Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, was a spiritual teacher, mystic, and philosopher. These quotes by Osho focused on self-realization, meditation, and the inner transformation of individuals. The approach of Osho to spirituality was unique, as he blended insights from Eastern and Western philosophies and challenged traditional belief systems. He believed that true enlightenment could only be attained through a direct experience of one’s own inner self.
Osho’s teachings have inspired millions of people around the world to seek a deeper understanding of themselves and the universe. In this list, we have compiled some of his most inspiring quotes that are sure to encourage you to think outside the box, question conventional wisdom, and awaken to your true potential.
Quotes on Truth
1. “You cannot find the truth, you can only be the truth.”
2. “Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand – relax.”
3. “Life is a balance between rest and movement.”
4. “Experience life in all possible ways – good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light, summer-winter. Experience all the dualities. Don’t be afraid of experience because the more experience you have, the more mature you become.”
5. “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother never. A mother is something absolutely new.”
6. “If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up, it dies, and it ceases to be what you love. So, if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.”
7. “Be – don’t try to become.”
8. “Be realistic: Plan for a miracle.”
9. “A certain darkness is needed to see the stars.”
10. “Love is the fragrance of knowing oneself.”
11. “The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death.”
12. “Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence.”
13. “The greatest joy in life is to love and to be loved.”
14. “If you want to live a more meaningful life, you have to realize that it is up to you to create it.”
15. “Don’t be too quick to interpret the moment. Just keep quiet. My encouragement is: never think anything is against you; everything is a blessing. Why should it be different? Just be quiet.”
Quotes on Faith
16. “The only way to live is to take risks.”
17. “The moment you accept yourself, you become beautiful.”
18. “Meditation is a surrender, it is not a demand. It is not forcing existence your way, it is flowing with existence in a universal way.”
19. “If you want to be creative, then stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society.”
20. “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.”
21. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
22. “Be loving towards yourself, then you will be able to love others too.”
23. “It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.”
24. “The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, ‘if you take care of me, I will take care of you.’ Now I say, ‘I will take care of me for you if you will take care of yourself for me.”
25. “Don’t try to understand life. Live it!”
26. “Intelligence is the capacity to be in the present. The more you are in the past or future, the less intelligent you are.”
27. “Life begins where fear ends.”
28. “The greatest freedom is to be yourself.”
29. “To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.”
30. “The mind exists in time; in fact, the mind is time; it exists in the past and the future. And remember, time consists of only two tenses, the past and the future. The present is not part of the time, the present is part of eternity.”
Quotes on Happiness
31. “Friendship is the purest form of love.”
32. “Happiness is a function of accepting what is.”
33. “The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you are yourself, you will not be happy.”
34. “Love is not a relationship. Love is a state of being; it has nothing to do with anybody else. One is not ‘in love’; one is love.”
35. “If you love a person, you accept the total person. With all the defects, all the ugly points, all the shortcomings, all the failures.”
36. “The greatest courage in the world is to be vulnerable.”
37. “The only way to drop the past is to live the moment.”
38. “Courage is a love affair with the unknown.”
39. “To be alive means to be creative.”
40. “Life is a mystery, not to be solved, but to be lived.”
41. “Nobody is superior, nobody is inferior, but nobody is equal either. People are simply unique, incomparable.”
42. “Seriousness is a disease of the ego, but laughter is the antidote.”
43. “All that is great cannot be possessed – and that is one of the most foolish things man goes on doing. We want to possess. And then we are destroyed by our possessions.”
44. “The ego is a false centre, a projection of the mind that lives through identification.”
45. “In the beginning, there is not much difference between the coward and the courageous person. The only difference is the coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous person puts them aside and goes ahead. The courageous person goes into the unknown in spite of all the fears.”
46. “Love is the goal, life is the journey.”
47. “Love and meditation are two aspects of the same coin. Without love, meditation has no fragrance; without meditation, love has no depth.”
48. “Freedom is not ideal, it is not something to be attained. It is already here, it is our very nature.”
49. “Don’t be a follower, be a light unto yourself.”
50. “The moment you drop all judgments and become pure, you will understand everything without effort.”
51. “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.”
52. “The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.”
53. “To be in silence is to be in meditation. In silence, you can hear your own inner voice and connect with your true self.”
54. “The only way to live in this world is to love it.”
55. “When you are joyful when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.”
56. “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you happiness. You have to take it for yourself.”
57. “To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water, but to walk on the earth.”
58. “The mind is always creating stories, and the heart is always creating love. Learn to listen to the heart and ignore the mind.”
59. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.”
60. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”
Quotes on Belief
61. “It is your responsibility to grow, and it is your birthright to be happy.”
62. “The only thing that keeps you from living the life you want is the belief that you can’t have it.”
63. “The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.”
64. “The greatest fear in the world is the opinion of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep; you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.”
65. “Don’t carry your mistakes with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones to rise above them.”
66. “Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.”
67. “It is only in a deep state of relaxation that you can hear the inner voice of your heart.”
68. “The greatest adventure in life is to be who you are.”
69. “The only way to overcome fear is to face it head-on.”
70. “True happiness is when you are content with yourself and your life, regardless of what others think or say.”
71. “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
Conclusion
Quotes by Osho on philosophy have had a profound impact on spirituality and self-improvement. His insights on meditation, self-realization, and inner transformation have inspired countless individuals to explore their own consciousness and seek a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Osho’s unconventional approach to spirituality challenged traditional belief systems and encouraged people to think for themselves. His quotes serve as a reminder that true enlightenment comes from within and that we are all capable of attaining it through our own inner exploration. May these quotes inspire us to live our lives with authenticity, creativity, and joy and to embrace our true nature with open hearts and minds.
Also, do read our Quotes on wisdom by Rabindranath Tagore and Narad Muni for more clarity in life.