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Discourses on the 42 Sutras of Buddha #3
Learning Happiness: The Discipline of Transcendence
‘Mind is the most complex phenomenon on earth, the most subtle flowering of consciousness. If you want to really understand what the mind is, then you will have to detach yourself from it and learn how to be just a witness.’
In Learning Happiness, Osho explains why Buddha insists that happiness does not have to be created. He says that perhaps the most fundamental truth that Buddha brought to the world is his penetrating insight into the essential nature of happiness. It already exists in the present moment—all that has to be learned is the knack of living in the present.
Osho outlines and clarifies the three steps—Buddha’s carefully defined path to liberation—and talks about the transcendence of moving from sex to spirituality.
In Learning Happiness, Osho explains why Buddha insists that happiness does not have to be created. He says that perhaps the most fundamental truth that Buddha brought to the world is his penetrating insight into the essential nature of happiness. It already exists in the present moment—all that has to be learned is the knack of living in the present.
Osho outlines and clarifies the three steps—Buddha’s carefully defined path to liberation—and talks about the transcendence of moving from sex to spirituality.
- GenresPhilosophy
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1978
5 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Osho
4,304 books6,803 followersRajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain, 11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990) and latter rebranded as Osho was leader of the Rajneesh movement. During his lifetime he was viewed as a controversial new religious movement leader and mystic.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 20, 2020
The book is one of the compilations of the Osho's talk and discourses interspersed with many anecdotes & jokes he always liked to tell in his talks with his usual question-answer sessions in each of the subtopics. This book is on happiness and Osho beautifully talks and explained as to how the happiness can never be found in past or in projection of future, that it's always in 'here and now' in present. I always enjoy reading Osho (and I so much wish that he had been alive today and we could be able to see real live discussions between him & the present Sadguru of Isha Foundation). Anyway, I think the title of this book 'Learning happiness', may be objected upon/ rejected firsthand by Osho himself as happiness can't be learnt I think, its an inherent quality or component of human psyche or soul which is to be realized, getting rid of the extraneous things. 03 stars for this one!!👍
July 2, 2023
My fav quotes (not a review):
Joke: "A mailman was delivering letters on a new route in the heavily Irish south side of Boston. At one house there was such a racket from an argument going on inside that he was afraid to approach. Suddenly a little boy appeared on the porch. "What is all the noise about, sonny?" the mailman asked. "It is my parents fighting," answered the boy. "They are always fighting." The mailman glanced at his letters. "What is your father's name?" he asked. "That's just what they're always fighting about," said the boy."
Joke: "A farmer was driving his horse laboriously along a dusty road. He came to a man sitting beside the road, pulled his team to a halt and called out: "How much longer does this hill last?" "You ain't on no hill," the stranger called back. "Your hind wheels are off.""
Joke: "A father takes his little boy for culture to the Metropolitan Opera. Out comes the conductor with his baton, and out comes the big diva, and she starts to sing an aria. As the conductor is waving his baton, the kid says, "Papa, why is that man hitting that woman?" The father says, "He isn't hitting her -- that's the conductor." "Well if he ain't hitting her, why is she hollering?" asks the boy."
Joke: "A hippie was walking down the street with a cigar-box under his arm when he met another hippie who asked, "Hey, man, What's cookin'? Where you goin' with that cigar-box?" "I'm movin'," said the first hippie."
Joke: "Just the other day, Mulla Nasrudin's wife was saying to me, "Finally, Osho, I succeeded." I asked, "About what?" She said, "I have stopped Mulla Nasrudin biting his nails." I said, "Biting his nails? Fifty years you have been married together -- Mulla is seventy -- now you have been able after fifty years?" She said, "Yes!" I asked, "But how did you succeed, tell me?" She said, "Now I simply hide his teeth so he cannot bite."
Joke: "A mailman was delivering letters on a new route in the heavily Irish south side of Boston. At one house there was such a racket from an argument going on inside that he was afraid to approach. Suddenly a little boy appeared on the porch. "What is all the noise about, sonny?" the mailman asked. "It is my parents fighting," answered the boy. "They are always fighting." The mailman glanced at his letters. "What is your father's name?" he asked. "That's just what they're always fighting about," said the boy."
Joke: "A farmer was driving his horse laboriously along a dusty road. He came to a man sitting beside the road, pulled his team to a halt and called out: "How much longer does this hill last?" "You ain't on no hill," the stranger called back. "Your hind wheels are off.""
Joke: "A father takes his little boy for culture to the Metropolitan Opera. Out comes the conductor with his baton, and out comes the big diva, and she starts to sing an aria. As the conductor is waving his baton, the kid says, "Papa, why is that man hitting that woman?" The father says, "He isn't hitting her -- that's the conductor." "Well if he ain't hitting her, why is she hollering?" asks the boy."
Joke: "A hippie was walking down the street with a cigar-box under his arm when he met another hippie who asked, "Hey, man, What's cookin'? Where you goin' with that cigar-box?" "I'm movin'," said the first hippie."
Joke: "Just the other day, Mulla Nasrudin's wife was saying to me, "Finally, Osho, I succeeded." I asked, "About what?" She said, "I have stopped Mulla Nasrudin biting his nails." I said, "Biting his nails? Fifty years you have been married together -- Mulla is seventy -- now you have been able after fifty years?" She said, "Yes!" I asked, "But how did you succeed, tell me?" She said, "Now I simply hide his teeth so he cannot bite."
February 27, 2020
"Be — don't try to become." Beautiful explanation with lots of stories, wonderful book to read for all spiritual aspirants.
One of the best book I have read.
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Nothing more to say about this book. Grab a copy of this book and have a great experience. Happy Reading!
One of the best book I have read.
.
Nothing more to say about this book. Grab a copy of this book and have a great experience. Happy Reading!
January 19, 2020
Amazing book, must read
June 28, 2025
Like most Osho books - it’s all the same but feels different depending on how you are on that day! Connects with different aspects of your being and challenges you to look within.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews