We start making every child ambitious, and ambition means you cannot love; ambition is anti-love. Ambition needs fight, ambition needs struggle, ambition needs you to use others as a means.
RajneeshRead
One thing is certain: you can never become anything other than yourself, and unless you become yourself you cannot be happy. Happiness happens only when a rosebush grows roseflowers; when it flowers, when it has its own individuality. You may be a rosebush and trying to flower as lotus flower - that is creating insanity. Erase the mind. And the way to erase it is not by fight: the way to erase it is just to become aware.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True happiness comes from being authentic and embracing your individuality.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and individuality in achieving happiness. The metaphor of a rosebush flourishing into its own unique flower illustrates that realization of one's true self is essential; aiming to be something one is not leads to internal conflict and dissatisfaction. The quote suggests that awareness and mindfulness are the pathways to recognizing one's true nature, which ultimately fosters happiness.
Themes
HappinessSelf-AcceptanceIndividualityAwarenessAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about self-acceptance, one could use this quote to inspire the audience.
More from Rajneesh
All quotes →The technique of positive thinking is not a technique that transforms you. It is simply repressing the negative aspects of your personality. It is a method of choice. It cannot help awareness; it goes against awareness. Awareness is always choiceless.
RajneeshRead
Only those persons who have lived, really lived, are ready, welcoming, receptive, thankful to death. Then death is not the enemy. Then death becomes the fulfillment.
RajneeshRead
Creativity has two possibilities. One is that it arises out of your silence, love, understanding, your clarity of vision, your intimate friendliness with existence - then creativity is healthy. But if it does not arise out of meditation, out of silence and peace and understanding and love, then there is a danger. It may be arising out of your confused mind. It may be arising out of your insanity.
RajneeshRead
There is no separate art of life. If you know how to allow poetry, if you know how to allow dance, if you know how to allow love - if you know how to ALLOW, then you know the art of life. In the allowing, in the let-go, in the surrender, is the art of life. How not to be and to let God be - that is the only art of life.
RajneeshRead
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. And of course when one is love, one is in love – but that is an outcome, a by-product, that is not the source. The source is that one is love.
RajneeshRead
Similar quotes
There is no obligation on us to be richer, or busier, or more efficient, or more productive, or more progressive, or any way worldlier or wealthier, if it does not make us happier.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings.
John RuskinRead
Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word.
F. Scott FitzgeraldRead
I'm just delighted to be living, to be able to have a simple conversation, to feel a ray of sunlight on my skin and listen to the breeze move through the leaves of a tree.
Ryuichi SakamotoRead
The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.
George Bernard ShawRead
This idea of perpetual happiness is crazy and overrated, because those dark moments fuel you for the next bright moments; each one helps you appreciate the other.
Brad PittRead