
"Leave the body as you found it, untouched and pure, for the soul's journey is to return home, free from the burdens of the mundane."
"True trust admits no second place; when you trust completely, existence itself takes care of you."
"Sannyas is not a change of clothes, but a radical reorientation that transforms your very being, allowing meditation to blossom as a life-affirming exploration rather than an escape."
"Connecting with Rumi awakens a living current within you, stirring wild waves of love and trust that transcend mere knowledge, inviting you to surrender to the transformative journey of your soul."
"A realized being engages in conflict not from anger, but as a compassionate surgeon, wielding their sword of peace to prevent greater harm with clarity and responsibility."
"When you offer salaam to the Sufis, your ego melts away, and in their presence, joy and creativity blossom, transforming you into a vessel of true poetry."
What is 'Adab' in Sufism?
definition"Adab in Sufism is the spontaneous grace that flows from love, transforming devotion into a living discipline where seeker and guide dissolve into the divine."
"Sufi meditation is the heart's spontaneous prayer, where the present blooms and you become the bird on the wing, free from the cage of technique. It arrives like a breeze, filling you with joy, then departs, leaving only vast silence and freedom."
"The purpose of life is not to fulfill a predefined role, but to blossom into your unique individuality; through self-awareness and meditation, your true purpose will unfold effortlessly."
"Sufism and Buddhism are merely stepping stones, tools to transcend the mind; in the end, all distinctions dissolve into the pure essence of presence."
"To remain as you are, do not interfere with your natural breath; but if you seek transformation, embrace the science of pranayam, for it reshapes the mind and emotions, catalyzing profound inner change."
"Devotion transcends names; whether you chant Allah or Ram, it is the purity of the heart that transforms any dance into a Sufi celebration."
Profound Quotes on Sufism
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