Osho's perspective on Yoga
When Osho Spoke About Yoga
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
You said that yoga is a science, a methodology for inner awakening. But effort to be, to go nearer to no-mind, implies motivation and hope. Even to undergo the process of inner transformation implies motivation. Then how can one move on the path of yoga with hope and motivation? Does not even waiting imply motivation?
Yes, you cannot move on the path of yoga with motivation, with desire, with hope. Really, there is no movement on the path of yoga. When you come to understand that all desire is absurd, all desire is misery, there is nothing to do, because every doing will be a new desire. There is nothing to do! Simply you cannot do anything because whatsoever you do will lead you into a new misery. Then you don't do. Desires have dropped, mind has ceased, and this is yoga; you have entered. This is not a movement, it is a stillness. Because of the language, problems arise. I say that you have entered, it appears that you have moved. When desire ceases, all movement ceases. You are in the yoga: NOW THE DISCIPLINE OF YOGA. With motivation, in the name of yoga, you will create again other miseries. I see every day…
Why do so many persons on the path of yoga adopt an attitude of fight, struggle, over-concern with keeping strict rules, and warrior-like ways? Is this necessary in order to really be a yogi?
And trust, shraddha, faith, was easier in a world which was non-technological. A technological world needs cunning, calculation, mathematics, cleverness -- not innocence. In a technological world, if you are innocent you will look foolish; if you are cunning you will look clever, intelligent. Our universities are doing nothing but this: they make you clever, cunning, calculating. The more calculating, the more cunning, the more successful you will be in the world. Quite the reverse was the case in the East in the past. If you were cunning it was impossible for you to succeed even in the outside world. Only innocence was accepted. Technique was not valued too much, but inner quality was valued too much. If a person is cunning and he makes a better shoe nobody will go to him in the East in the past. They will go to the person who is innocent. He may…
Yesterday morning you referred to the eight stages of yogic achievement and emphasized that you move from number one to number eight, in that order. Is it not possible, in individual cases, that an individual could reach one or the other states first and then move in his or her own order to achieve all eight of them?
It is possible, but when I say possible I mean only rarely, very rarely. Exceptions are always there with every rule, but when Patanjali talks, he talks about the rule, not about the exception. Exceptions need not be talked about. The greater mass of humanity cannot reach from anywhere in any other way. They will have to follow step by step -- from one to two, from two to three. They move in an organic unity. But there are freaks who can go and jump -- but then they too will have to come back and absorb the left-behind part. Their arrangement can be different, that's possible. You can start with pranayam, but then you will have to come to asan, you will have to come to YAM.... You can start by meditation, but then you will have to move to other parts which are left behind. But all the…
What is the basic difference between the more familiar systems of yoga and the system that you have developed?
The jump is possible. And I think that for us today, it has become urgent that we move within. But the preparation is bound to be different than it has been in the past, so my method works first as a catharsis. Then, it tries to create a harmony with your body. We are separated from our bodies. All the old traditions have emphasized that body and mind are two things. That is absolutely wrong. Body and mind are just two poles of one existence. The old traditions have emphasized that you are not the body, but my emphasis is quite the contrary. You are the body. You are more than the body, you go beyond the body, but you are also the body. There is no division as such, no conflict. We have created the conflict, and that conflict has created a gap. The gap has to be bridged.…
Can a yogic kriya help with this?
practice"Techniques are merely aids on the path; the essence lies in your direct awareness and consistent practice."
"The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are untouched and pure, like a seed that holds its essence intact, revealing its truth only to those prepared to receive it."
"Transcendence is not the end of the journey; it is the realization that the witness within you is the unmoving center beyond both indulgence and yoga."
"When all desire drops, yoga is not a movement but a stillness; in that silence, realization unfolds effortlessly."
How can yoga not require faith if disciples need faith, surrender, and trust in the master?
definition"Yoga does not require faith in doctrines; it invites a living faith that blossoms naturally through trust in the Master. Openness allows the right resonance to occur, making you available for the transmission of grace."
"Yoga techniques are mere toys for the restless mind; true meditation is the art of watchfulness and patient waiting, where the essence of existence reveals itself in silence."
How does one embody different spiritual identities while discussing various philosophies?
definition"Become an empty flute; when the ego vanishes, the timeless truth of the masters can play through you."
"Approach back bends with patience and awareness; let your spine unfold gradually, for depth arises naturally through slowness and presence, not ambition."
Is Patanjali's yoga a logical science that can reduce the attainment of the unknown to mere logic?
definition"Yoga is not a logical science; it is the art of transcending thought, where the infinite reveals itself beyond the confines of the mind."
"Yoga begins not in despair or optimism, but in the surrender of all hopes and fears, where the mind ceases to project into the future and finds stillness in the present."
Is it possible for an individual to reach different stages of yogic achievement out of order?
outcome"True mastery in yoga requires the harmonious integration of all eight limbs; skipping steps may grant glimpses of higher states, but without completion, true fulfillment remains elusive."
Is it possible that the technique of suppression in yoga may suit a certain type of person today?
outcome"Suppression never suits anyone; it feeds the ego and breeds hypocrisy, while true yoga lies in non-doing and watchfulness—simply observing without indulging or repressing."
Is yoga an atheistic system?
definition"Yoga is a science of inner transformation, not bound by theism or atheism; it offers various paths to truth, inviting you to choose the one that resonates with your being."
"Patanjali's yoga is not a quick fix; it is the patient preparation that allows the sudden awakening of consciousness to unfold naturally."
What are the implications of physical contact in yoga and meditation in the context of AIDS?
outcome"In the age of AIDS, let your spiritual practice be marked by awareness; embrace intimacy with a natural flow while respecting the boundaries that protect both body and soul."
"Be grounded in your natural state; contorting your body in the name of spirituality only masks the truth with ego's tricks."
What is the basic difference between traditional yoga systems and the system developed by Osho?
definition"Osho's yoga is not a belief system but a scientific exploration of the self, beginning with catharsis to liberate the mind before diving into the depths of authentic meditation."
What is the definition and meaning of yoga?
definition"Yoga is not the truth, but the living process of realizing it; the path and the goal are inseparable, for the first step already contains the last."
"Bhakti is the path of love that demands total surrender, while Yoga is disciplined effort that can easily become a barrier if it feeds the ego; true understanding arises not from concepts, but from self-awareness."
"Labels like yogi, bhakta, or gyani are mere mind-made distinctions; true masters are simply those who see, inviting you to drop categorization and seek your own awakening."
"Abide in meditative awareness before you act, allowing your actions to flow from inner silence; when you are rooted in this center, success and failure become equal tastes, transforming duty into love and karma into a path to freedom."
What is the relationship between despondency and yoga as described in the first chapter of the Gita?
definition"Despondency is not the end, but the beginning of yoga; it is the purifying fire that ignites the journey from sorrow to bliss."
What is the relationship between yogis and their actions like eating meat or drinking wine?
definition"A true yogi is defined not by their actions, but by their inner steadiness and freedom from desire; it is craving that binds, not the act itself."
Which method is right between yoga's upward ascent and Lao Tzu's downward energy approach?
definition"Both yoga's upward ascent and Lao Tzu's downward return are complementary paths; the true journey lies beyond intellect, where effort and surrender converge."
"Both methods are valid, for in the dance of opposites, energy flows in a circle; choose the path that resonates with your nature, and you will arrive at the same truth."
Profound Quotes on Yoga
Explore our structured collection of meaning-mapped quotes regarding Yoga.
Open Quotes Library →