Spirituality Includes Everything - Even Politics

Osho,
Would it not be better if you were to talk only about spirituality? Why do you bring politics and other subjects into it?

I look at life in its totality and that total vision is what I call spirituality. Politics is one of the subjects, and so is mathematics, and human rights. Spirituality is not a single category; spirituality means life in its totality.

“Spirituality means knowing and living life in its totality. Politics can live in its own category and so can mathematics, but not spirituality because spirituality does not have a category of its own. It is the art of living this life as a whole. It touches every part of life.

“Of course, politics would not like spirituality to touch it; nor would science or commerce – because spirituality changes whatever it touches. The moment the reflection of spirituality falls on politics, it cannot remain the same; similarly, science and commerce cannot remain what they are.

“It is to their advantage that spirituality does not touch them, but it is not good for spirituality. The moment spirituality is divided into segments, it becomes lifeless and pale. It can remain healthy only in its wholeness. That does not mean spirituality has to become political, or anything else. It does not have to become anything; its reflection is enough. It has only to look at politics, commerce, and science. Its vision and its wakefulness itself are a revolution.

“I am trying to follow this course, and will continue to do so.

But many vested interests are afraid of that. They even want to define the limits of spirituality. That is only to save themselves and to destroy spirituality.

“An institution that depends on exploiting people would not like spirituality to take an interest in the totality of life because spirituality cannot tolerate exploitation – and any spirituality that does tolerate it is impotent. Actually the spirituality that is prevalent is not spirituality at all, but a kind of pseudo-spirituality. That kind of spirituality has acted only as a hallucinogen and I don’t want to be included in anything like that.

As far as the promotion of spirituality is concerned, I am not interested in any sort of propaganda.

“In fact, man has to be freed from all kinds of propaganda. Consciousness can understand only that which rises above all such propaganda. Propaganda is conditioning, whereas spirituality is deconditioning. You can have political propaganda, but not spiritual propaganda.

Those who publicize spirituality are nothing but politicians in disguise.

“I am neither a promoter nor a preacher. I want to shatter everyone’s sleep. I want to shake people out of their unconsciousness, so they can see and think for themselves. I don’t want to think for them. A preacher does that. A promoter does that. They make everyone fall asleep because only those who are asleep will trust them and make them leaders and masters. A person who is awake will find his own way. He does not become anyone’s student or follower. Only unconscious people can be students and followers.

Of course, people become angry if they are woken up but I am happy with that – because it is the beginning of their awakening.”

Excerpted from Osho, Into the Void, Talk #5 – Wakeful Watching: Losing the Identification with Thoughts

You can read the complete talk here.