“Sannyas means courage more than anything else, because it is a declaration of your individuality, a declaration of freedom, a declaration that you will not be any more part of the mob madness, the mob psychology. It is a declaration that you are becoming universal; you will not belong to any country, to any church, to any race, to any religion.”
Osho, Finger Pointing to the Moon, Number 7
“The question is not of being my sannyasin, the question is of being a sannyasin. To be my sannyasin certainly needs a certain commitment, a certain surrender. And I do not want you to be surrendered to me, or to be committed to me. I want you to be surrendered to nature, committed to existence. You need not be my sannyasin, you have just to be a sannyasin – and that’s the only way of being my sannyasin.”
Osho, Beyond Psychology, Number 15
“This is what I mean when I say: ‘Be a sannyasin. Just be.’ Your ochre robes, your mala – these are rules. This is a game. This is not what I mean by real sannyas. But you are so accustomed to games that before I lead you to a rule-less life, in the transitory period you will need rules. Moving from this world of rules, of games, to that world without rules and games, a bridge has to be passed. Your orange clothes, your mala, are just for that transitory period. You cannot drop rules immediately, so I give you new rules. But be fully alert that your robes are not your sannyas, your mala is not your sannyas, your new name is not your sannyas. Sannyas will be there when there is no name, when you become nameless. Then there will be no rules. Then you will be so ordinary, you will not be recognized.”
Osho, A Bird on the Wing, Number 9
