For many of us, the introduction to Osho’s wisdom doesn’t begin with his books, but with his quotes that we see all around the Internet. Why do we love Osho quotes so much? Why do we post them and repost them again and again? I think you will agree that Osho quotes contain a unique depth and can give the most unexpected and simple answers to our most difficult questions. And they also bring inspiration and clarity into our lives. That’s why there will always be space for Osho books on our shelves and Osho quotes on our social media feed.
Every time we read Osho’s words about ordinary things we always get an extraordinary perspective about things that seemed so obvious. Osho had a brilliant talent to inspire people to open up their inner potential and to see things as they are.
Who Is Osho?
Probably every one of you has heard about Osho. But if for some reason you still don’t know who this wise man that gets quoted on social media more than anyone else is, and whose quotes you know by memory, then this information is for you.
Osho is an Indian spiritual leader who preached the eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and freedom. He absorbed the ideas of India’s religious traditions, studied and taught philosophy, was a spiritual mentor and practiced social asceticism.
When I read his book for the first time it was a very new experience for me. Usually, when you read these kinds of books you expect to get a systematized knowledge that gives you clear answers to your questions. Osho’s teaching seems absolutely opposite. I would represent his teaching as a chaotic mosaic of Buddhism, yoga, Taoism, Greek philosophy, Sufism, European psychology, Tibetan traditions, Christianity, Zen, Tantrism and many other spiritual traditions intertwined with his own views. Osho himself said that he does not have a system because the system is initially dead.
Lifechanging Osho quotes about relationship
Relationship is a bondage
“The moment love becomes a relationship, it becomes a bondage, because there are expectations and there are demands and there are frustrations, and an effort from both sides to dominate. It becomes a struggle for power…
“Two persons can be very loving together. The more loving they are, the less is the possibility of any relationship. And naturally, there is no question of any frustration.”
Osho, The Hidden Splendor
“When you are happy alone, when you can live with yourself, there is no intrinsic necessity to be in relationship. That does not mean that you will not relate. But to relate is one thing, and to be in relationship is quite another. Relationship is a kind of bondage, relating is sharing. You will relate with many people, you will share your joy with many people, but you will not depend on anyone in particular and you will not allow anybody else to depend on you. You will not be dependent, and you will not allow anybody to be dependent on you. Then you live out of freedom, out of joy, out of love.”
Osho, Be Still and Know
Relationship and love are two different things
“Relationship means something complete, finished, closed. Love is never a relationship; love is relating. It is always a river, flowing, unending. Love knows no full stop; the honeymoon begins but never ends. It is not like a novel that starts at a certain point and ends at a certain point. It is an ongoing phenomenon. Lovers end, love continues. It is a continuum. It is a verb, not a noun.
“And why do we reduce the beauty of relating to relationship? Why are we in such a hurry? – because to relate is insecure, and relationship is a security, relationship has a certainty. Relating is just a meeting of two strangers, maybe just an overnight stay and in the morning we say good-bye. Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? And we are so afraid that we want to make it certain, we want to make it predictable. We would like tomorrow to be according to our ideas; we don’t allow it freedom to have its own say. So we immediately reduce every verb to a noun.”
Osho, The Book of Wisdom
“Relationship and love are totally different things. Love is never a relationship, and relationship is never love. Love relates, but it is not a relationship. Relationship is a dead thing, a closed thing. Love is a flowing.”
Osho, Walk Without Feet, Fly Without Wings and Think Without Mind
Relationship is a challenge
“When you are in relationship with people, in a thousand and one ways you are provoked, challenged, seduced. Again and again, you come to know your pitfalls, your limitations, your anger, your lust, your possessiveness, your jealousy, your sadness, your happiness all moods come and go, you are constantly in a turmoil. But this is the only way to know who you are.
“Self-knowledge is not the knowledge of a dead self, self-knowledge is the knowledge of the process of the self. It is an alive phenomenon. The self is not a thing, it is an event, it is a process. Never think in terms of things, the self is not there inside you just like a thing waiting in your room. The self is a process: changing, moving, arriving at new altitudes, moving into new planes, going deeper into new depths. Each moment much work is going on and the only way to encounter this self is to encounter it in relationship.”
Osho, Tao: The Pathless Path
Be independent and give independence to your partner
Relationship is one thing, interdependence totally another. Relationship means you are separate; you are independent and so is the other, and you decide to relate. Relationship is not interdependence, it is a contract between two independent persons. Hence all relationships are false because basically independence is false. Nobody is independent – and if you are not independent how can you relate? With whom can you relate?
Osho, The Book Of Wisdom
There are two types of relationship
There are two types of relationship: one is of fight, fear, hatred – this creates ego – the other is of love, compassion, sympathy. These are the two types of relationship. Wherever love is, fight ceases ego drops. This is why you cannot love. It is difficult because to love means to drop the ego, to drop yourself. Love means not to be.
Osho, A Bird On The Wing
I don’t like the word “friendship”
I am against all kinds of relationships. For example, I don’t like the word “friendship,” but I love the word “friendliness.” Friendliness is a quality in you, friendship again becomes a relationship.
Osho, The Hidden Splendour
Between the friend and the enemy, there is not much difference. With the friend your relationship is love-hate, and with the enemy, your relationship is hate-love. That’s the only difference – just the difference of emphasis. Love on top and hate hidden behind it – it is friendship. Hate has come on top and love has gone behind it – it is enmity.
Osho, I Say Unto You